Young Carers have received little-to-no mental health support from the Government in the past twelve months.
Thomas Atkin, a 17-year-old Sixth Form student from Sheffield, cares for both of his parents and has felt these effects first-hand.
His Mum has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy. His dad has Multiple Sclerosis.
“It is a constant fear and yet we have no mental health support,” he said.
“There are going to be thousands of other young carers who are going to be mentally scarred by this past year.
“We’re a group that falls behind naturally anyway. We always fall behind and it happens to every one of us, so we’re already at a disadvantage.”
He added: “We need support more than ever before. We’re tired. We’re frustrated. We just need help.”
Mr Atkin also opened up about the educational impact, explaining how most carers haven’t come into school because they are too scared of passing on the virus to those who are vulnerable.
He said: “It is currently not a legal requirement to have a Young Carers lead at school and most people take it on as well as another job.
Thomas Atkin, a Young Carer from Sheffield
“I would like to highlight the Young Carers National Voice campaign that is aiming to make it a legal requirement for there to be a Young Carers lead in every school and that every school has to be monitored for it by Ofsted.”
Sheffield Young Carers are one of the many organisations promoting this campaign on their social media sites.
They are an independent charity dedicated to supporting young carers like Thomas Atkin, to whom “they have been a lifeline throughout this pandemic.”
A spokesperson for the charity said: “In a recent survey carried out by Young Carers National Voice, 67% of Young Carers reported that their mental health had declined in this latest lockdown.
The ‘Young Carers National Voice’ campaign
“It is a vital campaign. School can be extremely hard for Young Carers and while some that we work with have received excellent support from their schools, most haven’t.
“Requiring all schools to have a Designated Young Carers Lead will ensure that all Young Carers across the country get equal support, to help them manage their education alongside their caring responsibilities.”
You can find out more information about the Young Carers National Voice Campaign here.