Young Carer's Chat (a reintroduction)

JustV

Hey Mixers! We wanted to write a brief reintroduction post to give Young Carer's Chat (YCC) a bit of a signal boost, let you all know what that space is for, what to expect, and how to use it.

In summary: YCC is a type of Support Chat just for young carers. It's a space where young carers can get together and support each other over shared (and often isolating) experiences.

YCC runs every Monday from 8-9:30pm and is modded by our Support Chat Moderators, though in the future we are hoping to bring in a moderator specifically with experience as a carer.

So if you're a young carer, feel free to come along! And if you know a young carer, feel free to spread the word and tell them about Young Carer's Chat. The more the merrier!

More info

Firstly, a young carer is a young person who helps to look after a relative or friend with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.

(This is often confused with being 'care-experienced', which is when you're in or involved with the care system - that's not what this support group is based around.)

Secondly, there will be people in this community who don't realise they're young carers. That might mean people come into YCC that haven't openly shared that they're a carer before, and it's really important to make them feel welcome and included even if they don't seem to 'fit the bill' at first.

Thirdly, if you think you might be a young carer (even if you're not sure), feel free to drop by! YCC is a great space to explore that and ask any questions that you have. You can also use The Mix's tool to find out whether you might be a young carer: https://www.themix.org.uk/young-carers

📝 Note about recent closures

Some of you will be aware that we've closed a higher than usual amount of YCCs recently, and there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is moderator availability - when we had less mods, we were prioritising keeping Support Chat and General Chat open because those rooms get the most traffic. The second reason is that we were closing YCC when it had one or no people in it, because we want our support groups to stay groups and our moderators aren't equipped to run sessions that are more 1-2-1.

However, our approach to this has changed.

Now, when we have less moderators around, we'll prioritise opening YCC because it only happens once a week, and we don't want you guys to have to wait a whole week for the next one.

Additionally, we will no longer be closing YCC completely when attendance is low. We want to give this space a chance to grow, and we realise it's tricky for that to happen if it frequently needs to close.

We also know that young carers have varying schedules and we want this space to be accessible to those who can't make it when the chat first opens, but might be able to join later in the evening.

Now, if there is one person or no-one in YCC, it will be inactive until more people join. The moderator will let you know when this happens, and when more people join, you can start chatting.

In summary, this means that YCC should be closed a lot less.

JustV

Want to know if you're a young carer? Check out the FAQ from our website:

How do I know if I’m a young carer?

You’re a young carer if you’re under 18 and help to look after a relative or friend with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.


What’s a young adult carer?

Young adult carers are young people aged 16–25 who care, unpaid, for a family member or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition or an addiction.


What kind of things do young carers and young adult carers do?

If you’re a young carer or young adult carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister. Every carer’s experience is unique, and your caring may range from small tasks, to round-the-clock-care.

You may do practical jobs such as cooking, housework and shopping; physical care such as lifting and helping someone up the stairs; personal care such as dressing and washing someone; and emotional support such as listening and calming someone.


How can I get support as a young carer?

There’s lots of support available for young carers and young adult carers, and it’s important that you make sure you’re getting all the help you need. You can get in touch with support groups, where you can talk to other carers who will have similar experiences to you; try The Mix’s young carer’s group chat.

Talk to your school or employer about your role as a carer to make sure they are supporting you as much as they can. You can also reach out to specialist organisations, such as Carer’s Trust.

Millie2787

@Chloe234 the note in the spoiler might help explain abit better about tonight’s decision