Young carer says 'too many' like her 'struggling to cope'

An 18-year-old from Swansea says schools need to offer more support to young carers like herself.

Bethan Evans became a carer to her father after he had a stroke.

She said that taking on that role whilst studying for her GCSEs was "surreal" at times and "too many young carers are struggling to cope."

Charity Carers Trust have launched a campaign to help schools identify and help their pupils who are young carers.

When Bethan's father had a stroke, she found herself in a situation she had never expected to be in.

She had to step up to provide help for her family whilst still revising for her GCSEs.

She said becoming a carer was at first a shock but the role has helped her own personal growth. She said: "I am starting to see myself develop and my confidence has grown so much.

"I can talk to people without worrying what I am going to say next and I think that is what everyone needs as a young adult carer, to make sure that they know that they are worth more than just a caring role."

The Carers Trust campaign "Count Me In!" aims to help people like Bethan get the support they need as young people who are juggling both caring and school.

Simon Hatch, Director of Carers Trust Wales, said every class will have "at least three or four young carers" and schools need to be able to identify these pupils to make sure "that no young carer is missed".

Figures from the charity show that about a fifth of secondary school pupils from Wales' poorest families are young carers - although this is suspected to be an underestimate.

They claim a lot of young people may not even realise themselves that they are taking on a caring role for someone else.