The nexus project
Nexus is a three-year project funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust. The project aims to improve support, resources and access to services for young carers within armed forces families.
Young carers
What is a young carer within an armed forces family?
A young carer is a person under 18 who provides care for another person. A young carer might look after someone because they have a disability, a long-term illness or mental health condition, or a substance dependency.
Young people who care and have a parent who is or was a member of the armed forces are a young carer within an armed forces family.
If you think you might be a young carer check out our advice and support.
About Nexus
Caring at a young age can impact a child’s wellbeing, health, education, and free time. These issues are exacerbated for young carers within armed forces families due to parent deployments, frequent house moves and living in secure military housing.
Nexus aims to work with professionals from armed forces support services, young carers services, schools, the NHS and others to drive change by:
- empowering young people to explore their lived experiences
- building specialist service networks
- advising on systems change
- campaigning alongside young carers
- equipping and training professionals.
For more information about Nexus you can download our leaflet here: Nexus Information leaflet.pdf
Codename Carers
Supporting young carers
Young carers are children who look after a friend or family member. Their extra responsibilities often mean they miss out on school and hanging out with friends. It can sideline their whole childhood. That's why it's so important to help them to find balance, give them space to enjoy being young, and support them into adulthood, so they can pursue their dreams outside of caring.
Nexus youth voice
We would like to invite young carers aged 8 to 18 in an armed forces family to be a part of our nexus youth voice group. Those who take part will be able to meet other young carers, share their opinions on the issues that affect them, and take part in fun activities and trips away.
The youth voice group will meet in person and online with other young people from across the country and it will be a space that the group can make their own.
We hope those that take part will have lots of amazing experiences, learn new skills, make friends, access improved support services, and collect awards.
If you are a young person and want to find out more information click here.
Also, parents and professionals can find more information here and complete the referral form.
Training
To improve support for young carers within armed forces families, we are offering two free courses:
Training for professionals working with children, young people, or families within the armed forces community
This is a three-hour training course for professionals who work with armed forces families. The training is targeted at those who would like to improve their ability to support children and young people from the armed forces community who take on additional caring responsibilities because a family member or friend has a disability, a long-term illness, neurodiversity, mental health condition, or a substance dependency.
Training will cover: The definition of a young carer. The impact of caring responsibilities. How to identify young carers and factors leading to a young carer becoming “hidden”. The unique needs of young carers within armed forces families. The law and legislation surrounding young carers. How you can support and refer young carers.
To book your place click here.
Training for professionals working with young carers
This is a short training course for professionals who have the knowledge and skills for working with young carers, but would like to better understand how to support children and young people who have caring responsibilities and are growing up in armed forces families.
Training will cover: The definition of a young carer within an armed forces family. The impact of growing up in the armed forces. The unique needs of young carers within armed forces families. The law and legislation surrounding the Armed Forces Covenant. How you can support young carers within armed forces families.
To book your place click click here.
Youth Voice
Get involved
Everyone can get involved in nexus and support young carers within armed forces families by…
- Talking to others about the project
- Sharing our posts on social media
- Putting up a poster
- Using our resources (under construction!)
- Completing our professionals survey
- Keeping up to date via our newsletter
- Join a professional’s network.
If you think you or someone you know might be a young carer within an armed forces family and want to be more involved please get in touch.
The research
Over the last ten years there has been different pieces of research and reports about young carers within armed forces families, the research has found that it is difficult to find children and young people who care in the armed forces community, that support varies across the country, and parent deployments, frequent house moves, and living in secure military housing can make everything that little bit harder.
If you want to read more click the links below:
Funders and Partners
The nexus project is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trusts transformational grants programme.
The Children’s Society is very proud to be working with partner organisations including the Army Welfare Service, RAF Community Support and Royal Navy Family and People Support.
If your organisation would like to become a partner in the nexus project please get in touch: include.programme@childrenssociety.org.uk
