Young Carers Support App (UK)
An estimated 800,000 young people in the UK are caring for someone at home. Many go unrecognised, unsupported, and unsure of their rights.
The Young Carers Support App gives local authorities, charities, NHS teams, and youth organisations one trusted, practical resource to put in their hands – free, age-appropriate, and available whenever they need it.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
The burden that often goes unseen.
Young carers carry responsibilities that most adults would find challenging – managing medication, supporting a parent's mental health, caring for a sibling, keeping a household running — often while trying to keep up with school, friendships, and growing up.
Many don't recognise themselves as carers. They assume this is just what family life looks like. And because they don't identify as carers, they don't seek support – and services don't always find them.
When that hidden burden goes unacknowledged, the consequences can touch every part of a young person's life: poor mental health, educational disengagement, isolation, and in some cases serious distress or crisis – adding pressure to support services.
You see this in your caseloads every day.
Reaching young carers before things escalate.
You might commission or deliver services for young carers through a local authority, an NHS team, a charity, or a youth organisation. You know how hard it is to identify young carers early – and how much harder it becomes once difficulties have already taken hold.
Staff time is limited. Many young carers won't come forward. And the support that exists isn't always easy to find, or easy to trust, for a young person navigating a complex family situation.
You need something that reaches young carers where they are – privately, in their own time, without requiring them to put their hand up first.
Earlier, quieter support doesn't just help young carers – it reduces the risk of escalation and eases pressure on already stretched services.
A practical companion – for every part of a young carer's life.
Developed in partnership with West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, and co-produced with Barnardo's, Caring Together, Carers' Resource, and Family Action Leeds, the Young Carers Support App goes beyond emotional support to address the practical realities of young caring.
Inside the app, young carers can find clear, age-appropriate guidance on:
- Being a young carer – understanding what caring means, and knowing they're not alone
- Rights and entitlements – what young carers are entitled to, and how to access support
- School and education – managing caring responsibilities alongside learning
- Benefits and finances – practical guidance on financial support available to young carers and their families
- Relationships – friends, family, and the social pressures of caring
- Mental health and wellbeing – managing stress, tiredness, and difficult feelings
- Life issues – careers, transitions, and planning for the future
- Finding support – signposted to local and national services, charities, and helplines
Everything is written in plain, age-appropriate language and designed to be easy to return to – especially when things feel overwhelming.
The app is not a replacement for safeguarding processes or professional assessment. It sits alongside existing pathways – supporting earlier identification, reinforcing professional messages, and reaching young carers at the moments services can't.
Free for young carers and organisations. No contracts, no set-up, no personal data collection.
Safe to share – and designed to sit within existing frameworks.
For commissioners and safeguarding leads, the app has been designed with appropriate boundaries and:
- does not replace safeguarding assessments or statutory processes
- collects no personal data and does not monitor individuals
- supports self-care, rights awareness, and appropriate help-seeking alongside existing pathways
- does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or emergency response
This makes it a safe, proportionate tool to promote across local authority, NHS, and voluntary sector settings – without creating additional governance burden.
- PIF TICK certified
- Developed with West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
Co-produced with Barnardo's, Caring Together, Carers' Resource, and Family Action Leeds
For more details on how we develop and quality-assure our content, visit our Quality Assurance and Editorial pages – both open in a new tab.
The difference it makes for your organisation.
When young carers have access to clear, trusted support, they are more likely to:
- recognise themselves as carers and feel less alone
- understand their rights and feel more confident seeking support
- care more safely and look after their own wellbeing
- stay engaged with education and opportunities
- reach services earlier – and in better shape to be helped
For the organisations supporting them, that means earlier identification, reduced escalation, and a consistent resource that works across your whole area.
Make it feel local.
Local authorities, charities, and partner organisations can localise the Young Carers Support App – adding a branded home page and a directory of local services, support, and pathways relevant to their area.
A straightforward way to make trusted, nationally recognised guidance feel connected to your own community – helping young carers find the right support sooner, without the cost or complexity of building something new.
Let’s talk.
Want to know more first? Find out how our free apps work and how to localise this app for your organisation – both open in a new tab.
If you'd like to explore how the Young Carers Support App could support young carers in your area, we'd be glad to talk.