Time 4 U

Please note that Honicknowle Youth Centre is currently undergoing refurbishment, so our sessions are currently being held at alternative locations. Please call the Young Carers Team on 07899 950 155 for more information. 

The Plymouth Young Carers Service aims to achieve improved health and wellbeing, educational outcomes, and access pathways to support young carers whilst protecting them from inappropriate or excessive care and support to minimise the negative physical and emotional impact of caring. Young carers often put the needs of others before their own, and their caring roles can prevent them from being able to socialise with their own age group, have any time for themselves, or feel able to leave the family home.

What is a young carer?

A young carer is an individual child or young person under the age of 18 who provides unpaid help and support on a regular basis to a family member, friend, or relative. They may provide practical help, care, or physical or emotional support to a person who is vulnerable for a wide variety of reasons, whether through age, physical or mental illness, disability, or other issues such as substance misuse.

A young carer becomes vulnerable when the level of care giving and responsibility to the person in need of care becomes excessive or inappropriate for that child, risking impact on his or her emotional or physical wellbeing, educational achievement and life chances

Time 4: U

The Time4U Partnership is made up of the Plymouth City Council Community Youth Team and the newly commissioned service, The Children's Society. The purpose of Time4U is to streamline existing services for young carers, reduce duplication, combine and utilise skills and experience, and ensure even more children, young people, and families benefit from a service.

Improving Lives Young Adult Carers Service 

We work in partnership with the Young Adult Carers (YAC) service in Plymouth, which provides support to carers aged 18-25 who provide unpaid care to family members or friends with an illness, addiction, or disability.

Once Young Carers turn 18, we provide support and guidance to help them transition smoothly to the Young Adult Carers service to ensure there is continuous support available. They run a supportive and friendly network for young adult carers to socialise with others in a similar position and attend drop-in sessions and workshops.

For more information, please contact ilp@improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk.

How to request support

To request Young Carers support or services, a 'Time4U Request for Service Referral Form' will need to be completed. Once the form is received, a panel meeting will be held to assess the referral, and the most appropriate service within Time4U will then be allocated to best meet the needs of the child, young person, and/or family.

To request a form, please email time4u@plymouth.gov.uk.

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