How do I identify whether a student is a young carer?

Young carers often do not self-identify because they fear stigma or do not realise that what they do qualifies as 'caring'. Signs can include chronic tiredness, inconsistent homework completion, reluctance to invite friends home, distraction or anxiety in lessons, and limited engagement with after-school activities. A simple, private question from a trusted member of staff — 'Is there anyone at home you help look after?' — is one of the most effective identification tools. Once identified, schools should have a young carers policy in place.

My child is a young carer. How do I talk to them about online safety when I am the one they are caring for?

This is a genuinely difficult situation, and it is worth acknowledging openly. You might say: 'I know things at home are not the same as for other families, and I worry about you sometimes. I want to make sure you are okay online and that you have people you can talk to.' Identifying a trusted adult outside the home — a teacher, a family friend, or a youth worker — who can have regular check-ins with your child is valuable. You can also call the Carers Trust on 0300 123 1053 for advice tailored to your specific situation.

Are there specific legal protections for young carers?

Yes. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities in England have a duty to assess and support young carers. This can include support with technology and internet access. Your local authority's young carers service can advise on what you or your child is entitled to. Carers Trust (carers.org) can help you identify your local service and understand your rights.

Digital Safety for Young Carers

A specialist guide to the unique digital safety challenges faced by young carers — including emotional vulnerability, time pressure, accessing support, and online communities that can help.

Young carers — children and young people who provide unpaid care for a family member with an illness, disability, mental health problem, or addiction — face a distinct set of digital safety challenges that are rarely addressed in mainstream online safety guidance. The emotional weight of their caring role, combined with time pressure, social isolation, and limited adult oversight, can make them more vulnerable to online harms while simultaneously making the internet one of their most important sources of support. This guide addresses both sides of that equation: the specific risks young carers face, and how to help them access the genuine support that digital connection can provide.

1. Unique Digital Risks for Young Carers

Young carers often have less parental oversight of their online activity — not because their parents are inattentive, but because the parent or carer they live with may be unable to provide consistent supervision due to illness or disability. This means that the safety conversations, device check-ins, and shared use of technology that form the backbone of most online safety guidance simply do not happen in the same way. Young carers may spend significant time online unsupervised late at night, particularly if they are caring during the evening. They are more likely than their peers to be emotionally exhausted and to seek comfort online. These factors increase vulnerability to grooming, to harmful content, and to relationships with people who exploit loneliness or unmet emotional needs. Schools and support services working with young carers should be aware of these dynamics and adjust their safeguarding approach accordingly.

Key takeaway: Young carers often have less parental digital oversight and higher emotional vulnerability — both factors increase their online safety risk and require a specific safeguarding response.

2. Emotional Vulnerability Online

The emotional load carried by young carers — grief, anxiety, isolation, and often a suppressed sense of their own needs — can make them particularly susceptible to online relationships that offer validation, excitement, or escape. Groomers and exploitative individuals specifically seek out young people who appear lonely, are online at unusual hours, or express distress openly on social media. Young carers may also seek out communities online related to their family member's condition — which can be genuinely helpful, but can also expose them to adult content, misinformation, or communities with unhealthy dynamics. Supporting a young carer's online safety requires acknowledging this emotional dimension. Simply installing parental controls without addressing the underlying needs is unlikely to be effective. What helps is ensuring the young carer has access to trusted adults — within school and outside it — who understand their situation and can provide genuine emotional support.

Key takeaway: Emotional vulnerability is a significant online safety risk factor for young carers — addressing the underlying needs is as important as technical safeguards.

3. Time Pressure and Late-Night Use

Many young carers carry out caring tasks in the evenings and nights — sitting with a family member who cannot be left alone, monitoring medication, or managing a parent's distress after others have gone to sleep. During these times, their phone or tablet is often their primary companion and their main source of stimulation. Late-night internet use is associated with exposure to more extreme content (as algorithms serve up more provocative material to keep users engaged), with reduced critical thinking, and with increased emotional reactivity. It is also the window during which contact from strangers is more likely to feel welcome. If you are aware that a young carer is regularly online late at night, the conversation should not begin with restriction. It should begin with acknowledgement: 'I know nights can be really hard. What do you usually do to get through them?' From there, you can explore what support might help reduce the dependency on late-night digital connection.

Key takeaway: Late-night internet use is a specific risk for young carers — address it by understanding what need it is meeting rather than simply restricting access.

4. Accessing Support Services Online

For many young carers, the internet is how they access the support that their situation requires. This is a genuine benefit and should be encouraged. Key UK services with good online provision include: Carers Trust (carers.org), which has a dedicated young carers section and an online community; The Children's Society (childrenssociety.org.uk), which advocates for young carers and offers resources; Young Carers Net, a Carers Trust project with peer forums moderated by professionals; and Childline (0800 1111 or childline.org.uk), which young carers can use to talk about any aspect of their situation. Schools should ensure young carers know about these resources and feel encouraged to use them. It is also worth checking whether your local authority has a young carers service — most do, and some offer in-person and online group support.

Key takeaway: Online support services are genuinely valuable for young carers — actively signpost them rather than treating all online connection as a risk.

5. Online Communities for Young Carers

Moderated online peer communities can be transformative for young carers who feel isolated at school or unable to discuss their home situation with friends. Young Carers Net (youngcarers.net) provides a safe, professionally moderated forum where young carers can connect with peers who understand their experience. The validation and practical advice available in these communities is not something schools or parents can always replicate. However, not all online communities are safe or helpful. Young carers should be guided towards moderated, professional platforms and helped to recognise the difference between a community that supports and empowers them and one that fosters unhealthy dependency, misinformation, or contact with adults who have inappropriate motivations. Teach young carers the same markers of trusted online communities that apply generally: moderation is visible, personal information is not required, and contact is not moved off-platform.

Key takeaway: Moderated online peer communities are specifically valuable for young carers — guide them to trustworthy platforms and help them recognise the difference between helpful and harmful communities.

6. How Schools Can Support Young Carers Digitally

Schools play a critical role in the digital safety of young carers. Identifying young carers early — many hide their status to avoid stigma — enables schools to put tailored support in place. Practically, this might include: ensuring the young carer has access to a charged device and reliable internet if home resources are unreliable; making a trusted member of staff available for pastoral conversations that include digital wellbeing; being flexible about homework submission when caring responsibilities affect evening availability; and including young carers' specific experiences in PSHE provision rather than assuming a standard family background. The Designated Safeguarding Lead should be aware of which pupils are young carers and factor this into the school's safeguarding approach. Training for all staff on the specific needs of young carers — including online safety dimensions — is increasingly available through Carers Trust and The Children's Society.

Key takeaway: Schools should identify young carers and provide tailored digital support — including device access, pastoral check-ins, and training for staff on the specific dynamics young carers face.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.

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