16-07-2025
Young carer on the pressures of looking after a family and how to get support
ITV Channel's Lewis Andrews meets 14-year-old Leon and gets a rare insight into life as a young carer
A boy from Jersey is raising awareness of the pressures involved in being a young carer and what support is available to others in a similar situation.
Leon Surcouf, 14, started looking after his step-mum following her cancer diagnosis, and says that it was taking a toll on his mental health until he joined the Jersey Youth Service.
Leon explains: "When everything happened, I went through a bit of a dark time because obviously it was not a great thing to be told, and so I wasn't feeling the best.
"At school, I just felt a bit tired and I didn't want to put any effort in because I felt there was no point. But after going to the Youth Service and having one-to-ones, you realise a lot of it can be taken off your shoulders by talking to somebody."
What is a young carer?
A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who provides support for a family member who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.
This can involve practical tasks, emotional help, and personal care.
In Jersey, 16% of young people care for a family member or friend, according to the 2021 Children and Young People's Survey.
To support those young carers, Jersey's Youth Service offer free clubs, activities, advice and counselling support to those aged between 12 and 25.
Youth worker Jo Dove says: "It's a safe space for young carers to get some time for themselves, to be in a supportive environment, talk to a youth worker if they want to and be with young carers who really know what they are going through.
"It can be really difficult and they might be worried about that. Having a space like this is important to just have a break from those responsibilities. Everything is free and we do free transport as well to remove any barriers."
Young carers in Jersey talk about the importance of the Youth Service
Explaining how his day-to-day support helps his step-mum, Leon says: "Helping around the house can sometimes help her have a bit of time to rest.
"It means she gets a bit of stress off her back, so when there are things to do, she doesn't feel like she has to do it. She needs time to rest, so sometimes it's nice to give her some time to."
However, he adds it can be challenging: "There is quite a lot of emotional sides to it, with your mental health. It is quite a big role sometimes.
"For some people, it is a lot more emotional, but obviously, everyone deals with it differently."
Since meeting others like him at the Youth Service, Leon says his life has significantly improved.
He explains: "The people there are going through similar struggles. When you're at school, no one knows what you're dealing with and you don't always want to talk about it.
"But there you have people who know what it's like, so they know that everyone deals with it differently.
"Having people around you who are going through the same thing is quite comforting. You know you aren't sticking out, you aren't the only person there who is going through something.
"It is a lot less about teaching you how to deal with things; it's a hangout spot where you can make lots of friends and have fun. It's a nice space to not have to think about what is going on at home, it's just time for you and yourself."
Leon's father, Mark, adds: "He has come a long way since joining the service. He was going down the wrong road at one point, and we were quite concerned about him.
"We think it was the pressure with everything going on but since becoming involved, he has really upped his game; he has gone to the top of his sets [at school] and is just doing really well."
In a message to other young carers, Leon says: "There are a lot of people, I think, who could do with the support, but have missed the opportunity because they don't know about it or don't want to go because they feel it would be awkward.
"But I want people to know it is a good thing, and they aren't going to go there and be constantly asked what is going on at home or talking about it."
