Glossary

Under the carers (recognition and services) act 1995 a young carer is a child or young person under 18 years of age who provides a substantial amount of care on a regular basis. The young carer can provide physical, emotional, and practical support to a family member who has mental issues, is physically incapable of looking after themselves, has a long term illness, has hearing or sight loss, abuses substances such as drugs or alcohol, or is disabled.

Your local youth offending team is not connected to the police or the courts. They are part of your local authority. They help children who have been arrested, charged with a crime, attending court, convicted of a crime and sentenced.

A youth rehabilitation order is ordered by a court when an individual below the age of 18 years when they are sentenced in a court for a criminal offence. The individual must obey the directions in the order. The court can direct the individual to observe a curfew, unpaid work, community service, meet with a youth offending team worker, drug treatment, supervision, mental health treatment, surveillance and can prohibit them from doing something. A youth rehabilitation order usually lasts for up to 3 years.