Siblings of children who have a disability frequently take on care, responsibility and advocacy roles, often into adulthood. Support groups, workshops and training can foster positive sibling relationships and have several positive emotional and behavioural outcomes, including improved confidence, increased understanding of their sibling’s disability and improved communication between siblings. They also enable time away from home, offer peer support and can help build resilience through development of coping strategies.

This article presents findings of a service evaluation of a pilot group for young people with a sibling with a disability. The aim of the group was to increase understanding about disability, provide a space for peer support and for the young people to learn skills to help themselves and their siblings at difficult times. The group included a range of activities focusing on discussion and problem-solving. The article describes the evaluation, which was based on semi-structured interviews conducted with four of the young people following the ten-week programme, and discusses the themes that emerged from analysis.