CHARITY Barnardo's is appealing for a carer to give a disabled Gwent 16-year-old independence from her mum.

The charity set up a scheme in Blaenau Gwent offering "link carers" to give parents, carers and patients a break.

Joanne Oliver, from Abertillery, who loves shopping, swimming and being outdoors, uses a wheelchair, is profoundly deaf and uses sign language to communicate.

Through the Blaenau Gwent Community Links scheme, the charity is looking for a link carer for Joanne, someone who can give her a break from home and have her for overnight stays about twice a month.

Her mum Christine, who cares full-time for her daughter, said: "I take her swimming and to visit friends once a week but even with that, she is very isolated.

"We moved here seven years ago and we don't have any family around. Her sisters have grown up and left so it is just Joanne and myself.

"In the last two years she has grown up and she wants to be a little bit more independent."

Two workers from Barnardo's take the teenager out for a couple of hours but a link carer will have Joanne for overnight stays.

Her mum said: "It will give her the chance to get out and mix more and it will also give me a break from full-time care."

"Ideally we would like the link carer to be able to use British Sign Language, or to be prepared to learn the basics."

Ms Oliver added: "She becomes attached to people very quickly and can get upset when they leave her world, so a link carer would need to be able to commit to spending time with her over a period of 12 or 18 months."

Anyone interested in helping can contact Lynn Judd at the Blaenau Gwent Community Links office on 01495 356778.