Most children are brought up in the care of one or both of their birth parents, but where this isn't possible some children are cared for permanently by a friend or relative. This is known as kinship care.
Research shows outcomes are better for those children who can remain living within their extended family and this is just one of the reasons we want to support kinship carers.
As a kinship carer we recognise the sacrifices you have made in terms of your lifestyle, finances, relationships and future.
We also understand that the children you care for grow and develop, and their needs change as they navigate past experiences, trauma and developmental milestones.
Contacting us
You may need some additional support and guidance from time to time. When you do, we’re happy to help. We can be contacted in the following ways:
The support we offer
We offer kinship carers with a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) the following:
- A dedicated post-SGO support team
- Regular in-person support groups
- A dedicated kinship duty worker with a direct telephone number and email address
- A referral system whereby we can refer to:
- the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (where appropriate)
- dedicated welfare and benefits rights workers
- the virtual school
- time-limited support or interventions with a named worker
Kinship support service
Kinship Carers with an SGO can access help from our Kinship Post SGO Support Service.
Our team of social workers and community care workers can provide targeted time-limited support, general advice and signposting to both local and national support groups.
Our team will:
- support you in line with SGO support plans
- provide information and guidance to prepare you for being a kinship carer, and to support you once the child is in your care
- advise and guide you about kinship allowances, benefits entitlements, and educational entitlements
- guide you with ‘life story' work for the children in your care
- assess you for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund if you’re an eligible kinship family who would benefit from some therapeutic input
- provide you with a phone number and email address for support during office hours alongside out-of-hours support
- signpost you to kinship support groups through our partners in the voluntary sector
Our pledge to you
We’ll make sure:
- you understand the kinship assessment process, the kinship options available and your legal rights
- you know how to contact your kinship team to talk about or access any support
- we support and guide you when needed to provide a safe, loving home and to meet the needs of the child(ren) in your care
- our practice and communication is respectful and values individual needs, heritage and diversity
- the voice and lived experience of the child remains at the forefront of any work with families
- we work alongside you to make sure any intervention, and plans are completed in consultation with you
- we respect your views and keep the voices and views of kinship carers at the forefront of decisions
- we seek regular feedback to improve our services
Local and national support for kinship carers