Our team provides information, advice, and access to support for kinship carers until the child’s 18th birthday. This includes kinship carers living in Derbyshire, as well as those living outside Derbyshire who are caring for a child we've placed.
For carers living outside Derbyshire under a special guardianship order (SGO), support will be provided for up to 3 years after the order is granted. After this time, support will be provided by the local authority where the carer lives.
Once you are approved as a kinship foster carer you will continue to be supported as a foster carer.
When a special guardianship order (SGO) has been granted, the child’s social worker will remain involved for a period as detailed in the child in need plan (CIN). This is to support you, both practically and emotionally, as a new kinship family unit and to make sure you have everything in place. For times beyond this, when you need our support we are here.
Emotional support
You can easily contact us and speak with a social worker through our dedicated kinship duty line. This service is available for
- one-off advice or reassurance
- linking to kinship support groups
- allowances and benefits advice
- linking with our virtual school to ask for support for educational issues
- help accessing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
- allocation of a kinship worker to support you
- referral and signposting to other teams within our children’s or universal services.
Support groups
We hold regular support groups for our kinship carers. This is an opportunity to meet with other kinship carers, helping you to build peer networks and informal support.
Each support group will focus on a theme relevant to you as a kinship carer. We'll tailor future groups to any common support themes occurring among our kinship carers.
We also work closely with the Kinship charity and can help you to find the support and training they offer in your local community. Again, this is an opportunity to meet with other kinship carers for peer support.
Finances
As a kinship carer It may be possible to receive an allowance from us.
The allowances for those caring for a child under a child arrangement order or an SGO are currently means tested and agreed following a financial assessment.
Any allowance is subject to an annual review.
Practical support
Housing
If you are experiencing challenges relating to accommodation please contact us - we may be able to support your housing application.
One-to-one support
We offer support on issues which may be impacting on you and the child you're caring for.
For example, we can support you to:
- understand how a child’s early experiences, trauma and neurodiversity may influence their emotions, behaviours, learning and relationships.
- understand triggers for behaviour and what the child may be communicating through their actions and responses
- develop practical and therapeutically-based strategies to respond to presenting behaviours
- build on the skills you already have to strengthen family relationships
Assessment of need for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF)
The government-funded ASGSF can provide support and therapeutic services for children who have experienced trauma or adversity.
As a carer with an SGO, you can access funding for support and therapy for the child (or children) you’re caring for. We can support you with this.
If support is needed, please contact kinship duty in the first instance. this will be followed by an assessment of need by a social worker in the kinship team and if applicable the ASGSF will be applied for on your behalf.
We are here to guide and support you throughout the process.
Education
The role of the virtual school has been expanded so it's now a service that promotes the educational achievement of children in a kinship arrangement.
Contacting the virtual school
Contact details for the virtual school are:
Additionally, if you are caring for a child or young person with a Education, Health Care plan (EHCP) or you feel an EHCP assessment is needed, information and advice can be found through the following links:
Family help and early support for kinship carers
In line with Working Together 2026, kinship families should receive early support when needed.
Our kinship team works closely with early help and family help services to provide coordinated support tailored to your family's needs.
Through the families first partnership we aim to ensure that:
- children are safe
- families receive help earlier
- support is co-ordinated around the whole family
How other agencies support kinship families
Working Together 2026 promotes a joined-up approach between health, education, police and social care to work with kinship families in a coordinated way.
As a kinship carer, you may be involved in discussions and decisions about a child's needs and support.
Kinship carers may be included in multi agency meetings such as:
- early help
- family help
- child in need
- child protection
Following contact with the kinship team, we may recommend a referral, or signpost you to other services that are better placed to meet your individual support needs.
Local and national support for kinship carers