Post order
If we have completed a kinship assessment of you, you will have been made aware of the support available post order.
If you are approved as a kinship foster carer you will continue to be supported as a foster carer .
If a special guardianship order (SGO) has been granted, the child’s social worker will remain involved for a period under a 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.
If you need us you can contact our kinship support team and speak with a social worker through our dedicated kinship duty line (contact details on this page). We can support you with the following:
- One off advice
- Linking to kinship support groups
- Linking with a family community work coach from the Department for Work and Pensions who will offer you guidance on allowances and benefits
- Linking with Derbyshire’s Virtual School to request support for educational issues
- Help accessing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
- Allocation of a kinship worker to undertake identified pieces of support
- Referral and signposting to other teams in Children’s Services or Universal Services
Kinship 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.
The aim is each support group will have a theme relevant to you as a kinship carer, and some will involve guest speakers. 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.
The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
You will be informed during your kinship assessment about the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). This will also be detailed in your SGO support plan.
The ASGSF is a government incentive with funding through the Department of Education.
Due to the child’s previous experiences and trauma, you may need to access this fund at various points.
As a carer with an SGO you can access funding for support and therapy for the child (or children) you’re caring for and we can support you with this.
In the first instance contact kinship duty (contact details later on this page). 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.
Time limited support and interventions with a named worker
We can offer time limited support on issues which maybe impacting the child you’re caring for, and the secure base you provide.
For example, we can:
- support carers to understand behaviours and responses linked to trauma and neurodiversity. This includes taking a therapeutic approach to the impact of trauma, helping you to make sense of associated behaviours and develop practical strategies that strengthen communication, connection, and everyday routines in your family
- help you strengthen family relationships by building on the strengths you already have
- promote the use of family group decision making (including family group conferences) in line with Working Together 2026 so the wider family network plays a central role in planning for the child’s safety, stability and long-term outcomes.
Education
The role of the virtual school and the virtual school head 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:
Finances
As a kinship carer It may be possible to get an allowance from us.
The allowances relating to those caring for a child under a child arrangement order or an SGO will be agreed following a means tested financial assessment.
Any allowance is subject to an annual review each April.
How other agencies support Kinship Families
Working Together 2026 sets out a shared responsibility across health, education, police and social care to work with kinship families in a coordinated way.
Kinship carers will therefore be included in multi agency decision making when assessing or supporting a child’s needs.
Kinship carers may be involved in multi agency meetings such as:
- early help
- family help
- child in need
- child protection
After contacting our kinship team, we may feel the presenting need and support requested needs a referral or signposting to other services.
Family help and early support for kinship carers
Working Together 2026, highlights the importance of support for kinship families through early and family help services where needed
Our kinship team aim to work closely with early help and family help services to ensure a coordinated response tailored to you and your family.
We're invested in the families first partnership where the focus is simple:
- Children are safe
- Families receive help earlier
- Support is co-ordinated around the whole family
For more info, email: cs.familiesfirstpartnership@derbyshire.gov.uk
Local and national support for kinship carers
Contact us
Kinship duty contact details: