Kinship

Kinship Care

What is Kinship Care?

Kinship care is the umbrella term used to for any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. The arrangement may be temporary or longer term.

Kinship carers could be grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members and friends who have stepped up to raise children when parents aren’t able to. Some of these children may have been in care to a local authority and have now left care to live with a carer on either an Adoption Order, a Special Guardianship order or a Residency Order ( this group of young people are often referred to as Previously Looked After and are eligible for extra funding in English maintained or academy schools) but other young people may not have had any period of time in care.

There are different types of Kinship Care:

• Informal arrangements

• Private Foster Care

• Special Guardianship Orders

• Family and Friends Foster Care (connected carers)

• Adoption

The following are all types of Kinship Care Arrangement; however, this list is not exhaustive: -

Informal Kinship Care Arrangements (not approved foster care) including:

• A private family arrangement in which a close relative who does not hold parental responsibility, raises the child and the local authority has had no major role in making the arrangement for the child; and a Family Court has not made an order in respect to the care of the child.

• Where a child under the age of 16 is being provided with accommodation for less than 28 days by an individual in their own home who is not a close relative.

• Where a 16 or 17-year-old is being provided with accommodation by an individual who is not a close relative in their own home.

• A Private Fostering Arrangement in which someone who is not a close relative of the child looks after them for 28 days or more.

• A Child Arrangements order in favour of someone who is a friend or family member but is not the child’s parent.

• A Special Guardianship Order appointing a friend or family member as the child’s special guardian.

• A ‘looked after child’ under either an Interim or Final Care Order or being accommodated by the local authority may be described as ‘kinship foster care’ or ‘family and friends foster care’) if:

• The child is being cared for by a friend or family member who is not their parent, and

• The friend or family member is approved as a local authority foster carer either on a temporary basis or following full assessment.

• An Adoption Order has been granted in respect of the child and, prior to the making of the order, the adopter was a friend or family member.

Virtual School offer:

In September 2024 the Virtual School non statutory duty has been extended to specifically include championing the attendance, attainment and progress of children in Kinship Care to bring parity of support to kinship families who are currently not captured.

Guidance:

Promoting the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements: virtual school head role extension - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Virtual School’s strategic role will include:

1. Raising the visibility of the distinct needs of children in different types of kinship care arrangements and the disadvantages that they can experience.

2. Promoting practice that supports attendance and engagement in education.

3. Promoting practice that improves children in kinship care’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap, so that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

Cheshire West and Chester Virtual School have expanded the provision of advice and information on request, to all kinship carers with special guardianship orders and child arrangement orders, regardless of whether their child was previously looked after by the local authority.

This will be an important step in helping more kinship carers to navigate the education system, in turn helping them to advocate for the educational achievement of their children. More children in kinship care will receive the help they need to thrive at school.

The Virtual School adviser attends ‘drop in’ coffee mornings for special guardians and this is open to all kinship carers to provide advice on education.

The Virtual School offer advice and support to key professionals such as social workers, designated teachers, designated safeguarding leads and school leaders to help children to make progress in education and remove barriers to their learning.

Through working in partnership with educational settings the Virtual School aim to raise awareness of the needs and disadvantage of children in kindship care arrangements.

Please contact:

Alison Ismail (Deputy Head and Previously Looked After Adviser Cheshire West and Chester Virtual School) alison.ismail@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk07920 547 662

Or

Adam Croft (Virtual School Headteacher Cheshire West and Chester) adam.croft@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

National Kinship Strategy

The National Kinship Care Strategy for England (Dec 2023) sets out the Government’s plans, new commitments and £20m investment over 2024-25.  The expansion of the Virtual School role is one of the commitments. 

Adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF)

In addition to expanding the Virtual School’s role, the government have opened up the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) to Special Guardians and those caring for children under a Child Arrangement Order. 

Adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Support:

Cheshire West and Chester Special Guardianship Support Team – contact- SGOsupportteam@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk  0151 337 4577

This team also provided termly drop in/ chat/ coffee sessions in Winsford and Hoole. Please contact the team if you would like more information.

Family Action – PACU- UK. This is a national Special Guardianship Support Service delivered by adoption support agency, PAC – UK.

Contact: www.specialguardiansupport.uk  PAC-UK Advice Line: 0300 1800 090 or email advice@pac-uk.org

Information regarding SEND

Information, Advice and Support Service

Contact:  iasservice@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk – o300 123 7001

IPSEA- free legal advice regarding SEND for families plus excellent downloadable guides contact:  office@ipsea.netwww.ipsea.org.uk/

For all Kinship carers:

Kinship is the leading care charity in England and Wales. The charity provides information, advice, training and a support offer. They provide financial, legal, practical and emotional support for Kinship carers throughout their Kinship journey regardless of legal order as well as a peer support service. They offer free online workshops on issues such as managing family contact, caring for teenagers etc. Visit kinship.org.uk/workshops to sign up.

They also run peer support groups - Visit kinship.org.uk/workshops

Advice line: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 2pm 0300 123 7015

Kinship Compass

An independent online information, advice and support hub just for kinship carers

Carers can access Kinship Compass - Kinship: Home | The Kinship care charity | England and Wales

Visit kinship.org.uk/advice to find out more about the range of advice services.

Kinship Together podcast

Kinship Together is a new podcast that features real-life stories, experiences and advice from kinship carers.  You can listen to episode using the player below or find and subscribe to the podcase on Apply Podcasts or Spotify. 

Kinship Together Podcast - Kinship Compass

Please see links below to guides to help around key education themes as well as an education support pack: