Although we do everything we can to keep children at home with their family, sometimes it is better and safer for children to be cared for by other people. Kinship carers are family or friends who step up and care for a child when their parents are not able to, giving children the love and support they need from people they already know.
Kinship carers are usually grandparents, aunts or uncles, brothers or sisters, a stepparent, stepbrother or stepsister, or it could be someone who is not related but knows the child well.
As a local authority, we have a duty to look for kinship care as the first option. The child’s social worker will speak to the important people in the child’s life to see if there is someone else who can care for them and keep them safe. The child will also be asked who they would like to live with, and their views will be considered and respected. You can find out more about how the views of a child or children here: The Children’s Hearing System and the Views of Kinship Children.
There are two different types of kinship care:
- Formal care arrangements – where the child has been placed with a kinship carer by social work, the court and/or children’s panel. The child’s legal status can be either ‘looked after’ by the local authority or ‘non looked after’. There is more information about this below. The Kinship carer has some legal rights over decisions that can be made for the child.
- Informal care arrangements - where the decision has been made between a parent and relatives for the care of the child. Social workers, children’s hearing nor the courts have not been involved in arranging this and the kinship carer has no parental rights or responsibilities for the child.
You can find out more about Kinship Care at www.kinship.scot
What’s the difference between ‘looked after’ and ‘non-looked after’?
Whether a child is described as being “looked after” or “non-looked after” in Kinship Care usually depends on how the arrangement took place. It is important to understand the child’s status because all Local Authorities have particular legal obligations towards a “looked after” child to provide support - which can include financial support, and this is slightly different to “non-looked after” support. You can find out more information at Looked after children in Kinship Care.
- if the child has been placed with a kinship carer by a children's hearing, court or social work (with a Section 25 agreement being signed by the parents), they are more than likely to be looked after.
- Non-Looked After: if a kinship carer has a Residence Order (often referred to as a s.11 Order, or Kinship Care Order) or if the child is living with a kinship carer as a result of an informal family arrangement between the carer and the child's parents, the child is more than likely to be non-looked after.
Kinship caring in Angus
In Angus, we have dedicated kinship care Social Workers who are part of our Carer Support Service. They assess new kinship carers to determine whether they are the best people to care for the child, identify any supports that the carers might require and ensure that this support is available when needed. Our Carer Support team also has dedicated Family Support Workers who provide practical and emotional support to kinship carers throughout the time a child stays with them, however long that is.
When it is in a child’s best interests, we will also support kinship carers to encourage positive family time with parents and other important family members so that relationships can be maintained and strengthened.
We also have duties towards children living in informal kinship care arrangements, but these duties are just the same as for all children in their area.
Kinship allowances
In Angus, kinship carers will receive an allowance for the child at a minimum of the same rate as foster carers. This applies to kinship carers of looked after children as well as kinship carers who hold a Section 11/Kinship Care order and meet certain eligibility criteria.
What’s the difference between kinship care and foster care?
In kinship care arrangements, the carer will be known to the child and is usually a member of their extended family or a close family friend. This often means that when there is more than one child, siblings are able to stay together as a family unit and will often stay living in the same area and go to the same school.
Research shows that when children have to live apart from their parents, kinship care arrangements are generally stronger and last longer than other types of care. Social Workers usually rely on parents to identify and share information with them on potential carers within their family, so the sooner this information is shared by parents, the sooner potential kinship carers can be approached. There may be times when a child has to stay initially with foster carers until a suitable kinship carer can be identified.
Foster care is where a child is placed by the local authority with someone other than their family on a short or long-term basis. Anyone can apply to become a foster carer, but only those who complete a strict assessment process and are approved by the local authority will have children placed with them. Foster carers will almost always be unknown to the child and may live out with the child’s local area.
Unlike kinship care, fostering is a foster carers’ job and foster carers will also receive a carers’ fee for looking after the children who are placed with them.
Resources
- Fuller information on kinship allowances can be found on gov.scot.
- kinship.scot is the national website for information and advice, training, policy updates and the latest news and events for kinship care families.
Some helpful hints before you go
- It’s important to remember that a child’s social worker can only explore kinship care as an option if they have the information and contact details of the important people in your child’s life who might be able to help. Parents are the most likely person to know and provide this information.
- Please don't be afraid to ask questions of any of the workers involved about kinship care and your rights and responsibilities. If they do not have the answers, they will point you in the right direction for relevant help and advice.
- Please do attend meetings. Should you be unable to attend for any reason, please let the child’s social worker know in advance, they will work with the Chair of the meeting to find other ways to include you and keep you informed.
- Please ask for support if you need it, if you have worries or concerns or feel that you need more information, you can speak with the child’s social worker or the duty social worker in the Carer Support team (01241 464646). They can advise you or point you in the direction of additional services or sources of support for parents of children in kinship care.