Hello,
If you are reading this, you may be a child or young person who has recently moved into kinship care with a relative or family friend. When a child is unable to live with their parents even for a short time, they are likely to be experiencing all sorts of big feelings around being separated from them, even if things have been quite difficult at home.
We hope the information below can help to answer some of the questions about kinship care that might be on your mind.
What is kinship care?
In Scotland, there are thousands of children who live with kinship carers.
A kinship carer is someone who is willing to take care of you and keep you safe when you are not be able to live with your parents. In order to become a kinship carer, the person must be someone who is already known to you. They will usually (but not always) be someone you are related to, for example, your grandparent, your aunt or uncle, a step-parent or an adult sibling. A kinship carer can also be someone who is not a relative but who knows you well through being a trusted family friend or neighbour.
Your kinship carer will be supported by the Local Authority to make sure they have everything they need to take care of you.
Why do I have to be in kinship care?
Children and young people live in kinship care for all sorts of reasons which are usually out with their control. Sometimes, if things have become difficult or unsafe at home, other adults, including Social Workers, have the job of finding ways to make sure that children are safe, happy and well looked after. For some children, this could mean living away from their own home for a while and moving to live with a family member or family friend.
What does my social worker do?
Change can often be scary and moving to live somewhere else is a big change, even if you know the person well. Your social worker is a person who is there for you. They will listen, answer any questions you might have and help with anything you are worried about. If they don’t have the answers right away, they will find out for you. You might be wondering about:
- why you are living with your kinship carer
- how you can stay in touch with other important members of your family
- whether you can stay at the same school
- whether you can still see your friends
- what pocket money you will get
- other worries or problems
Your Social Worker will come to see you regularly whilst you are living with your kinship carer. You will also have their phone number so you can phone them if something comes up in between their visits
How long will I have to stay?
Sometimes it can be for only a few days or weeks and other times it can be for longer.
We want children to be safe and happy with their own parents whenever that is possible. While you are living in kinship care, we will be working with your parents to look at what needs to happen to make home a safe and happy place for you to return to.
Your social worker will be able to tell you how this is working out and what the plans are about what happens next.
Will my family know I am safe?
Yes. Your social worker will still be seeing your mum or your dad all the time and they will make sure that they know how you are doing. Depending on the relationship your kinship carer has with your parents, they may sometimes be in contact with your parents too to talk about how things are going.
There may be ways you can be in touch with your family yourself such as by phone or text message which you can talk to your social worker and kinship carers about.
What is a care plan?
When you go and live with your kinship carers as part of an agreement with the Local Authority, you will have a care plan. This is your plan and it tells everyone what needs to be happening to keep you healthy and happy. It says when you can see your parents and other family members, what support you might need at school and what kinds of things you enjoy and like to do. e.g. hobbies and clubs
Your social worker will talk to you about your care plan and answer any questions you might have.
Will I be able to stay with my brothers and sisters?
If you have siblings who also have to live away from home, you may all be living with the same kinship carer, however, this will depend on the kinship carer’s circumstances. We know it might be tough, but in some cases, you and your siblings may have to live separately for a while. If this happens, we will do our very best to make sure that the adults do all they can to make sure that you and your siblings spend quality time together as regularly as possible
Can I take my own things with me?
Your social worker will tell you what you will be able to take with you from home. You will be able to take pictures and your favourite toys or books, the things that are important to you and make you feel comfortable.
Your kinship carer will help you if you don't have something that you need.
Can I still see the rest of my family?
We know this will be very important to you and so does your kinship carer. Your social worker will speak to your kinship carer about making a plan for when you will see your parents and other family members and how often. This is called ‘family time’. Every child and parent has a right to family time, your social worker will work with your family to make sure that this is a safe and happy experience for you.
If there is anyone in your family that you don’t want to see, you should tell your social worker.
What if I don’t like living with my kinship carer?
It can be hard staying away from home and sometimes it takes time to settle in. Try to talk to your kinship carer or social worker, they are there to help you and they want you to be happy.
After you have been with your kinship carer for a period of time, you will have what is called a review meeting, where you will be able to say how you are feeling, what you like and what you don’t like.
If you have any problems with being in kinship care, you need to tell the person who is running this meeting how you are feeling. If you are not going to the meeting, you can ask your social worker to help you speak to this person on another day before the meeting takes place.
Who else will listen to me?
If you don’t want to talk to your kinship carer or your social worker you can talk to the following people:
- Who Cares Scotland are there to support young people like you who are in care. They can be contacted free on their helpline number 0330 107 7540, Monday to Friday from 12.00 noon – 4.00 p.m. or by email on help@whocaresscotland.org
- Childline is a 24-hour phone line where you can speak to someone if you are really scared or worried about something. They can be contacted free on 0800 1111 or you can find out more about the services they offer by visiting their website www.,childline.org.uk
What are my rights while I am in kinship care?
You have the right to:
- be safe, secure and protected
- be listened to and treated equally and fairly
- information, advice, healthcare and an education
- enjoy your religion and culture
- any help you need to live as independently as possible, if you have a disability
- know why you live in kinship care and when you’ll next see your family
- trust that your privacy is respected and that personal information about you should only be given to others who really need to know
If you ever feel that someone is taking away any of your rights, please don’t be shy about speaking up. Nobody has the right to deny you these things.