Kinship Care

Kinship Care

Kinship care is any situation in which a child is living in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent.

Types of kinship care arrangements

Kinship care arrangements can be temporary or long term. There are different types of kinship care arrangements, these can include:

• an informal family arrangement in which a child’s parents have arranged for their child to live with a very close family member, for example an uncle, aunt, grandparent, or step parent, without the involvement of social workers or the Family Courts
• a private fostering arrangement, where a child is under the age of 16 (or 18 if disabled) and is living with a friend or an extended family member (rather than a close family member like an aunt or uncle or grandparent) for more than 28 days
• an arrangement where it has been agreed by the Family Courts that a child will live with someone other than their parents, for example, through a Child Arrangement Order or Special Guardianship Order
• an arrangement where a child is formally ‘looked after’ by the Local Authority and is living with a friend or family member who has been assessed and approved to be their official ‘connected carer’  (also known as ‘kinship foster care’ or ‘family and friends foster care’).

Who kinship carers can be 

Kinship carers can include:

• a close relative of the child
• a close relative of the child’s maternal or paternal sibling
• someone who was formerly the child’s step-parent or in a cohabiting relationship with the child’s parent
• a close friend of the child, or of the child’s parent(s)
• a close friend of the child’s close relative
• someone with a prior connection to the child who does not fall within one of the categories above, for example a teacher, youth worker, childminder or former foster carer.

Help if you're a kinship carer 

Whether it’s an informal or formal arrangement, support is available to children and their kinship carers in Tower Hamlets.

Advice and support from Tower Hamlets Multi-Agency Safeguarding Team (MAST) 

The Tower Hamlets MAST (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Team) is a single point of contact or ‘front door’ for Tower Hamlets Children and Families Services, including statutory social work support and early help services for families in need of help.

Early help services

For universal and targeted youth work services, including events, advice, support and guidance, visit Family Hubs. Family Hubs offer many specialist services ranging from antenatal appointments to employment support by working in close partnership with different organisations listed on their website.

Find out what is available for all families, children and young people from birth to 25 on our Local Offer website.

Targeted services can be identified by Early Help which may include:

• Parental conflict
• Children or parents with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
• Poor school attendance
• Parental mental health difficulties
• Language barriers

Examples of targeted services are:

• Parent groups
• Debt and budgeting sessions

A range of Parenting support programmes run throughout the borough, over time. 

Children with additional needs 

If you want to become or have been asked to become a Special Guardian contact your residing local authority. If the child is in care, contact the local authority where the child lives. 

It is important to discuss your motivation to become a Special Guardian and whether it is the right thing to do for you and your family, as well as the child concerned.

The local authority will prepare a report by a social worker who will meet with you. The report will contain information about:

• the child's wishes and feelings
• the birth family and their views
• your suitability as the proposed guardian
• criminal records, health reports and reference checks
• the plan for contact between the child and their birth family
• an agreed support package.

The report will then be sent to court and a hearing arranged. A decision will be made based on the report and the evidence heard.

The court can also give permission for the child's name to be changed or for the child to be taken out of the UK for more than three months.

If you are making a private application to become a Special Guardian, your lawyer will give the local authority three months’ notice to complete the report.

Support for Special Guardians

A range of support services are provided to our Special Guardians. 

Financial support

Some guardians may receive financial support in the form of an allowance. This is reviewed each year to take into account any change of circumstances.

The council is responsibility for this financial support throughout the time you are caring for the child. We can also support you with access to the Adoption Support Fund for therapeutic services (for children that were previously looked after).

Social work support

Once you have your Guardianship Order, you will be contacted by a support social worker from the team. They will arrange to meet with you to discuss your support needs as set out in your support plan.

Support groups and events

Groups are run to allow guardians to meet and share experiences and to offer advice to each other. Guest speakers also attend to speak on topics of interest to guardians.

Annual events are organised for guardians and their children and includes picnics, parties and fun activities.

Training

We provide a range of training and opportunities to learn. These include

• First aid
• Managing difficult behaviours
• Dealing with drugs and alcohol
• Managing contact.

Training brochures are sent out each year.

Contact the team

If you have a question about special guardianship, you can contact us:

Permanency, Assessment and Support Team

Tower Hamlets Town Hall
160 Whitechapel Road
London
E1 1BJ

Tel: 020 7364 4282
Emergency Duty Team: 020 7364 4079
Email: kinship@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Useful websites

• Grandparents Plus 
  Support for grandparents (and other relatives) caring for a child who cannot stay with their birth parents.
  
  
• Grandparents Legal Centre    
  Specialist legal advice for grandparents, to resolve difficult situations.
  
  
• Family Rights Groups
  Support for wider family members caring for a child who cannot stay at home, as well as birth parents.
  
  
• Child Law Advice
  Legal advice for wider family and carers, available online and over the phone.
  
  
• Citizens Advice
  Independent advice on housing, benefits, debt and your legal rights.