Kinship care

Also known as ‘friends and family care’.

When children are cared for by members of their extended family, friends or other people who are connected to them, we call this kinship care.

Kinship care arrangements are when children are separated from their parents, or parents are unable to provide the care and support a child needs. Kinship care arrangements may happen for a variety of reasons and may be permanent or temporary. Sometimes the arrangement is made by the Local Authority or it can be arranged within the family.

Many people become Kinship carers and they include, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, stepparents (who have separated from the birth parent), step grandparents, great grandparents, friends of the family or other people connected to the child.

Consideration of a child’s welfare and best interests will always be at the centre of the work we do. We will therefore work to maintain children within their own families and facilitate services to support any such arrangements, wherever this is consistent with the child’s safety and well-being.

Types of Kinship care

A kinship Foster Carer is someone who is either being assessed via Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010, or has been assessed by the Local Authority Fostering Service to be a Registered Foster Carer for the child (The Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4: Fostering Services). The child in this case would be a Child in our Care.

The assessment and approval process for family and friends who apply to be Kinship Foster Carers for a specific child in our care will be fully explained during the home visit.

Once approved as Kinship Carers, they will be allocated a Fostering Social Worker from within the Fostering Service to provide them with support and supervision. Kinship carers will receive fostering allowances as per all North East Lincolnshire registered Foster Carers for as long as they are caring for a child in our care.

While the child remains a child in our care, as a Kinship Carer they will be expected to co operate with all the processes that are in place to ensure that the child receives appropriate care and support, for example: – completing training, working with the child’s social worker and contributing to the child’s care plan.

Specific support may be required for Kinship Carers to ensure that they can meet the day-to-day requirements of being a registered Foster Carer. Support may include 1-1 support from a Fostering Social Worker on areas such a child play, support and guidance on areas such as housing, understanding of children needs where they have suffered trauma, support to attend groups and activities with a child alongside attendance at or 1-1 bespoke training.

Authority for day-to-day decision making about the child should be delegated to the carer, unless there is a valid reason not to do so. During the initial planning meeting delegated responsibilities and what is delegated to who, is discussed in more detail.

The parent makes the arrangement or a close family member steps in to help support the care of a child. The length of the arrangement is decided by the person with parental responsibility (PR) or someone who has taken out a legal order for the child.

The Local Authority does not have a duty to assess informal family arrangements, unless it appears necessary to the Local Authority that services may be necessary to safeguard or promote the welfare of a child in need. In such cases, the Local Authority has a responsibility under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 to assess a child’s needs and provide services to meet any assessed needs of the child.

Parental responsibility remains with the birth parents, but the carer may do what is reasonable to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare.

A Child Arrangement Order (CAO) is a Court Order which sets out the arrangements as to when and with whom a child is to live and spend time with. A CAO may give parental responsibility to the person in whose favour it is made, Parental Responsibility is shared with the parents.

Authority for the day-to-day decision making about the child should be delegated to the carers, unless there is a valid reason not to do so.

Child Arrangement Orders may be made in private family proceedings in which the Local Authority is not a party nor involved in any way in the arrangements. However, a CAO in favour of a relative or previous Kinship carer with whom the child was living with may be an appropriate outcome as part of a plan of permanence for a child in our care.

Should a carer with a Child Arrangement Order feel they require further support and advice then they should contact Children services asking for an assessment of support needs.

Should the child have been a child in our care immediately before the making of the order, than the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) may be accessed for therapeutic support for the child. This will be something which is discussed via the assessment of support needs that will be completed with the carer by a social worker.

Special Guardianship offers a further option for children needing permanent care outside their birth family. It can offer greater security without absolute severance from the birth family as in adoption.

Relatives may apply for a Special Guardianship Order after caring for a child for one year, however, if a Special Guardianship Order is part of the Local Authorities plan of permanence for a child, then the length of time caring for a child can be shorter, depending on the circumstances.

Special Guardians will have parental responsibility for the child which, while it is still shared with parents, can be exercised with a greater autonomy on day-to-day matters than where there is a Child Arrangements Order.

Where the child was a child in our care immediately prior to the making of the Special Guardianship Order, the Local Authority has a responsibility to assess the support needs of the child, parents and special guardians, including the need for financial support.

Once the Special Guardianship assessment is complete recommending a Special Guardianship Order for the child, a support plan will be devised by the allocated social worker for the child , outlining what support is available post order. A Special Guardian can contact the Fostering Service and ask for an Assessment of Support Needs at any point up until the child is 18 years of age, as long as the special guardian remains residing in NELC. If the Special Guardian does not live in NELC post 3 years of the order being granted, they can request support from the Local Authority in which they reside.

Upon the completion of a positive full assessment for a Special Guardianship Assessment, then North East Lincolnshire Council will provide carers with a letter outlining how they can access two hours of free legal advice with a solicitor of their own choosing.

Post Order support may include 1-1 support from a Support Worker on areas such as family time, life story work, support and guidance on areas such as housing, understanding of children needs where they have suffered trauma, support to attend groups and activities with a child alongside attendance at training.

The service has two Special Guardian Coordinators who offer monthly support groups to Special Guardians. This is promoted via a letter/ e mail and also on our social media platforms. This is an opportunity for carers to come together and share their experiences but is also an opportunity to get to know the Special Guardian Coordinators and also hear from guest speakers who may attend.

Should the child have been a child in our care immediately before the granting of the order than the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) may be accessed for therapeutic support for the child. This will be something which is discussed via the assessment of support needs.

Adoption is the process by which all parental rights and responsibilities for a child are permanently transferred to an adoptive parent by the court. As a result, the child legally becomes part of the adoptive family.

An Adoption Order in favour of a relative or foster carer with whom a child is living may be an appropriate outcome as part of a permanence plan for a child in care.

Should the child have been a child in care immediately before the granting of the order then the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) may be accessed for therapeutic support for the child.

If you are a close relative of someone you are caring for (defined as a ‘grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt) but this is a private arrangement where you will not have any support from the Local Authority and children’s Services, this is considered private fostering.

Debbie and Charlotte’s story

Support for Kinship carers

We recognise the personal costs that many families make in order to care for children, so we want to help as much as possible by offering support.

Financial support

Families will be assessed and supported with any extra costs rising from becoming a carer.

Regular events

Events held in different areas of the borough, for Kinship carers can meet and widen their networks.

Support system

Signposting to national and local charities as well as a point of contact within the council.

Housing options

If there are any issues, we will work with Kinship carers and the housing team to look at other options.

Information and advice for current Kinship carers

We understand that sometimes as Kinship carers, you may need some additional support or advice. If you do, there are different services and organisations you can get in touch with:

North East Lincolnshire Council

Special Guardianship Coordinators
You may be allocated a Social Worker dependent on your circumstances and the child’s legal status
You or your child you are looking after, may be allocated a Family support worker, dependent on your circumstances and the child’s legal status

Charities and organisations

If you are not happy with the support provided to you to help you care for the child, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Legal Framework

The Local Authority has a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need living within its area and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families. The way in which we fulfil this is by providing a range of services appropriate to those child’s assessed needs. This can include for example, financial, practical or other support.

It is important to note that the Local Authority does not have a general duty to assess all arrangements where children are living within their wider family or friends’ network rather than their parents, but it does have a duty where it appears that services may be necessary to safeguard or promote the welfare of a child in need.

Children in the care of the Local Authority under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989
S20 of the Children Act 1989 (states In both cases the children may be cared for within their family network, if the carers have been approved as Local Authority Foster Carers)
Fostering Regulations 2011 (approval for foster carers)
National Minimal Fostering Standards 2011 (how the Local Authority should support carers)
Regulation 24 of of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010 (allow for temporary approval of Kinship carer)
Adoption Orders and Special Guardianship Orders under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (legal arrangements for children to live with family or friends)
Children Act 1989 (Child Arrangement Orders)
Private Fostering Regulations 2005 (Private Fostering)

Contact us

Call us

Our team is available to answer any questions or queries, call us on 01472 325545

Email us

Get in touch at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you ASAP

Published

24 April 2025

Last updated

12 May 2025