Kinship Care
"Kinship care is unique, it is not foster care. At the same time it is more than family support."
- Jane Aldgate, "Looking after the family" Report 2006
All children need to be brought up in a loving and stable home where their needs for care, love, and support can be met. Kinship care is when a child is living somewhere other than the parental home.
At times, a relative or family friend may have stepped in to care for the child or, at other times, we may have approached a relative or a family friend to ask them to care for the child.
Depending on the circumstances of the child, the arrangement of the child residing with a relative or family friend can either be classed as a formal kinship care arrangement, an informal kinship care arrangement or a private family arrangement. Kinship care arrangements can be time-limited or longer-term.
We follow the principles set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 in supporting kinship carers, together with Scottish Government's National Guidance on Part 13 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: Support for Kinship Carers.
Assessment of kinship carers
A worker from South Ayrshire's children and family services will be allocated to undertake a Kinship Assessment. The worker will explain the content of the assessment and the information that is required to complete this. A kinship assessment also requires health checks to be completed, and police checks will also be undertaken on all adults over the age of 16 who reside in the household. The worker will be transparent about the areas they will discuss and the timescale for the assessment to be completed.
In the interim period, pending the Kinship Assessment being completed and approved at a Kinship Screening Group, and where a child is placed with another family member or friend, financial support can be made from the Carers in Community budget and the worker supporting you will complete a funding form for this.
The assessment and approval of a kinship care arrangement is only the start of a journey for the child and for kinship carers. Kinship Carers will need consistent support and opportunities to develop new skills, which will help them to meet the social, emotional and wellbeing needs of the child as they grow up.
The Kinship Assessment process should help Kinship Carers to feel more involved, consulted, and able to identify the supports they believe they need to look after the child safely and in a way that promotes the child's best interests.
In addition, the wider family should be included, where appropriate, in this process through Family Meetings, so that the child has a network of support around them and different members of the family can contribute to the support and care of the child and, of course, the carers.
Advice and guidance
All local authorities in Scotland have agreed with the Scottish Government to set up a scheme to make payments to:
- Kinship Carers of 'looked after' children
- Kinship Carers where a Kinship Care Order or Guardianship is in place, and child previously 'looked after', or placed with involvement of local authority (Scottish Government guidance), or child at risk of becoming looked after.
A child is 'looked after' if they are subject to a:
- Children (Scotland) Act 1995 Section 25 Agreement
- Child Protection Order (CPO)
- Interim Compulsory Supervision Order (ICSO)
- Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO)
- Permanence Order (PO)
The safety and needs of the child in any assessment of family or friends as carers must be paramount. Kinship Carers play a vital role in helping a child to recover from trauma and it is recognised that they may face challenges in this role. Independent information and advice, as well as practical and financial support are available to help and assist Kinship Carers.
The rights and responsibilities of Kinship Carers can be complicated. Gaining information and advice is important so you can learn about your options and understand if you are receiving the practical and financial support to which you are entitled. There may be an impact on your benefit entitlement.
Both the Locality and Kinship Teams provide support to Kinship Carers. As well as contacting the relevant Locality Team or the Kinship Team (details below), you can access independent information, advice, and support from:
- Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland (KCASS)
- Supporting Kinship Families | Children First
- Children's Health Scotland
- Kinship care and benefits - the essentials | CPAG
Kinship Allowances
| Age range | Weekly kinship allowance |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 years | £177.68 |
| 5 to 15 years | £206.71 |
| 16 to 18 years | £283.35 |
* The allowance paid is minus specific child-related benefits i.e. Child Benefit and the Child Element of Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Pension Credit, dependent on the Kinship Carer's eligibility.
Kinship Team
Whitletts Area Centre
181 Whitletts Road
Ayr
KA8 0JQ
Telephone: 01292 267675
Email: [email protected]
