Kinship Care

There are different types of kinship care. You may become a different type of kinship carer as your situation changes over time. Your rights, responsibilities, and the support you can get will depend on your specific circumstances.

Private foster care is when someone who is not a child’s parent or close relative, such as a great aunt, cousin, mum’s friend or neighbour), looks after them for 28 days or more. Private fostering arrangements are agreed by the parent and private foster carer and not the local authority. As a private foster carer, you may be asked to make day-to-day decisions for the child, but you do not have parental responsibility.

Kinship foster care is when a family member or friend becomes a child’s official foster carer. You must be assessed and approved before the child comes to live with you. The child is considered ‘looked after’ by the local authority, which shares parental responsibility with the child’s parents.

Special Guardianship Orders (SGO)-is a legal order given by a family court. When you become a Special Guardian, the child will live with you permanently until they are 18 years old. Special Guardians share parental responsibility with the child’s parents but can make nearly all major decisions about the child without asking for their permission.

Adoption is not appropriate or recommended for most kinship carers. When you adopt a child, the link between the child and their birth parents is legally and permanently broken – it changes family arrangements forever. As an adopter, you gain complete parental responsibility for the child.

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

Family Help plays an important role in ensuring that children and young people who are being cared for by family or close friends receive the support and stability they need. Family Help offers support by prioritising those who are kinship carers for resources such as Family Group Conferencing and practical parenting support via evidence-based parenting interventions.  In addition to targeted support, access to universal support is prioritised, for example accessing Citizens Advice Wirral resource via Family Hubs. Access to services such as this can support kinship carers through challenges and ensure that kinship care is maintained and children and young people achieve positive outcomes.

To find your local family hub please follow this link Family Hubs - Family Toolbox

Support groups provide kinship carers with a safe space to share experiences, access practical advice, and build relationships with others who understand their journey. These groups reduce isolation, boost confidence, and offer emotional support, helping carers feel more equipped and less alone. By connecting with others, kinship carers gain strength, resilience, and a sense of community.

Kinship Carers (foster carers)

The Kinship Carers group meet on the 1st Tuesday of every month, and this is held at Creating Communities, 4 Brandon Street, CH41 5HN. This is a lovely, friendly atmosphere where you can have a coffee/tea and chat with other connected carers. Discussions and speakers will attend at times, but this is very informal and is delivered in a relaxed manner.

Special Guardians

SGO Monthly Drop-In sessions take place on the last Wednesday of every month at Start-Yard, 108 Church Street, Birkenhead. CH41 5JA. We would love you to join us for a coffee and an opportunity to learn more about our SGO team, meet other carers and discuss any topics you would like to raise.

We would also encourage all Kinship Carers to explore other local support through the Family Toolbox.

Kinship carers often take on their role unexpectedly and may face complex emotional, legal, and practical challenges. Training and development provide them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate these challenges effectively. It helps carers understand trauma, manage behaviour, access support services, and advocate for the children in their care. Investing in their development ensures safer, more stable environments for children and strengthens the carers' ability to thrive in their role.

Kinship Carers maybe able to sign up with Wirral Children Safeguarding Partnership and create an account to book on to their training courses. These range from Trauma Informed Practice, Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Training and more. To check eligibility please email wcsptraining@wirral.gov.uk

Wirral Family Hubs also offer a range of parenting services and programmes which would support Kinship Carers navigating parental challenges. These can be found through our Family Toolbox website.

We would also encourage all Wirral Kinship Carers to register with Kinship. Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales and supports all Kinship carers. Kinship provides training and workshops both online and in person and this is available to all kinship carers. There is a large variety of kinship specific training such as; Managing contact for kinship families; the emotional journey workshop; Life story work with children in kinship care workshop; Working with your local authority children’s services workshop

All details of available training as well as information and advice can be found at kinship.org.uk

If the child you are caring for has now or in the past had a social worker there may be other training which you can be signposted too. To check eligibility please email fosteringadmin@wirral.gov.uk

Children in kinship care arrangements may be eligible for additional educational funding through Pupil Premium Plus. To ensure your child receives the support they’re entitled to, it’s important to let their school or education setting know if they are currently - or have previously been - in a kinship care arrangement. This includes:

• Fostering

• Child Arrangement Orders

• Special Guardianship Orders

• Private Fostering

Wirral Virtual School is here to support kinship carers by offering guidance and information to help you navigate the education system and advocate for your child’s needs. This support is also available to kinship families with a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order, even if the child has not been in local authority care.

Contact the virtual school by emailing: wirralvirtualschool@wirral.gov.uk

Wirral Virtual School, in conjunction with A-Z Education Consultancy, provide a programme of CPD webinars to support those caring for our children looked after.

Sessions are completely free for carers to attend but are limited, so families are encouraged to book on early. The training covers a range of topics, such as trauma, SEN, and navigating tricky transitions and there are webinars planned across the academic year.

Carers should contact wirralvirtualschool@wirral.gov.uk if they would like to learn more about these webinars.

Kinship Carers are now recognised as having the same entitlement to housing priority status as foster carers within the Property Pool Plus scheme. This means that Kinship Carers can access the same level of support and priority when applying for social housing across the participating local authorities, including Wirral. This change reflects the vital role Kinship Carers play in providing stable and loving homes for children and ensures they are not disadvantaged when seeking suitable accommodation.

Kinship carers often face complex legal and personal challenges when stepping in to care for a child. Whether the arrangement is informal or formalised through a legal order, carers may need support to understand their rights, responsibilities, and access to services.

In some circumstances legal advice can help kinship carers understand their role in caring for a child and the legal formalities surrounding this. This could include clarification around parental responsibility, securing financial support, and navigate court processes or decisions made by children’s services. Also, around the different orders a court could make. Without legal guidance, carers may struggle to advocate effectively for the child’s and their own needs as carers or secure the stability and recognition their caregiving role deserves.

Kinship Carers may in some circumstances qualify for legal aid, which is means and merit tested. This can help cover legal costs for advice and representation. In some cases Kinship carers may be eligible for support from Social Care to pay for independent legal advice.  There are also several charities who offer free or low cost legal support these include:

Helping families Helping children - Family Rights Group

Coram Children's Legal Centre - Home

Grandparents Legal Centre - Specialists in advising about the steps grandparents need to take to try and resolve certain difficult issues.

Find a legal advice clinic near you | LawWorks

Kinship carers should contact them directly to see how best they can support.