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New research shows a third of local authorities are failing on kinship care obligations

Published: 5th March 2024

4 minute read

Across England, there are more than 130,000 children who are unable to live with their parents and are being raised by kinship carers. New research by Family Rights Group has found that many local authorities in England are failing in their obligation to set out what support they will provide to kinship care families. We are now calling on the Government to regulate, to strengthen requirements on local authorities. Alongside investment in kinship care support services on the ground.

Children in kinship care have often experienced tragedy or trauma and have additional needs as a result. Their carers have often stepped up in a moment of crisis. Becoming a kinship carer has a big impact on family life with emotional, practical and financial challenges. Too many children and families cannot access the support they need.

The last major national government guidance on kinship care dates back to the 2011 Family and Friends Care statutory guidance. Family Rights Group was key in influencing its creation. One of its key requirements is that local authorities must publish a local family and friends care policy. This must set out the council’s approach to promoting and supporting the needs of children in kinship care. They must also have a senior member of staff responsible for implementing it, among other obligations.

Today we are publishing our new audit of local authority family and friends care policies across England. It updates a similar exercise we carried out for the Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care in 2019. Our findings are extremely concerning. They show that a majority of local authorities are failing to adhere to the statutory guidance on family and friends care. The vast majority of local policies, where they exist, fall short on multiple criteria.

Our key findings:

  • Over a third of local authorities do not have an up to date, accessible policy
  • Over half of English local authorities do not identify a manager responsible for the policy
  • Very few local authorities involved local kinship families in developing their policy
  • Three quarters of local authorities fail to signpost to local support services.
  • A majority of local authorities use a standardised format which offers insufficient information about local authority support
  • Three quarters do not provide adequate information about family group conferences
  • Only a fifth of policies includes information about support for covering legal expenses

Our recommendations to Government:

  • Government should put the local policy requirements on local authorities on a firmer footing than statutory guidance alone, by introducing regulations
  • Government should also consider reframing the requirement as a ‘local offer’ for kinship children and their carers. We explore this further in our blog here.
  • Investment in kinship care support services including national kinship financial allowance, improved employment rights for kinship carers and funding so children in kinship care who need therapeutic support can access it.

We have presented Government with proposals for how they could regulate to bring this into effect.  This could be done ahead of the general election, without requiring new primary legislation.

Cathy_AshleyCathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, said:

“Our findings are extremely concerning. The status quo is failing and families are being treated unfairly as a result. Calls to Family Rights Group’s specialist national advice line regularly reveal poor, inconsistent and unfair practice.

“As part of the national kinship care strategy, the Government has committed to updating the statutory guidance on kinship care. The update is long overdue but unless the guidance is given more teeth, for example via regulations, children and families will not see meaningful change in their area. And that must sit alongside investment in the practical, financial and therapeutic support kinship families need.

“Kinship care is firmly on the political agenda. But children only get one childhood and that time is precious. We must do better by kinship families now.”

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