Our advice service

Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.

Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.

By phone or email

To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

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Discuss on our forums

Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.

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Advice on our website

Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Thursday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

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Find your ‘kinship local offer’ – local authority support and policies

Home » Policy and Campaigns » »

Kinship care is any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. It could be a temporary arrangement, or longer term.

Local authorities should publish a ‘kinship local offer’. This is where they set out what support you and your children can get as a kinship family. A new law, soon to come into force, will help make sure all local authorities do this.

Some local authorities have a kinship local policy but they should be replacing this with their new local kinship offer.