One in three local authorities “failing” on kinship care obligations: Family Rights Group

One in three local authorities do not have a publicly available kinship care policy, updated in the last five years, according to research by Family Rights Group.

The specialist child welfare charity has called on the Government to strengthen requirements on local authorities and invest in kinship care support services.

Kinship care is when relatives or friends step in to raise children who cannot remain at home. More than 130,000 children live in kinship care arrangements in England, and kinship carers make up over a fifth of all foster carers.

In its audit of local kinship care policies, Family Rights Group found that very few local authorities involved local kinship families in developing their policy, and more than half of local authorities in England did not identify a manager responsible for the policy.

Researchers noted that only a quarter of policies signpost to local support services. “Many use a generic template not tailored to their locality and the needs of children and carers. It is not clear who is eligible for local authority support or how to apply,” warned the charity.

The report also found that only a fifth of local family and friends care policies include information about support for covering legal expenses.

The APPG Legal Aid Inquiry, which Family Rights group facilitated, found that too often families face difficulties navigating a complex legal system.

Family Rights Group said: “Too often the costs of securing legal advice and representation during court proceedings can mean families are forced into debt, to self-represent, or are excluded from the process. Therefore, clarity regarding the support available from local authorities to cover these expenses is crucial to the decision-making process.”

In December 2023, The Department for Education (DfE) published its first ever national kinship care strategy for England, ‘Championing Kinship Care’.

The strategy sets out a range of support for kinship carers, from new training and information so they have a better understanding of their rights, to “high-quality peer support within local communities”, said the DfE.

However, Family Rights Group shared concern that the new strategy had fallen victim to “timid ambitions”.

Following its recent inquiry, the charity made the following recommendations:

• The Government should put the local policy requirements on local authorities on a firmer footing than statutory guidance alone, by introducing regulations.
• The Government should also consider reframing the requirement as a ‘local offer’ for kinship children and their carers.
• Investment should be made 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.

Cathy 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.”

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.

Lottie Winson