What you can expect from us

Most children are brought up by one or both of their parents, but where this isn’t possible some children and young people are cared for full time by a relative or friend.

Kinship carers play a significant role, allowing a child or young person to stay in the care of someone they know and trust. This is often at a time when things at home are not going well, or the local authority may be involved and have concerns regarding the children’s safety.

We know that being a kinship carer under any arrangement is a big step and can be a hard decision to make. It can sometimes be in an emergency and crisis where little planning can be done. The sudden change of role into kinship care can be daunting and worrying. We are therefore committed as a local authority to make sure you have the right support and services in place and you know where to go and who to contact for guidance, for as long as you remain kinship carers.