Aberdeen City have many Kinship Carers living across the UK who are caring for children who originate from Aberdeen. Each Kinship family’s circumstances are unique to them and there is a recognition that the level of support and need will be personal to them.
Whilst a child is legally Looked After they should have a Childs plan which identifies the professionals involved in supporting families and their role. This support will be extended to the kinship carers and additional services may be accesses to support the kinship arrangement.
The Looked After Children Regulations 2009 highlight the duty of local authorities to provide appropriate supports for Kinship Carers.
In recognition of the rewards, complexities, and challenges in caring for a Kinship child, Aberdeen City council reinstated its Kinship Team in 2018.
The Kinship Team provides support to Formal Kinship Carers whose children are:
- Looked after and accommodated by the local authority.
- Placed by Aberdeen City Council with Kinship Carer’s.
- Subject to, or whose carer’s are considering applying for, a Kinship Care Order as outlined in Part 13 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Kinship Care Assistance (Scotland) Order 2016.
The Kinship Team sits within the Kinship, Adoption and Fostering Service within Integrated Children Services. As such there are close working relationships between the child’s social worker and professional network around the child, corporate parents and partners. This multiagency working ensures better outcomes for the child and kinship family; however, the Kinship Team work predominantly to identify, assess and support the adults as Kinship Carer’s.
How do I access this support?
It is recognised that when a child is first placed, that it can be life changing for the carer and that more intensive support can be beneficial at these times. When the Kinship Team become aware of a child being placed with a Kinship Carer, they will contact them to discuss their circumstances and individual supports needs.
It may be that short or long-term support is beneficial as at each life stage of a child and their Kinship Carer, support needs can change over time.
Please feel free to contact the team at any point for advice and guidance, which can be offered over the phone or we will happily arrange to visit you too. It may be that short- or long-term support best suits your needs.
Types of Support available
This is not an exhaustive list and feedback about what is required is welcome.
Training: Online and face to face training is offered to kinship carers, covering a wide range of topics.
Events and Activities: Offered monthly for carers to meet and receive support from one another and staff, these are informal sessions with refreshments and speakers.
PEEP Kinship Support: A play and attachment-based program ran for those caring for children under 5 years old, offering advice and activities to carer’s and allowing children to play in a relaxed environment whilst meeting other kinship carers.
Information: Shared via the mailing list on a regular basis about topics of interest, quarterly newsletters, a suite of Kinship leaflets and links to resources, research and other useful info.
Advice: On financial and legal matters.
Financial: Support and reviews for those carer’s eligible for Kinship Allowance
Signposting: To other services and supports, linking in with corporate parents, third sector, charities and universal services.
Targeted support from an identified worker may include:
- Emotional support to promote kinship carers mental and physical wellbeing.
- Understand the role of a Kinship Carer and local authority procedures, such as formal meetings and Care Plans.
- Assistance to navigate professional involvement and support to attend meetings.
- Navigate family relationships and understand/manage parental contact.
- Promote the needs and development of the child you care for.
- Understand and manage behaviour/attachment/trauma.
- Support to answer a child’s questions and share their life story.
I want support but do not live in Aberdeen
If you are looking after a child who originates from Aberdeen in a Formal Kinship placement many of the above supports are accessible. You can access online training courses and support can be offered via telephone/ virtual calls or prearranged visits. The Kinship Team can explore services and support groups available in their local area.
See Kinship - Useful Links for more advice and support.