Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK Lucy Peake Chief Executive Grandparents Plus lucy.peake@grandparentsplus.org.uk 1 @drlucypeake @GPlusInfo
Presentation overview About Grandparents Plus Where are we now? Some challenges • Kinship care in the UK and Australia • The children and the carers • Policy and practice context Where do we want to get to? Some opportunities • Emerging practice - Kinship Connected • Awareness raising - Kinship Care Week • Legislation – towards a Kinship Care Act? Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 2
Grandparents Plus is the only national charity (England & Wales) dedicated solely to supporting all kinship carers Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 3
We want to transform support for kinship families by: • Raising awareness • Influencing policy and practice change • Developing support for every family Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 4
Advice and information Free national advice service - independent, confidential and non-judgemental. Key issues: legal options and financial support – 2,000+ enquiries/year Someone Like Me – kinship carer volunteers support our advice service, offering emotional and practical peer support Digital information hub in development Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 5
Kinship Care Network Our national network of 5,500+ kinship carers makes us unique Carers join to connect with each other and us (free family events, partner offers, training, campaigning, research and policy) We’re building a kinship care community of individuals and support groups - a movement for change Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 6
Kinship care programmes Our tried-and-tested programmes are delivered in collaboration with local authorities and kinship carers, including: Kinship Connected - 1:1 support and peer support group development Kinship Ready - prep workshops for special guardians Kinship Active – intergenerational health and activity programme for kinship families Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 7
Children raised by relatives in kinship care, England (2011 census) 153,000 children - 1 in 74; increasing faster than child population More prevalent in non-white ethnic groups – 1 in 37 children in black ethnic group in kinship care More prevalent in the poorest areas - 76% children in kinship care growing up in deprived household 2 x more likely to have a long-term health problem/disability than children growing up with at least one parent Source: Bristol Kinship Study (2017) Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 8
Children raised by relatives in kinship care, England (2011 census) % of children with Grandparents [PERCENTAGE] [PERCENTAGE] Siblings [PERCENTAGE] Other Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 9
Kinship care terminology (closest equivalents) England & Wales Australia Kinship/family & friends/ Statutory or formal kinship connected person foster care care Looked after child Child in care Special Guardianship Order Permanent Care Order (PCO) (SGO) – Vic Residence Order Child Arrangements Order Support is determined by legal order Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 1 0
90-95% of children in kinship care are in informal arrangements Special Guardianship is on the rise – increasing focus on need to support these children – but limited to previously looked after children with SGO (eg ASGLB, Adoption Support Fund, Pupil Premium Plus) Increase in number of children in care – kinship foster care rising faster than non-related Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 11
Children in kinship care and foster care, England & Wales (2011 data) Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 1 2
12–15 September 2017 London
Our survey – the carers • 1,139 responses – largest UK survey of kinship carers • 85% are working age: 76% are aged 45-64; 15% are 65+ • 89% women • 79% grandparents (mostly maternal), 11% aunts/uncles • 61% married/living with partner; 34% single carers • 43% have a disability or long-term health condition • 59% raising one child, 28% raising two children, 13% raising three or more • Over half (57%) have an SGO, 16% have a Residence Order, 5% a Child Arrangements Order • One-third have multiple caring responsibilities Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 14
Our survey – children’s prior experiences • Half (51%) experienced parental drug/alcohol misuse • Half (54%) experienced abuse and/or neglect • One-third (31%) lived in a home where there was domestic abuse • 7% brought up by relatives because a parent had died • 4 in 10 kinship carers stepped in because a parent was ‘unable to cope’ Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 15
Our survey – children’s needs Over half (54%) of the children have special needs. Of this group: • 85% have emotional or behavioural issues • 34% have a learning difficulty/disability • 26% have autistic spectrum disorder/Asperger’s • 13% have chronic health issues • 11% have foetal alcohol spectrum disorders • 7% have a physical disability Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 16
ADD INFOGRAPHIC Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 1 7
Unmet support needs • Over a third (36%) say they find it difficult to make ends meet financially (despite 66% getting a financial allowance) • Only 11% of kinship carers get the information they need from their local authority • Just 11% of kinship carers say they get the emotional support they need • 26% say their physical health has been worse and 52% say their mental health has been worse since being a carer • One-third (32%) of carers are worried about their mental & physical health & ability to carry out their kinship care role Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 18
‘Once the child is no longer under a local authority care order, unless you fight for help, finance or information, you and the child don’t exist.’ (kinship carer, 2018) ‘We are the forgotten. Once you get the orders nobody is interested.’ (kinship carer, 2018) ‘We have to end the dump and run approach.’ (social worker, 2019) Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 19
Benefits of kinship care Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 20
Outcomes generally better for YP in kinship care than those in care Continuity • Prior relationship with carer reduced disruption of move into kinship care and contributed to placement stability • Two-thirds went into kinship care with at least one sibling • Relationships with wider family ongoing Stability • Three-quarters lived continuously with their carer until independence Close relationships with carers • YP felt close to carers and could confide in them Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 21
Educational attainment (GCSE outcomes) and care arrangements, 2013 (Sebba et al, 2015) Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 22
Why invest in kinship care 2 3
Kinship Connected Tailored 1-1 support Peer support group development Specialist advice • Delivered by Grandparents Plus since 2013 • 1-1 support for over 1,000 kinship carers • 46 sustainable and kinship carer led support groups • Replicable model, commissioned by 15 local authorities • Evaluation underway with control group – report due 2020 24 Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK
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Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 26
Kinship Connected Theory of Change Transforming Support for Kinship Carers: developing policy and practice in Australia and the UK 27
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