Research finds a third of local authorities failing on their kinship care duties

More than a third of local authorities are not meeting their obligation to detail the support provided to kinship carers.

Across England, there are more than 130,000 children who are unable to live with their parents and are being raised by kinship carers. Children in kinship care have often experienced tragedy or trauma and have additional needs as a result. Their carers have often stepped up in a moment of crisis. Becoming a kinship carer has a big impact on family life with emotional, practical and financial challenges.

The last major national government guidance on kinship care dates back to the 2011 Family and Friends Care statutory guidance. One of its key requirements is that local authorities must publish a local family and friends care policy. This must set out the council’s approach to promoting and supporting the needs of children in kinship care. They must also have a senior member of staff responsible for implementing it, among other obligations.

In an audit of local authority family and friends care policies across England, charity Family Rights Group (FRG) finds that a majority of local authorities are failing to adhere to the statutory guidance on family and friends care. It says it is ‘extremely concerning’ that the vast majority of local policies, where they exist, fall short on multiple criteria.

The audit showed that over a third of local authorities do not have an up to date, accessible policy; while more than half of English local authorities do not identify a manager responsible for the policy.

Very few local authorities involved local kinship families in developing their policy and three quarters of local authorities fail to signpost to local support services. Only a fifth of policies includes information about support for covering legal expenses.

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, said the findings were ‘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.”