Kinship Care Gill Westwood and Susan Hunter National Coordinators The National Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland 0131 550 1054

Our new service Our new service – advice and information available through:- 63 CABx across Scotland 4 specialist advisers Helpline Website and social media

What we deliver Advice and information on financial and legal matters, to kinship carers Workshops and events for kinship carers and the children they care for Wellbeing and practical information through a range of media Training and information to professionals in the statutory and third sectors

Background Facts When the Kinship Care Service started in 2008 – around 2,300 LAC children in kinship care arrangements. Now - around 4,500 Looked After children in kinship care arrangements Estimated 17,000 children living in informal kinship care arrangements (this includes those on S11 Residence/Kinship Care Orders)

Some statistics Number of enquiries since 2009 – 8205 Client financial gain since 2009 – £2.7m Financial gain is not the only improved outcome for our clients – feedback about wellbeing has also shown improvements in anxiety, isolation, confidence and quality of sleep.

Kinship families Around 80% of kinship carers are grandparents, and around 20% are other family members or close family friends. Of that 20%, some are great-grandparents, great aunts and uncles, very young aunts and uncles, siblings and cousins.

What kinship carers tell us Clear information really helps Confidence in the knowledge held by professionals improves wellbeing Just as every family is different, one size doesn’t fit all for kinship families Groups and peer support is invaluable

Clear information Kinship carers tell us that, when they are in a time of family crisis, it is most useful to them to have information that is clearly presented – and it really helps to have it written down.

Confidence When kinship carers are given information by professional people, they tend to accept it, because they believe that the professionals will be correct. Kinship carers tell us that this is not always the case.

Individuality Kinship carers tell us that they value professionals who look at their individual family circumstances and help them to find solutions that work for them.

Support While acknowledging that groups aren’t for everyone, many kinship carers tell us that independent support is invaluable.