Local authorities supporting kinship carers

Local authorities and Kinship working together to support kinship carers to access emotional support, and expert advice and information.

Social workers in kinship care teams

Local authorities supporting kinship carers

One of our roles at Kinship is to build relationships between kinship carers and local authority teams. Our community of over 10,000 kinship carers means we are uniquely placed to understand the needs of kinship carers.

Our advice, information and services support kinship carers in their caring role. They increase better outcomes for kinship families. Our goal is to keep children with family and friends and out of the care system.

We provide independently evaluated needs-based services that have been co-produced with kinship carers.

Local authorities can work with us by:

  • partnering with us and our national peer support service (England only)
  • commissioning our specialist programmes providing 1:1 support to special guardians and kinship carers
  • commissioning our Kinship Ready training service supporting new and prospective kinship carers
  • promoting our free services to kinship carers

If you’re interested in any of our services, please contact us for an informal chat on commissioning@kinship.org.ukĀ 

Support for professionals working with kinship carers in England and Wales

professionals working with kinship carers

Kinship Professionals Network

Are you a social worker, academic or other professional with an interest in kinship care? Join our network to stay up-to-date with news from the world of kinship care.

Join Kinship Professionals Network
kinship carer supporting kinship child

Kinship care research and surveys

Our library of research, statistics and the latest developments related to kinship care. Read the latest State of the Nation survey, the largest annual survey of kinship carers and their experiences.

Read the latest research
kinship children supported by kinship carers

Best practice for special guardianship

A free comprehensive blueprint of best practice capturing the key elements of some of the most developed special guardianship support services currently available.

Read best practice

The Adoption Support Fund for kinship carers

Local authorities and regional adoption agencies (RAAs) can apply for therapeutic funding for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order families.

Latest criteria for the Adoption Support Fund