New to Kinship Care?

If you have just become a Kinship Carer or are considering becoming a Kinship Carer, there are lots of things to consider when making choices for you, your family and the child in your care. It is important that you have knowledge and understanding to allow you to make the correct choices for you all.

It’s important to be aware of your legal position and to know what support is available. You should seek advice as early as possible. As you will hear many times Kinship Care can be a complex area and you may need support to be able to understand fully your position. Our service is here to help and you can get in touch by calling our helpline on 0808 800 0006 or emailing into the service on advice@kinshipscot.org.

You can listen to a podcast about the KCASS helpline and what you can expect when you contact the service here: Podcasts – Kinship.scot

Please see our FAQs which may answer some of your questions here.

The KCASS Advisory Group members suggested and helped to produce a booklet to be provided to every new Kinship Carer. They highlighted that, particularly at the start of their kinship journey, there was a distinct lack of information available to them and they were left feeling lost and confused. The What Now? booklet will provide information on lots of different topics and we hope provide a little understanding and clarity of your situation. You can view the booklet here.

Requesting childcare resources from your local authority

Kinship Carers tell us there is often a lack of practical support when they first take on the care of a child and that they do not have the means to provide the items required for the comfort and wellbeing of the child coming into their care. This issue was highlighted by the KCASS Advisory Group, who have compiled a list of items which they feel are necessary for any family caring for a child.

The first step in making any request would be to discuss this with your social worker, you can use the resource sheets below as a point of reference.

• Resources required for a baby (age 0-1)
• Resources required for a young child (age 1-5)
• Resources required for a child of primary school age
• Resources required for a young person

Your local authority can assist in providing resources required to ensure that everyday items are available for children coming into kinship care. These resource sheets will help you identify the items you require.

You can download the resource sheet, then send to the social work department with responsibility for the child in your care. If you are uncertain about where to send it there is a list of Kinship teams in all local authority areas on the website here: Local Authority Contacts – Kinship.scot

Alternatively you can get in touch with us and we can assist you in drafting a letter based on your family’s specific needs.

If after making this request you have not been able to secure the support you need please contact our advisers who may be able to assist. Contact our helpline on 0808 800 0006 or email us at advice@kinshipscot.org