Agenda item

To receive an overview report on Kinship Caring and Special Guardianship Orders, including the support available.

6.1          Tammy Wheatley provided the Committee with a presentation on Kinship Caring and Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs). The presentation was attached to the agenda papers for the meeting.

6.2          A member sought clarification as to what an Eco-Map was, which was required as part of the full SGO assessment process. They also asked for clarification regarding the data for the number of SGOs for 2023/24. It was explained that the figures relating to previous kinship determined the numbers of SGOs which had been granted where children had previously been living under kinship fostering arrangements. This data had only begun to be collected from this year.

6.3          The member also asked about the outcomes for children living under SGOs compared to the outcomes for children in care. In response, it was explained that nationally, there was no differentiation in outcomes. There were instances where SGOs had broken down and children had come back into care, such as when teenagers were living with grandparents who were getting older. In order to address this, work was being undertaken with potential SGO carers to help them to understand what the future could look like under these arrangements, and for them to consider their support network and who could care for the child should they no longer be able to.

6.4          However, it was known that kinship caring arrangements provided children with more stability and more sense of belonging as they were living with someone with whom they could connect. It was noted that the University of Bristol had conducted some research in this area which highlighted an improved sense of identity and emotional wellbeing for children being cared for under kinship arrangements. Tammy Wheatley proposed speaking with colleagues from the kinship service in Birmingham as to whether there was any specific data on outcomes.

ACTION – Tammy Wheatley

6.5          Another member spoke of the positives of SGOs for children, and recognised that the barriers to these arrangements, for example, financial barriers, were being removed. Tammy Wheatley explained that in the longer term, SGO arrangements were more cost effective as the Council was not required to provide ongoing support services for the child. However, it did make a difference to kinship carers if the Council could provide them with financial support. It was noted that the Council was currently working on a capital programme looking at how to support foster and kinship carers with house adaptations.

6.6          The difficulties of maintaining relationships between birth parents and kinship carers when it came to issues of parental responsibility was acknowledged.

6.7          A member asked about the numbers of children being cared for under informal arrangements. In response, it was explained that it was almost impossible to determine how many children lived under informal care arrangements, such as children living with grandparents. The Council relied on partners, such as schools, to come forward with any concerns relating to these arrangements.

6.8          Another member asked about the current attitude of the courts to SGOs, citing a period in the past when they were resistant to them. In response, members were advised that there had not been any concerns regarding the courts agreeing SGOs in recent years. It was noted that courts, in some cases, were concluding care proceedings with a care order, whereby the child remained living with a kinship carer with the order clearly stating that after 6 months if there were no concerns then they should proceed with an SGO.

6.9          The Committee thanked Tammy Wheatley for her presentation.