Kinship carers find local authority support lacking
Katy Morton
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Family and friends carers raising children are being left to fend for themselves and suffer significant levels of hardship, as local authorities fail to implement Government policy, according to a new study.
The research by the charity Family Rights Group with Oxford University’s Centre for Family Law and Policy, reveals that family and friends carers are being let down by local authorities who fail to implement central Government policy that stipulates children, who are unable to live with either of their parents, should be able to live with a member of their extended family or social network.
Their findings are based on a survey of more than 490 carers raising more than 750 children, 95 in-depth interviews, an analysis of Government data and Freedom of Information requests to local authorities.
Almost half of carers (44 per cent) surveyed said they had received no practical help from their local authority and the majority (70 per cent) rated the support they had received from their LA as poor, or very poor.
The research also found that 44 per cent of local authorities had not published a family and friends care policy, more than five months after the Government required them to do so.
Cathy Ashley, chief executive of Family Rights Group, said, ‘Family and friends carers gain a lot of love and satisfaction from their role but it often has significant personal, mental and financial costs, which are exacerbated by the lack of support from local authorities.
‘We know that the system simply cannot cope with the increasing numbers of children going into care. Consequently many children end up going through multiple moves, which can have a devastating impact on their lives.
‘Our research shows many local authorities are not fully exploring and supporting opportunities to place children with family and friends, who can offer the security, continuity and love they so desperately need.
'These people are relieving a great deal of pressure from the state care system and acting in the best interests of incredibly vulnerable children, benefitting the rest of society. They deserve better. The amount and type of support carers receive from local authorities appears to bear little or no relationship to a child’s or carers’ needs, which is absolutely shocking.’
