Kinship carer networks V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding kinship carer networks to inform targeted support
IRAS ID
340100
Contact name
Felicity Thomas
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Over 200,000 children in the UK are being raised by a grandparent, aunt/uncle, sibling or family friend. These 'kinship carers' have stepped-in because the child's birth parents are unable to care for them. Children often do better when raised by a kinship carer than being in foster placements or children’s homes. However, becoming a kinship carer can put people's finances, jobs and relationships under strain. To qualify for help, kinship carers must go through complicated and often intrusive legal processes. Too often kinship carers are not getting the support they need. For more children to be raised in loving and stable homes, we must better understand the support networks kinship carers require.
The main source of support for many kinship carers comes from family, friends, and community groups. However, we don’t currently know how these support networks differ depending on factors like carer and child age, child needs, religion, ethnicity and location.
We will work with the national charity Kinship (https://kinship.org.uk) to add questions to their national survey (data is anonymous) about social networks and how they help kinship carers support their children. We will analyse how these social networks differ between kinship carers depending on their age, income, ethnicity and legal carer status. We will undertake interviews and social network mapping with carers in Torbay, Walsall and Newcastle - locations chosen to allow us to meet kinship carers from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances and hear a range of perspectives and experiences. We will train kinship carers in each area to become peer-researchers, helping to carry out the interviews and network mapping. We will also speak to social care teams in the three areas to understand how carer assessments and support planning could be improved.
Summary of Results
Family and friends were the mainstay of kinship carer support. Women were significantly more likely than men to get practical and emotional support. Respondents identifying as Black reported the highest likelihood of support, with faith-based groups notably important. Kinship Foster Carers reported relatively high support. Respondents caring for younger children were significantly more likely to receive support than those with older children. Nineteen percent of survey respondents did not have people to call on for help. Those identifying as Asian and those with Child Arrangement Orders reported the lowest average responses.
Many carers described multiple family members relying on them for support and network shrinkage when they had to leave work/abandon social opportunities due to caring, a situation exacerbated when the child/ren had health or behavioural challenges. Caring strained relationships with partners and other children in the household. Many older carers felt isolated and stigmatised. Peer support was vital for sharing experiences in non-judgemental spaces.
Carers often manage complex family dynamics, including blame, threats and intimidation from wider family. Managing contact with birth parents was especially challenging for those with Special Guardianship Orders.
Getting the right help for children’s mental health, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and trauma- related behaviours is critical to reduce care burdens which can influence placement breakdown. However, carers face long waiting times for assessments/diagnosis and lack information on supporting trauma-affected children. Lack of support at key transition points (e.g. starting secondary school) and for older children were problematic, with increased placement instability during these times.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
24/IEC08/0013
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion