Operational Policy - Kinship Care ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 21 May 2026
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 21 May 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC Page 1 of 3 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 21 May 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Operational Policy - Kinship Care ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. This report provides elected members with the opportunity to review Renfrewshire’s updated Kinship Care Policy. Th original policy was approved in January 2020 and the updated policy takes account of updated legislation and developments in practice over the past 5 years. 1.2. It is good practice to set a review date for all policies and the new policy will be reviewed no later than 21 May 2029. The new policy sets out the key responsibilities of Renfrewshire Council towards children in kinship care arrangements and the support available for kinship carers. The new policy will be published and available on the Council webpages for kinship care. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Board is asked to approve the updated Kinship Care Policy. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. Renfrewshire Children’s Services aims to support children in the care of their own parent(s) where it is safe to do so. It is recognised however, that some children are not able to be cared for by their parent(s) and that alternative arrangements will be required. 3.2. When a child cannot live with their birth parents, Renfrewshire Children’s Services preferred option is for the child to live within their wider family and community. In its broadest sense this is known as Kinship Care.
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PUBLIC Page 2 of 3 3.3. Kinship arrangements provide emotional permanence and reinforce a sense of identity which is best for children. It also prevents children requiring more foster care or residential care if it is in their interest. 3.4. Regulation 10 of the Looked After (Scotland) Regulations 2009 define a kinship carer as a person related to the child (through blood, marriage or civil partnership) or another person with whom the child has a pre-existing relationship, this could include close friends or people who are seen as part of the child’s network 3.5. Kinship care can either be formal or informal. The new updated policy sets out clearly the difference in these arrangements, the responsibilities of the council to both types of kinship care and the nature of support available. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Kinship carers approved as formal arrangements by the council receive an allowance to support the child. The amount payable by Renfrewshire Council is published on the website and is no less than the Scottish Recommended Allowance. In some circumstances informal kinship care arrangements can also receive financial support. In the current financial year the council will provide financial support to kinship carers between £2,500,000 and £3,000,00. 2. HR and Organisational Development There are no new additional HR or organisational developments as a result of this report. 3. Community/Council Planning None. 4. Legal The new policy ensures that Renfrewshire is operating in line with the most up to date legislation and regulatory framework. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health and Safety None.
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PUBLIC Page 3 of 3 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. 13. 14. Climate Risk None. Children’s Rights None. Cosla Policy Position None. List of Background Papers (a) None. ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services FD 15/04/06 Author: Fiona Duncan, Social Work Senior Manager
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Page 1 of 16 PUBLIC Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire Children’s Services Kinship Policy Owner- Head of Child Care and Justice Services Operational Date: 21 May 2026 Review Date: 21 May 2029
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Page 2 of 16 PUBLIC Contents 1. Context 2. Purpose of Policy 3. What is Kinship Care 4. Assessment of Kinship Carers 5. Approving Kinship Carers 6. Children placed with friends and family by the Children’s Panel 7. Financial Support 8. Eligibility for Kinship Care Assistance 9. Financial Support to Apply for a Kinship Care Order 10. Support for Informal Kinship Carers where Child is not Deemed Eligible 11. Informal Kinship Care- New Enquiries 12. Parents in the Kinship Household 13. Kinship Arrangements where parental involvement in care is supported and assessed 14. Continuing Care for Eligible Children 15. Permanence in Kinship Care 16. Relevant Publications, Policy and Framework
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Page 3 of 16 PUBLIC 1 Context 1.1 When a child is referred to Renfrewshire Children’s Social Work, we aim to support them in the care of their own parent(s). It is recognised however, that some children are not able to be cared for by their parent(s) and that alternative arrangements will be required. 1.2 When a child or young person cannot live with their birth parents, the preferred option is for them to live within their wider family and community. In its broadest sense this is known as Kinship Care. Kinship arrangements can provide emotional permanence and reinforce a sense of identity for children. 1.3 Getting it Right in Kinship and Foster Carer states that - the starting point in considering kinship care should be: • it is the right of every child to have family and friends explored as potential carers if they need to leave the care of their parents • any arrangements for care by family or friends must be in the best interest of the child • the safety and needs of the child in any assessment of family and friends must be paramount • a child’s needs for good family and friends carers should take precedence over the wishes of a parent to exclude the family from care. • support to a family or friend arrangement should be available when needed. 2 Purpose of this Policy 2.1 The purpose of this policy is to: • To provide clarity about the definition of kinship care and give practical guidance for differentiating informal and informal kinship care, and private fostering arrangements • Set out Renfrewshire Council’s obligations to provide ‘kinship care assistance’ to ‘eligible children’ and their carers • Describe the purpose, remit and functions of the kinship care forum • Establish relevant practice standards 3 What is Kinship Care? 3.1 Kinship care is when a child is unable to live with their birth parents and instead lives with a person related to them (through blood, marriage or civil partnership) or another person with whom they have a pre-existing relationship, this could include close friends or people who are seen as part of the child’s network. 3.2 Kinship care aims to: • Maintain family connections • Provide stability and emotional security • Prevent unnecessary trauma by enabling children to stay within their community networks 3.3 This aligns with the principles of The Promise.
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Page 4 of 16 PUBLIC Informal and Formal Kinship Care Arrangements 3.4 There are two types of kinship care arrangements: • Informal (governed by the 2014 Act and the 2016(Act) • Formal (governed by the 2009 Regulations) Informal Kinship Care 3.5 Informal kinship care is a private arrangement between family members and friends. In these circumstances the child is not “looked after” by the local authority. Informal kinship care arrangements can include a Section 11 or a Guardianship Order. Social work can provide support to children in informal kinship care e.g. occasional financial support or advice and guidance under Section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. 3.6 Where Social Work becomes aware that a child known to us (but working with the service on a voluntary basis) has moved from his/her parents’ care to that of a relative or friend, the social worker should clearly document this in the case record. The social worker should discuss the care arrangement with the parents to ascertain the reason for the move and their intentions as to how long it will continue. The social worker should also obtain and record the child’s views. If the child requires ongoing support from Social Work, the Child’s Plan should be updated to reflect the new care arrangements. Unless there are reasons why the arrangement is unsafe for the child, it is the parents’ right to decide where the child resides. 3.7 This arrangement would not be considered formal kinship care as Social Work were not involved in the arrangement and did not intend to remove the child from the care of his/her parents. In these circumstances, the child is NOT Looked After. 3.8 As this is a private arrangement between the parents and the carers, the social worker should avoid becoming unnecessarily involved in the management of the arrangement or the oversight of parent-child contact. If Social Work involvement is deemed because it is not safe for the children to return to parental care, the social worker should discuss with their Team Manager whether the child would benefit from statutory measures of care. Formal Kinship Care 3.9 Children who are legally looked after away from home by the Local Authority are subject to one of the following legal routes: • Child Protection Order, section 37 Children’s Hearing (Scotland) Act 2011 • Interim or Compulsory Supervision Order, section 83 and 86 Children’s Hearing (Scotland Act 2011 • Permanence Order, section 80 Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 • Section 25 Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
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Page 5 of 16 PUBLIC 3.10 It is formal kinship care if the child was placed with the carers by the local authority as a direct alternative to arrangement with foster carers or in a children’s house. When a child/children requires to be removed from his/her parents and placed in the care of family/friends, the practice guidance for kinship care arrangements must be followed as detailed in the following section. Children in such circumstances are Looked After Children and subject to Looked After Children Reviews. Private Fostering 3.11 This occurs when a child is cared for by someone who is not a close relative and is not an approved foster carer, for 28 days or more. The child is not considered Looked After under formal fostering regulations. The arrangement is not made by the local authority or a registered fostering agency. The local authority has certain duties when it is notified about private fostering arrangements. 4 Assessment of Kinship Carers 4.1 Kinship arrangements come about in two ways, planned and emergency. In all circumstances the views of the child should be sought where they are able to give a view. The social worker must seek approval from their Senior Social Work Manager to secure agreement that a kinship arrangement is required. Planned Kinship Arrangements 4.2 When a kinship arrangement is planned a viability assessment should be completed by the child’s social worker. 4.3 A viability assessment is a preliminary assessment of a relative, friend or person well known to the child, to determine whether that person is a realistic option to care for the child in the medium to long term and should therefore undergo a full kinship carer assessment. 4.4 On occasions where there a number of potential carers who may be able to care for the child, it may be necessary to use viability assessments to help decide which is the most suitable option or options to pursue to full assessment. 4.5 While we must do all we can to secure care for the child within their family of origin, we need not fully assess all individuals who come forward. Rather, we must assess all viable options and viability assessments serve to identify realistic options for the child’s care. 4.6 In some instances, the information revealed via these checks will be sufficient to rule the individual out or to advise them against proceeding.
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Page 6 of 16 PUBLIC Kinship Viability Assessment 4.7 The viability assessment should cover the following: (a) Checks • Local authority records including social work (adult, justice and children’s), education and housing • Information Sharing Request from Police • If police check viable, begin disclosure process • Health (via GP) • Child Protection Register in respect of any of their children • Obtain address history since they were 16 years old and if outwith Renfrewshire, make enquiries in other local authorities. (b) Household information • Names and date of birth of all members if the household, as well as details of frequent visitors (e.g. partner or adult children) • Relationship to the child/children • Health (mental and physical) • Criminal convictions • If there is a cohabitating partner, they must be included in the assessment whether or not they have caring responsibilities for the child. (c) Assessment considerations • Employment and working patterns • Finances and housing • Ability to provide good enough care and/or what support from the local authority is required • Relationship with child’s parents and attitude to and ability to manage contact • Knowledge of child’s specific needs • Motivation to care • Parenting/caring experience/capacity • Knowledge of why child known to social work and understanding of concerns and impact on child • Understanding of and ability to safeguard and protect the child from harm in the future 4.8 The viability assessment should conclude with a recommendation as to whether or not to progress to full kinship assessment. 4.9 The viability assessment should be completed within 4 weeks and should not require more than two, albeit lengthy home visits. 4.10 The viability assessment should be reviewed and signed off by the Team Manager. This will serve as referral to kinship team if a full kinship assessment is required. If there is more than one carer household proceeding to full assessment, the Social Worker and Team Manager need to make a decision about order of priority.
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Page 7 of 16 PUBLIC Emergency kinship arrangements 4.11 Social work practitioners must discuss with (and obtain the approval of) their Senior Social Work Manager before arranging the accommodation of a child in a prospective kinship care arrangement, even on an emergency or very short- term basis. 4.12 The arrangement can only be considered following completion of relevant safety checks, and the following must be undertaken in respect of all members of the household prior to an emergency arrangement being made. • Police Check via Public Protection Unit re all household members aged over 16 years. • Check of social work records • Initial health check with carers General Practitioner • If the carers have school age children, if time of day permits, the Head Teachers should be contacted and asked for their views on the proposed arrangement. 4.13 In addition, a home visit must be carried out by the social worker before the arrangement is made. The visit must include viewing the bedroom for the child/children. There should be explicit discussion with the proposed carer(s) about their capacity to keep the child safe. The social worker should establish the arrangement is safe and record their assessment within the child’s file. 4.14 The social worker should ensure that any existing arrangements for family contact are fulfilled. 4.15 A Pre Placement Kinship Agreement must be signed by both the carer and the Social Worker, including any specific arrangements. (Appendix 1) 4.16 In circumstances where the child cannot return to the care of parents and continuation of the emergency kinship arrangement is in their best interests, the Social Worker must obtain approval from their Senior Social Work Manager. 4.17 The arrangement must be reviewed within three working days. The review should be chaired by the Team Manager/Senior Practitioner for the child and include the parents, the carer(s) and the Social Worker. The child should be encouraged to attend. The Team Manager/Senior Practitioner in the kinship team should also be invited. The child should be encouraged to attend. The child’s legal status must be confirmed and consent under section 25 Children (Scotland) Act 1995 must have been obtained if no other legal order in place. 4.18 At this stage, the carers should be passed to the kinship team who will undertake a full kinship assessment, and the carers should be approved within 12 weeks.
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Page 8 of 16 PUBLIC Comprehensive Kinship Assessment 4.19 The full kinship carer assessment will be carried out by a social worker in the kinship team. The purpose of the kinship assessment is to establish the suitability of the potential kinship carer to provide ongoing care for the child. The assessment should also identify any support required by the carer to allow them to safely care for the child. 4.20 The kinship assessment will include a: • Social work records check on everyone in the household and local authority checks if resided outwith Renfrewshire in all addresses since they were 16 years old • PVG check on the main carer(s) • Enhanced disclosure on all other adults in household over the age of 16. • Suitability of the accommodation (including a health and safety assessment) • GP health assessment for the kinship carer(s) 4.21 The full kinship assessment will address the following: • Child’s journey • Needs of child • Views of agencies involved with child. • Child and parents view of proposed kinship arrangement • Profile of proposed carer • Motivation to care for child and understanding of social work concerns • Lifestyle of proposed carer • Support network of proposed carer • Accommodation • Employment • Working in partnership with agencies and birth parent(s) 4.22 In addition, the Social Worker should include references from 2 people who know the carer(s). 4.23 If the proposed kinship carer is in a relationship with a spouse/partner and they live within the household, they must be fully included in the assessment. 4.24 The assessment should be completed and presented with recommendation for approval or not to the Kinship Forum. The assessment should be signed by the social worker, the proposed carer(s) and the Team Manager/Senior Practitioner for the kinship team. 5 Approving Kinship Carers 5.1 The 2009 Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations require that when a Looked After child is placed with a kinship carer, the authority must: • Assess the kinship carer’s suitability (Reg. 10) • Consider the assessment and decide whether to approve the carer (Reg. 10(3)– (5)) • Record the decision and include it in the child’s plan.
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Page 9 of 16 PUBLIC 5.2 There is no legal requirement for this approval decision to be made by a forum. The law only requires: • A competent assessment; and • A clear, accountable decision-maker on behalf of the local authority. 5.3 The law simply requires that local authorities establish a process for approving kinship carers. While there is no explicit statutory requirement for local authorities to establish a kinship forum, however, Renfrewshire considers it best practice to do so. Renfrewshire’s Kinship Forum Purpose 5.4 The purpose of Renfrewshire’s Kinship Forum is: • to make recommendations to the Kinship Decision Maker • to provide independent scrutiny of kinship carer assessments • to promote greater consistency in approvals • to promote avoidance of drift in long-term kinship arrangements • to ensure proper recording of decisions • to ensure proper governance and accountability for decision-making. 5.5 The Kinship Forum aligns with our wider quality assurance agenda as well as our commitment to ensure that all of our Looked After children receive the best quality care, irrespective of their arrangement type. 5.6 An important function of the Kinship Forum is to provide independent scrutiny and quality assurance of kinship assessments and other kinship related business. Remit of the Kinship Forum 5.6 The remit of the Kinship Forum is to recommend to the Kinship Decision Maker whether individuals are approved or not approved as kinship carers for named children. This includes carers who have not yet had the child(ren) placed with them, as well as those who had children placed in an emergency situation and were assessed subsequently. 5.7 The Forum will only consider carers for named children or unborn babies. That is, the assessment must relate to carers’ capacity to meet the needs of specific children. Where an already approved kinship carer wishes to take on care of another child, an updated assessment and approval process will be required. 5.8 There is no legal duty for reviews of approved kinship carers and requiring kinship carers to attend annual reviews, along with Looked After reviews for their cared-for children would place undue pressure on carers. The support needs of kinship carers will be managed by the allocated kinship care worker. The care arrangements will be reviewed at the child’s Looked After review meetings.
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Page 10 of 16 PUBLIC Functions 5.9 The forum is comprised of a chairperson and two members The chairperson must have at least two forum members for it to be quorate. 5.10 The Kinship Agency Decision Maker is a Children’s Services Manager 5.11 The Kinship Agency Decision Maker will appoint the chairperson and at least one deputy chairperson who will lead the forum in the absence of the chairperson. 5.12 The forum may make two recommendations: (i) to approve/continue the approval of the kinship carer(s); or (ii) to not approve/discontinue approval of the kinship carer(s). 5.13 In making its recommendation, the forum will receive a comprehensive assessment of the kinship carer(s) and will include information from the social worker for the child(ren). This report should be provided at least 5 working days before the date of the forum. 5.14 The assessing kinship worker will make a presentation to the forum and answer questions from forum members. The recommendation of the forum is then presented to the Kinship Decision Maker who has the final decision and must make that decision within 14 days of the forum. 5.15 The Forum may also make determinations about the payment of legal fees to Kinship Carers seeking Residence Orders/Kinship Care Orders. 5.16 Regulation 10 (5) places a duty on the local authority to record in writing its decision about the suitability of the kinship carer and shall inform prospective carer of outcome in writing. 5.17 The decision must be made within 12 weeks of the child being placed. Carers Not approved by the Kinship Forum 5.18 If the carers are not approved by the Kinship Forum and the child/children are already living there, a Looked After Review should be convened to consider a change of arrangement. 5.19 A child/children should only be moved in an emergency basis if there are child protection concerns that merit such action. 5.20 The kinship carer shall continue to be paid the kinship allowance as long as the child/children resides with them.
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Page 11 of 16 PUBLIC Discontinue Approval of Kinship Arrangement 5.21 There is no requirement to review Approved Kinship Carers, however they should be referred to the kinship forum for consideration of discontinuation of their approval: • Where there are significant concerns about the carers capacity to care for the child/children due to significant changes in their personal circumstances or following allegations, offences or serious concerns being raised. 5.22 The kinship worker should provide a report to be discussed at the Kinship Forum and the reasons for discontinuing the approval as kinship carer should be recorded. 5.23 When a child leaves the kinship arrangement, the kinship social worker should request discontinuation of the kinship approval be approved by the Kinship Decision Maker. 5.24 In both circumstances, Renfrewshire Council will notify Disclosure Scotland that they are no longer kinship carers. Appeal of kinship forum decision. 5.25 A kinship carer or proposed kinship carer can appeal the decision of the kinship forum and Kinship Decision Maker within 28 working days of receiving the decision. 5.26 The decision will then be reviewed by a different Kinship Decision Maker and their decision given in writing. 6 Children Placed with Friends or Relatives by the Children’s Panel 6.1 In terms of regulation 33 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009, where a child is required by virtue of a compulsory supervision order to reside with a person other than their parent, the local authority must provide financial support. They will deemed to be kinship carers and will receive kinship allowance. 6.2 The condition of residence is a legal requirement which cannot be over-turned by the kinship forum. In making the condition of residence with the carer(s), the children’s hearing must have been satisfied with the information provided by the social worker about the suitability of the arrangement. 6.3 However, a full kinship carer assessment will still need to be undertaken to fully understand the carer’s support needs by the kinship care team. If the outcome of the assessment is that the carers do not meet the threshold to be kinship carers for Renfrewshire Council, a meeting must be convened involving the Social Workers for kinship carers, the child, respective Team Managers and Senior Social Work Managers to review the arrangement.
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Page 12 of 16 PUBLIC 6.4 If following this, there is still no agreed resolution between the locality team and kinship team about how best to meet the child’s needs, the situation will be referred to the Chief Social Work Officer for a decision to continue the arrangement or return to the Children’s Hearing to request a change of residence. 7 Financial Support 7.1 All potential kinship carers undergoing a kinship assessment with the child placed in their care by Renfrewshire Council is entitled to a payment until the assessment is completed, the sum shall be approved by the Chief Social Work Officer. 7.2 Where a child is placed in a kinship care arrangement in an emergency, financial support will be provided to assist with the cost of caring for the child. The financial support may include payment to purchase essentials to meet the child's care needs. A weekly support payment of a sum as approved by the Chief Social Work Officer, will be paid for each child during the assessment period. 7.3 The payment of Kinship Care Allowance is dependent on the kinship assessment having been completed and approved by the Kinship Forum. The carers will be paid Kinship Care Allowance from the date the assessment is approved. If the assessment takes longer than 12 weeks the Kinship Care Allowance will be backdated to the start date of the assessment plus 12 weeks. 7.4 Financial assistance should also be considered to promote the child's contact with parents and siblings as appropriate. 7.5 Renfrewshire Council will pay the Kinship Care Allowance on a fortnightly basis in advance and directly into the approved kinship carer's bank account. The Renfrewshire’s Kinship Care Allowance is aligned with the Scottish Recommended Allowance agreed with Scottish Government. This allowance is paid at the same rate as the local fostering allowance, minus child-related benefits. These rates are available on the Renfrewshire Council website. 8 Eligibility for Kinship Care Assistance 8.1 Kinship care assistance refers to the support both financial and practical that may be given to kinship carers, where a child or young person is subject to a kinship care order via part 13 Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. 8.2 Entitlement to and the nature of the assistance varies depending on whether a child is an eligible child or not.
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Page 13 of 16 PUBLIC 8.3 Carers are eligible for Kinship Care Allowance as well as information and advice if: They have a Kinship Care Order (Section 11) or guardianship and either: • The child was previously Looked After or • The child is at risk of becoming looked after. (At risk of becoming Looked After will be determined through multi-agency Child’s Plan) • The child who is at least 16 years of age, who was subject to a kinship care order immediately before their 16th birthday, and was previously looked after or who is at risk of being looked after. 8.4 For the avoidance of doubt, carers of children in private fostering or informal care arrangements where the child is not deemed eligible, will not receive an allowance. 9 Financial Support to Apply for a Kinship Care Order 9.1 Persons in the process of, or considering, applying for a Kinship Care Order in respect of an eligible child are also entitled to financial support towards the costs of obtaining the order. 9.3 Renfrewshire Council will only consider an application for such financial support after an application for Legal Aid has been made, and/or on presentation of evidence that the applicant is not eligible for Legal Aid. 9.4 Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The amount of financial support provided will be determined by the relevant Children’s Services Manager on the basis of the above information and the likelihood of the Kinship Care Order being granted, considering the carer’s capacity to meet the child’s long-term needs and whether, or on what basis, the application is likely to be contested. 10 Support for Informal Kinship Carers Where Child is not Deemed ‘Eligible’ 10.1 While informal kinship carers do not receive a standard Kinship Care Allowance, they can access various forms of support, particularly if they are on a low income or the child is considered "in need" (Section 22 of Children (Scotland) Act 1995). 10.2 Local authority support: • An informal kinship carer can request a "child in need" assessment from the local authority if they are worried about the child's health or development. • Based on this assessment, the council can provide discretionary, means- tested support, such as one-off payments for essential items.
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Page 14 of 16 PUBLIC 11 Informal Kinship Care – New Enquiries 11.1 When an individual caring for a child contacts the Council and identifies themselves as a kinship carer and requests local authority support, the practitioner receiving this enquiry should obtain the following details: • The person’s name/address/contact telephone number; • Details of the child residing with them; • Details of when and how the arrangement came about; and • Whether the person has a Kinship Care Order 11.2 The Initial Response Team (IRT) Manager will investigate the new enquiry and make a recommendation to the Senior Social Work Manager as to whether or not the new enquiry meets the criteria to be a formal kinship care arrangement. 11.3 Where the Team Manager is unable to make a recommendation due to limited information, they should direct an IRT social worker to undertake a home visit to gather additional information to help inform decision-making. 12 Parents in the Kinship Carer Household 12.1 A kinship care arrangement should not ordinarily include the parent(s) within the household. The kinship carer is being paid and supported as the full-time carer responsible for the day-to-day care for the child. 12.2 If a parent moves into a kinship arrangement, the social worker should as soon as possible investigate the reasons for the parent(s) being in the home, the expected duration of their stay and undertake an assessment of the parent(s) role in the child’s care. A risk assessment should be completed to ascertain the immediate safety of and continued suitability of the arrangement for the child. 12.3 As a general rule, we would not continue to treat the arrangement as kinship if the parent(s) remained within the household. 12.4 We recognise that family relationships are complex and there may be circumstances under which it is appropriate to continue the kinship arrangement while a parent is within the home for a temporary period. 12.5 If the kinship carer wishes to have the parent within the household, the circumstances require comprehensive assessment by the social worker to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child. Any such arrangement must be agreed by the Senior Social Work Manager, be time-limited, and accompanied by a robust agreement with the kinship carer about the role of the parent in the child’s care, along with a safety plan to manage identified risks. There should also be a contingency plan in the event that the arrangement breaks down.
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Page 15 of 16 PUBLIC 13 Kinship Arrangements where parental involvement in care is supported and assessed 13.1 There may be circumstances, particularly involving newborns, where the kinship carer has a role in supporting the parent(s) as part of a plan for the child to be returned to the care of parent(s). For instance, the parent either lives in the kinship carer’s home or spends significant time there and is involved in the daily care of the child, supported by the kinship carer and overseen by the social worker as part of a parenting capacity assessment. 13.2 Such an arrangement needs to be closely managed within a time-limited care plan and must be underpinned by an explicit agreement with the kinship carer about the nature and limits of the parent’s involvement in the care of the child. The kinship carer remains the principal carer for the child and is responsible for the child’s safety and wellbeing. 13.3 No such arrangement can be made without the approval of senior social work manager. 14 Continuing Care for Eligible Child/Children 14.1 Where a Pathway Plan identifies that Continuing Care is appropriate for the young person and the kinship carer agrees, the worker should arrange for a Kinship Care Conversion to be completed before the young person reaches 18. The Kinship Carer Conversion is not a reassessment of the suitability of the carers, rather it is an appreciative enquiry to identify if additional support is needed to facilitate the Continuing Care Arrangement. 14.3 A Looked After Child will be entitled to support from the Throughcare Service and the kinship carer will continue to receive the Continuing Care Allowance up until their 21st birthday or earlier if the child moves out. 15 Permanence in Kinship Care 15.1 Where a child is likely to remain to remain in the kinship care arrangement for the long term, it may be in the child’s best interests for the carers to pursue a Residence Order. 15.2 Section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 provides an option for kinship carers to apply to the court for a residence order, also known as a Kinship Care Order. 15.3 The social worker for the kinship carers will ensure that in circumstances where the kinship carer is provided with information and advice about applying for a Kinship Care Order, and what the implications of this are. 15.4 If kinship carers obtain a Kinship Care Order, they will continue to receive Kinship Allowance while the child lives with them or until their 18th birthday. Whilst the child will not be Looked After and therefore not entitled to continuing care, Renfrewshire will offer a continuing care allowance to support the young person to remain in the arrangement until they reach their 21st birthday.
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Page 16 of 16 PUBLIC 15.5 The Local Authority may decide that it is not in the best interests of a particular child to apply for a residence order to secure the child’s residence with the kinship carer. The child would remain Looked After and a Kinship Allowance would continue to be paid. 15.6 When a Kinship Care Order is not applied for by the kinship carer, the local authority may decide that a Permanence Order should be the applied for to achieve permanence for the child. Such decisions will be discussed through the Looked After process. 16 Relevant Publications, Policy and Frameworks The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 The Kinship Care Assistance (Scotland) Order 2016 The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 The Promise Keeping the Promise to our children and young people and families Getting it right for every Child in Kinship Care and Foster Care (Scottish Government 2007) National Guidance on part 13 Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and The Kinship Care Assistance (Scotland) Order 2016 -updated 2024 .