Our Kinship Local Offer
What is the Kinship Local Offer?
The East Sussex Kinship Local Offer tells you about the help and support available for children living in kinship care and the people who care for them.
It explains:
- what support is available
- where to get advice
- who can help
- where to find more information
The Local Offer brings together information from different services in East Sussex so that families can find the help they need in one place.
Our Promise to Kinship Families
We know that kinship carers play an important role in children's lives.
They provide safe, caring and stable homes when children cannot live with their parents.
We will:
- listen to children, young people and kinship carers
- provide clear and easy-to-understand information
- help families find support and advice
- work with other services to support kinship families
- improve services by listening to feedback
How We Created This Local Offer
We worked with kinship carers, children and young people to create this Local Offer.
In 2025, we asked kinship carers about their experiences of support, advice and information through the Kinship Your Voice Survey.
They told us that they wanted:
- clear information
- reliable support
- easy access to advice
Children and young people also shared their views through Kinship Voice Forums in 2025 and 2026.
They told us that it is important to:
- feel safe
- stay connected to family members
- have trusted adults who listen
- help more people understand kinship care
You Said, We Did
You said:
You wanted clearer information about legal options, money and where to get help.
We did:
We created a Kinship Information Pack to make information easier to find and understand.
You said:
You wanted more information about trauma and how it can affect children and young people.
We did:
We improved our training for kinship carers and gave more time for learning and discussion.
You said:
Children and young people wanted more chances to share their views and experiences.
We did:
We created Kinship Voice Forums so children and young people can help shape future services.
Keeping the Local Offer Up to Date
We will keep listening to kinship carers, children and young people.
We will regularly review and update this Local Offer to make sure it stays useful and meets the needs of kinship families.
To find out more about the support available, please visit the other pages in the Kinship section of this website.
If you need advice or support, please contact the East Sussex Kinship Team:
- email: kinship@eastsussex.gov.uk
- phone: 01323 464 040