Family and friends
Kinship Care
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship Care is when a child is looked after by someone who is not their mum or dad. The person could be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older brother or sister, or another adult who knows the child well, like a family friend or neighbour. People who look after a child like this are sometimes called family and friends carers.
There are different kinds of Kinship Care Orders. You can learn more about these at: Types of Kinship Care Orders.
How do I become a Kinship Carer?
Sometimes, Children’s Services might ask you to look after a child who cannot live with their parents because it is not safe for them. Other times, the child’s parents might ask someone in the family or a friend to care for their child if they are ill or having problems. These are called informal arrangements.
What do Kinship Carers need to do?
If you are a Kinship Carer, it is your job to keep the child safe, happy, and cared for. You will help them go to school, make friends, and stay healthy.
It is important to help the child stay in touch with their parents and other family members, if it is safe. This helps the child feel like they belong. You should also think about the child’s family background when making choices for them.
Being a Kinship Carer can be a big change and sometimes it might feel difficult. But looking after a child in this way can also be very special and make a big difference to both your lives.
Support as a Kinship carer
If you are looking after a child, you might have a Kinship Assessment. This is when someone talks to you to see what help you and the child might need. If you apply for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), you will get a Support Plan. This plan explains what support you will get and is shared with the court. It is a good idea to show this plan to a solicitor (a lawyer), because how you care for the child can change your rights and the money you might get. You can ask your Kinship Social Worker if you can get help to pay for a solicitor.
You can also find out more about the help available:
- East Sussex Kinship Team
- support groups in East Sussex
- external support agencies that can help as a Kinship Carer.
Contact us
For more information:
- email: kinship@eastsussex.gov.uk
- phone: 01323 464 040
Safeguarding concern
If you have any safeguarding concerns regarding a child or young person, please contact the Single Point of Advice.
Support groups in East Sussex
The support groups are run by Kinship Carers, and there are no Children’s Services workers there, so you can talk privately.
These groups let Kinship Carers meet and make friends with other people in a similar situation. You don’t need to book—just come along on the day.
Eastbourne
Location: The Archery Youth Centre, Willoughby Crescent, BN22 7RR
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday 8 December
- Monday 12 January
Hailsham
Location: Hailsham East Children’s Centre, Vega Close, BN27 2JZ
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday 15 December
- Friday 27 February
Heathfield
Location: Union Church, High Street, TN21 8LB
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Friday 12 December
- Friday 9 January
St Leonards
Location: St. John's, Upper Church Road, TN37 7AT
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Every Thursday
Hastings
Location: The Y Centre, St Paul's Road, TN37 6RS
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday 8 December
- Monday 5 January
Bexhill
Location: Sidley Family Hub, 121 Ninfield Road, TN39 5BD
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Wednesday 3 December
- Wednesday 7 January
Battle
Location: Battle Baptist Church, Mount Street, Battle, TN33 0EG
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Upcoming Dates:
- Thursday 18 November
- Thursday 29 January
Contact us
To get in touch with the organiser of the group before attending, contact:
- email: kinship@eastsussex.gov.uk
- phone: 01323 464 040
East Sussex Kinship Team
- Something to be proud of - a film by Kinship
The Kinship Team understands the importance of carers. To help you, we offer:
- a special team to give you advice and help you with your questions
- lots of training opportunities you can join
- support with access to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) for therapeutic support ( if eligible)
- advice about money and support with finances
- six months of help from a Kinship Keyworker if you are a new carer
- extra help from a Keyworker if your family is having problems
- a newsletter for kinship carers every month
- a mailing list to keep you up to date with events, news, and training that you can join
- support groups for carers in East Sussex
Training Opportunities
Kinship Workshops
1. Raising Kinship Children
Workshop Overview
This workshop will help you learn ways to look after the child in your care:
- Understanding Trauma & the Brain – How things that happen early in life can affect how a child feels and acts.
- Therapeutic Parenting Tips – Easy ideas you can use to make your home feel safe and caring.
- Building Resilience – Ways to help children get through hard times and do well
- Support & Friendship – Meet other kinship carers, share your stories, and help each other
2. Helping your child to understand their past and present - An introduction to life story work
Workshop Overview
In this session, we’ll talk about why it’s important for children to know their past to feel good about who they are today. You’ll learn easy ways to help children understand their story, find helpful resources, and meet other kinship carers to share ideas and support each other.
3. Kinship Drop-in Sessions
Workshop Overview
These friendly sessions are here to help you learn and get support as a kinship carer. We talk about things like keeping in touch with family, school, special educational needs, understanding feelings, and different ways to care for children. You can ask questions and get advice.
Kinship charity training and events
The Kinship Charity has lots of training and events you can join. They have both in-person and online sessions, like workshops and webinars, to help you learn more and get support.
Support Agencies
Kinship is a charity that helps families where children are raised by relatives or family friends. Kinship supports carers by making sure they are listened to and helped. In East Sussex, Kinship offers extra help to families, including faster access to their advice line for carers.
You can find out more by visiting their website: Kinship
Family Hubs are places in East Sussex where families and young people can get advice and support. Learn more by visiting Family Hubs - East Sussex
The Family Rights Group has a confidential advice line for Kinship Carers. You can call them on 0808 801 0366 or visit www.frg.org.uk.
Family Action gives advice and information to families through their Family Line. You can call 0300 1800 090 or visit www.familyaction.org.uk.
Beacon House is a special service for young people, families, and adults. They help people who have experienced trauma and loss. Find out more at Beacon House.
There is a wide range of advice around SEN support that schools offer via our East Sussex Local Offer.
The Youth Employability Service (YES) in East Sussex helps young people who might find school or work difficult. They give friendly advice and support to help young people feel more confident and ready for learning, training, or getting a job in the future. They work with children and teens who may need extra help so they can succeed and do their best. YES
i-Rock is a support service for young people aged 14–25 in East Sussex. It offers a safe, welcoming space where young people can talk about anything affecting their wellbeing, including stress, anxiety, school or college worries, relationships, employment, or housing concerns. i-Rock
Keyworker Drop-in Sessions
These informal sessions are hosted by the kinship keyworkers. Please come along for advice, a friendly chat, and the chance to connect with other kinship carers.
Eastbourne
Date: Tuesday 25th November
Time: 10am—12pm
Venue: The Archery Youth Hub, Willoughby Crescent, Eastbourne, BN22 7RR
Lewes
Date: Monday 1st December
Time: 10am—12pm
Venue: Lewes Family Hub, Malling Community Centre, Spences Lane, Lewes ,BN7 2HQ
Heathfield
Date: Wednesday 3rd December
Time: 10am—12pm
Venue: Heathfield Youth Hub, High Street, Heathfield, TN21 0UP
