Kinship Reach is a one-to-one support programme provided remotely by our national project worker team. It’s commissionable in packages of 20.
The following local authorities currently commission Kinship Reach:
- Birmingham
- Brent
- Ealing
- East Sussex
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Hounslow
- Nottinghamshire
- If you work for one of these areas, you can refer a kinship carer below.
What is Kinship Reach?
- Two days/week of a dedicated project worker based nationally
- 60 kinship families supported (can purchase more)
- Initial assessment of need
- Up to 6 x tailored remote 1:1 interventions per kinship carer (opportunity to re-refer if greater needs identified)
- Over a period of up to 3 months
- Digital skills support
- Virtual support groups
Common issues our project workers can support with include:
- Emotional distress, often around family breakdown – bereavement, imprisonment, mental health of birth parents
- Isolation & loneliness
- Emotional & physical exhaustion: overwhelmed with responsibility but fearful of losing children if social worker involved, Special Guardianship Order at breakdown point
- Financial crisis, particularly around stopping work to become a kinship carer, no Special Guardianship Allowance
- Health concerns
- Managing relationships with family members – particularly around contact
- Housing concerns – unsuitable housing for taking on kinship role.
- Lack of digital skills
- Children’s behaviour & wellbeing, including answering difficult questions about life story
Kinship Reach is commissioned alongside Kinship Membership, which is our foundation offer for all kinship carers in your local authority, regardless of legal order, including priority advice and information and virtual peer support groups. It enables local authorities to offer all kinship carers some support on an area-wide basis.
You can choose to commission additional services alongside Membership and Reach, such as:
- Kinship Ready – preparation workshops for prospective special guardians
- Kinship Connected – in-person 1:1 support from a project worker based locally and community-based peer support groups
Who is Kinship Reach for?
Kinship Reach is for any kinship carer – that’s any friend or family member caring full-time for a child whose parents are unable to look after them – regardless of legal order and whatever stage they are at in their caring journey. Kinship carers who do not live in the local authority but have an order from a local authority that has commissioned Membership can still access the support, as can those who live in the local authority but whose child’s order is not from that local authority. Some local authorities choose to focus Kinship Reach on special guardians.
What difference does it make?
How do I get Kinship Reach in my area?
Kinship Reach is available for commissioning. For more information please contact commissions@kinship.org.uk
Other support we offer
The Kinship Care Guide for England contains everything kinship carers need to know. Bulk order for kinship carers in your local authority and receive a 15% discount.
Professionals network
Join our Kinship Care Professionals Network to stay up-to-date with news from the world of kinship care, find out about new developments and services, and the latest events and research reports.
Free advice service
All kinship carers, regardless of legal order, can access our free, specialist advice service – online, via email or over the phone.
Kinship community
All kinship carers can join our free community where they can take part in surveys and campaigns, discuss issues that affect them, attend events, share tips and advice, and hear about discounts, local events, days out and much more.
