The landscape of kinship care can be complex for both kinship carers, and those who support carers and children placed in kinship care arrangements.
This is particularly the case where there is local authority involvement with the child placed, and the kinship carers reside in a different local authority area to the child’s home area. Local authorities were keen to facilitate clarity for carers and staff, and avoid disputes and initiated the discussions, which led ultimately to this protocol.
The Protocol is based on the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child embedded in our legislation, and that the welfare of the child is paramount. The guidance covers the management of kinship care where multiple local authorities are involved. It does not extend into matters such as the age of the child at which support for kinship carers stops, the nature of support provided or rates of financial support.
This guidance was developed collaboratively with input from CoSLA, SOLAR, Social Work Scotland and our Chief Social Work Officers Group, and is endorsed by the National Kinship Care Collaborative. While this Protocol seeks specifically to clarify cross authority responsibilities governing the support provided where a Kinship Care Order in place, for ease it also extends to situations where a child is looked after.
- Kinship Care Protocol (pdf)
