News
Knowing she is with family, not strangers
Monday 23 April 2012
From August to December 2011, CHILDREN 1ST surveyed kinship carers to find out more about their current circumstances in terms of the provision of support and their thoughts on what would improve their families’ lives.
Over 200 carers took part in the survey and our regional forums, which were held in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Ayr.
The report is now published and is on the CHILDREN 1ST website. The research found that kinship care has positive outcomes for vulnerable children and young people. One respondent said, “she is confident, happy, getting on at school and has lots of social activities”. Another respondent said they “are living with a family that loves them”.
When asked about support received, 55% of respondents said more support was needed with leisure opportunities. This was a key area of discussion during our regional forums. Some areas experienced a lot of discounts and support with leisure facilities, yet others received absolutely nothing. This highlights the postcode lottery that exists amongst kinship care support across Scotland.
Over a third of kinship carers said they wanted more emotional support, yet no one said they were receiving it. This highlighted for us the importance of having the kinship care helpline within ParentLine Scotland. We have increased the opening hours to meet the needs of kinship care callers and call-takers have undergone a series of training courses designed to inform them about the challenges of kinship care.
Copies were given to delegates at the national conference, if you would like more sent to your groups, email us at robert.murray@children1st.org.uk or by calling 0131 446 3983.
Last updated: Tuesday 24 April 2012
