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Kinship Care Local Offer in Gloucestershire
Published
Gloucestershire Kinship Local Offer is the responsibility of Tammy Wheatley, Head of Service – Corporate Parenting and Fostering, who must ensure the local offer meets the statutory requirements and is responsive to the needs of Gloucestershire’s Kinship families. Tammy writes here about what can be reasonably expected in Gloucestershire for those involved in Kinship Care.
The Kinship Local Offer for Gloucestershire has been recently co-produced with partners and Carers to provide a comprehensive guide covering services and entitlements for Kinship Carers in the county.
This followed feedback from Carers highlighted in the You Said, We Did Annual Report published at the start of this academic year, where Carers told us "Itβs hard to find clear information about kinship care, especially for families who are navigating support across different local authorities."
Children and young people thrive and do best when they are surrounded by people who love them and who they know and trust.
For many children and young people who canβt live with their parents, this means being cared for by members of their extended family, friends, or others with whom they share a meaningful connection. These dedicated individuals, known as Kinship Carers, step forward in times of need to provide stability, love, and continuity. Kinship Carers play a vital role in enabling children and young people to remain within their familiar networks, providing that secure base that enables a child to feel safe, to know who they are and to feel that they belong.
Kinship caring can be a tough job. It is an incredibly important job, sometimes requiring sacrifices as well as the energy to meet new challenges. Kinship Carers choose to care, often when they least expect it and have other plans, which they can no longer fulfil.
These Carers deserve heartfelt thanks and more - Gloucestershire County Council must give the support thatβs needed on every level - emotionally, practically, and financially, when itβs needed, so that every child and kinship family can flourish.
This Kinship Care Local Offer for Gloucestershire is dedicated to recognising, valuing, and supporting Kinship Carers β it goes above and beyond what is required of Gloucestershire County Council. The Local Offer aims to ensure that every Kinship Carer is supported and every child or young person in kinship care has the opportunity to achieve their potential.
The Kinship Local Offer looks at support for Kinship Carers ranging from:
- Training and life-story work β to help children understand their backgrounds.
- Support groups β in-person and online, including monthly special guardianship gatherings.
- Family time and mediation, housing, education support, therapeutic help, employment advice, financial assistance, and early help provisions.
The Kinship Local Offer for Gloucestershire is focused on narrowing the gap in outcomes between children and young people who have experienced challenges and their peers and sets out the offer in the county around promoting and supporting the needs of children living with Kinship Carers.
π Gloucestershire County Council β Kinship Support Team
π¨βπ©βπ§ Kinship Carers UK (Gloucestershire)
π€GLOUCESTER - Gloucester Kinship Group
First Monday of each month, 10.00am to 11.45am at Finlay Children and Family Centre, Tredworth Road, Gloucester, GL4 6TL. This group is led by a Kinship volunteer and open to all Kinship Carers aged 18 and over in the Gloucester area. The group provides a friendly and confidential space for Kinship Carers to share experiences and get support.
π€CHELTENHAM - Kinship Carers Support Group
First Friday of each month, 10.00am to 12.00pm at Oasis Centre, Cassin Drive, Cheltenham, GL51 7SY. Offering, advice, support and information.
For more information on Kinship Care, please visit Gloucestershire's Local Offer, Support for Families with SEND.