Hackney kinship care local offer

Kinship carers can include:

• a close relative of the child
• a close relative of the child’s maternal or paternal sibling
• someone who was formerly the child’s step-parent or in a cohabiting relationship with the child’s parent
• a close friend of the child, or of the child’s parent(s)
• a close friend of the child’s close relative
• someone with a prior connection to the child who does not fall within one of the categories above, for example a teacher, youth worker, childminder or former foster carer

The Hackney MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) is a single point of contact or ‘front door’ for Hackney Children and Families Services, including statutory social work support and early help services for families in need of help.

For universal and targeted youth work services, including events, advice, support and guidance, visit Young Hackney.

For support designed for parents with a child under 5 years old, or those expecting a baby, visit Hackney Children’s Centres.

For targeted support for families to help them address a range of parenting and childhood development issues, consider Hackney’s Family Support Service.

A range of parenting support programmes run throughout the borough, over time. Find out more on the Hackney Local Offer website.

Hackney Local Offer sets out the services available to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities, aged 0 to 25.

Looking after someone else’s child provides government guidance on support and benefits you can get if you’re looking after someone else’s child.

Kinship.org is a national charity that provides a range of advice, support and guidance to kinship carers.

Family Rights Group is a charity that advises families whose children are involved with children’s services. They have a confidential advice service for parents and family and friends carers.

PAC-UK provides specialist independent advice, counselling, training and educational advice for those affected by adoption, Special Guardianship and other forms of permanent care.

CoramBAAF is a charity dedicated to improving lives for children and young people in care.

Hackney’s virtual school is a multi-disciplinary team that provides support to children and families, education settings and social workers. Their aim is to help children and young people achieve their potential through education, employment or training opportunities. The virtual school provides advice and guidance to children or families in kinship care arrangements.

Contact Nick Corker the Headteacher of Virtual School:

• phone: 020 8356 5016
• email: Nick.Corker@hackney.gov.uk

Being a kinship carer can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging, so it’s important to think about self care. A range of wellbeing support is available in Hackney and online:

• City and Hackney Wellbeing Network – offers a range of holistic support to help people improve their physical and mental health
• Centre for Better Health – a community-based charity that supports well-being and recovery from mental ill-health.
• IRIE Mind – an awareness raising group, which promotes mental health support for the Black community of Hackney
• Chat Works Hackney – supports African/Caribbean and Dual Heritage communities in Hackney with their mental health and well-being
• Every mind matters – offers guidance on breathing techniques
• NHS guidance – How to meditate for beginners
• NHS guidance – What is mindfulness?
• Action for happiness Mindful Grateful Kind meditation guidance (YouTube)
• Mindful Moment: Breathing through difficulty (YouTube)
• Mindful Moment: Loving kindness (YouTube)
• Mindful Moment: Finding hope (YouTube)
• Mindful Moment: Seeing with new eyes (YouTube)
• Mindful Moment: Connecting to something bigger (YouTube)
• Awareness: Live life mindfully
• Meditation Magazine Blog – a forum where blogs are posted to support mental health and mindfulness

Practicing deep breathing can increase oxygen flow to the brain, promoting calmness, concentration and focus. There are some free apps you can use as a visual aid when practicing deep breathing:

•  iPhone – Essence
•  Android – Paced Breathing, Meditainment, and Be Mindful

Private fostering happens when an adult who is not a ‘close’ relative cares for and provides accommodation to a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 if disabled) for 28 days or more, through a private arrangement between the parent and the carer.

A ‘close’ relative in this situation is defined as either a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt. They can be a full or half relation and can be related by marriage. Relatives also include step-parents, but only through marriage. Find out more on our Private fostering page.

Support for Private Fostering arrangements

We have a legal duty to ensure that children in private fostering arrangements are safe and well. This is done through a Private Fostering assessment, carried out by a social worker, which explores any support needs the child and their carers may have.

The law says that we must continue to monitor the situation as long as the private fostering arrangement remains in place. We do this through regular social work visits and yearly updated assessment.

If it is clear it is likely to be a long-term arrangement lasting until the child turns 18, we will speak with carers and the child’s parents about potential options to enable the carers to share legal parental responsibility for the child.

A child arrangement order is an order from the Family Court setting out arrangements for where a child is to live.

If the order specifies that the child will live with someone other than their parent, that person is granted parental responsibility, which is at an equal level to that of the parent. Find out more about Child arrangement orders.

Advice and support for carers

Carers can get advice and support from Hackney Children and Families Services’ Permanency Team; call 020 8356 5379 or email special.guardians@hackney.gov.uk.

Financial support

If a local authority was involved when the order was made, a child arrangements order financial allowance may have been considered to help with the child’s care. Carers should have received a clear written agreement at the time. This financial support does not replace benefits like Child Tax Credit and will not affect benefits entitlement.

Therapeutic support

For children who were in care before a child arrangements order was granted, local authorities can apply to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund for support for additional therapeutic services for children and their carers. This is accessed through the Permanency Service.

A special guardianship order (SGO) is a Family Court Order that grants long-term care of a child or young person to someone other than their parent(s). The individual or individuals the child lives with become their special guardian(s). Find out more about Special guardianship orders.

Advice and support for carers

Carers can get advice and support from Hackney Children and Families Services’ Permanency Team, call 020 8356 5379 or email special.guardians@hackney.gov.uk.

Financial support

If a local authority was involved when the order was made, a special guardianship financial allowance may have been considered to help with the child’s care. Carers should have received a clear written agreement at the time. This financial support does not replace benefits like Child Tax Credit and will not affect benefits entitlement

Support plan and additional support

A special guardianship support plan is required for all prospective Special Guardians, outlining the child’s and carer’s support needs and the local authority’s commitment to meeting them.

Hackney’s Permanency Team runs support groups, events, and newsletters for special guardians in the borough or caring for Hackney children. Email special.guardians@hackney.gov.uk for more details.

Hackney is part of a consortium with other North London Boroughs and works with PAC-UK to offer additional support opportunities for our special guardians. To find out more, see Special Guardianship North London.

Therapeutic support

For children who were in care before a child arrangements order was granted, local authorities can apply to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund for support for additional therapeutic services for children and their carers. This is accessed through the Permanency Service.

A connected care arrangement is where a child is formally in the care of a local authority, but is being looked after by a member of their friends or family network who has been assessed as a foster carer, specifically to look after them.

Fostering social worker

Each connected carer is assigned a fostering social worker who provides regular visits, advice and support. The child in their care will also have an allocated social worker and additional multi-agency support. For example, regular health reviews with the Looked After Children Health Team.

Financial support

Hackney connected carers will benefit from fostering fees and allowances, in line with all Hackney foster carers.

Training and development

The Hackney Fostering Service offers a comprehensive training programme for all carers, including connected carers.

Additional support for carers include:

• fortnightly therapeutic support groups
• men’s support group
• Hackney Foster Carers Council membership for peer support
• Fostering Network membership for independent advice

Find out more on our Fostering with Hackney page.

An Adoption Order is a legal order which permanently transfers all legal parental rights and responsibilities to the adoptive parents. Find out more about Child adoption.

Adoption support plan

When a child is matched with an adoptive family, an adoption support plan will be agreed to predict and outline future support needs.

The plan must be shared with the adoptive parents, but support may change as the child grows.

Additional support may be needed that wasn’t predicted in the original plan.

Adopt London North

Since 2019, Hackney has been part of the Adopt London North Regional Adoption Agency, along with Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.

Adopt London North is responsible for providing all adoption support (except financial support) for families in these boroughs.

Support available through Adopt London North includes:

• specialist advice and guidance
• stay and play groups
• adopter support groups
• links to other services
• individual support for adoptive families
• support with letterbox and direct contact with birth families (if appropriate)
• full family needs assessments
• help accessing funding through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

For additional adoption support, contact Adopt London North.

Children in need are defined in law as children who need local authority services to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development.

Where there are worries about the safety of children, or significant concerns about their health or development, social workers will complete a Child and Family Assessment, to work out if the child and family is in need of longer term social work involvement and support.

All disabled children are classed as children in need.

Child in Need Plan

At the end of a Child and Family assessment, a social worker may recommend a multi-agency plan of support for a child, called a Child in Need Plan, which will involve the child’s carers and key professionals working with the family.

The plan will lay out:

• worries held about the child’s day to day experiences
• goals the plan will work towards
• things that everyone will need to do to achieve these goals, including the child’s family or carers and professionals
• what may need to happen if things don’t get better for the child over time

If the child has a Child in Need Plan, it will be reviewed every 3 months at a Child in Need Review meeting – a multi-agency review meeting held by the social worker.

Additional support for disabled children

Disabled children may be entitled to additional support, which includes:

• Short Breaks – allows a disabled young person to have an enjoyable break away from their main carer and give their carer a break from their caring responsibilities
• care packages – for children who need more than Short Breaks, a tailored Care Package may be provided, it can include social activities, personal care or respite – the plan is reviewed yearly
• support with preparation for adulthood – between the ages of 14 and 17, the Disabled Children’s Service can work with disabled children known to them, and their networks, alongside Adults Services, to think about the young person’s transition into adulthood, any ongoing support needs they may have and who is best placed to meet these needs

Financial support

A child and family assessment may identify financial needs for the child and their carers. If necessary, the local authority can provide resources to meet the family’s urgent needs, ensuring the child’s welfare and preventing risk or harm. They may also explore other options, such as applying for a charity grant on the family’s behalf.

Hackney Council also has a Here to Help team to offer advice and support to residents about financial issues.