Kinship care

Kinship care is when a child is being raised by someone in their family network or a close family friend, rather than by their parents. This can include grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other trusted adults.

Kinship arrangements can be temporary or longer term, depending on the needs of the child and family.

Kinship Local Offer sets out the support available to kinship families in Lincolnshire. This includes practical, financial, and emotional support for both kinship carers and the children in their care. You can find more information and resources below.

If you are unsure what type of arrangement applies to your situation, or if you need urgent support or advice, please contact our Customer Service Centre on 01522 782 111.

Connected Persons Fostering

When a child becomes looked after by the local authority, they must be cared for by approved foster carers. This can happen with the agreement of the child’s parents (under section 20 of the Children Act 1989) or through a court order, such as a Care Order.

Wherever it is safe and appropriate, Lincolnshire County Council will prioritise placing children within their family or close friendship network. This means that if you are a relative or friend who can offer a safe home, you may be considered as a connected persons foster carer.

Assessment process

If you are identified as a possible carer, we will carry out a viability assessment. This looks at whether you are able to provide safe and suitable care for the child during a further period of assessment.

If the viability assessment is positive, you will then complete a full fostering assessment to become approved as a foster carer for that child. In most cases, you will be able to care for the child under temporary approval while this assessment is completed.

You will need to be approved as a foster carer for the specific child or children you are caring for, whether the care arrangement is: 

  • short term, for example while court proceedings are ongoing, or
  • long term, potentially until the child reaches adulthood.

Support available to connected persons foster carers

In Lincolnshire, connected persons foster carers receive the same practical and financial support as all other foster carers.

This includes:

Financial support
A fostering allowance is paid to all foster carers.

Staying Put
Staying Put arrangements allow young people to remain living with their foster carers after their 18th birthday, helping them make a supported transition into adulthood.

Professional support
You will be allocated a Supervising Social Worker, who will visit you regularly and provide ongoing advice and support. You will also have access to education advice and support from the Virtual School.

Training
You will have access to training provided by the Lincolnshire Fostering Service, as well as partner training through the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) and Kinship Compass.

Memberships
Once approved, you will receive membership to The Fostering Network, which offers additional advice, guidance and resources. You will receive details by email on how to access this support.

Placement support
You may also receive support from a placement support worker. This can include help with:

  • understanding developmental trauma and attachment
  • identifying and managing triggers and de-escalating behaviour
  • using the PACE approach (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy)
  • other areas tailored to the needs of you and the child.

You can find more information about fostering in Lincolnshire, including access to the foster carer portal, on the Lincolnshire Fostering Service website.

Special Guardianship

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is a private law court order that allows someone other than a child’s birth parent to become their Special Guardian.

Special Guardianship is for children who cannot live with their birth parents. It gives the Special Guardian parental responsibility, allowing them to make most day-to-day and long-term decisions about the child’s care.

Prior to a Special Guardianship Order being granted, a support plan will be co-created between the professionals and the kinship carers. This support plan will identify all available services and support packages the carer can access.

Support for Special Guardians

Caring for a child under a Special Guardianship Order can bring both rewards and challenges. We are here to support you and your wider family throughout your journey.

You can ask for support at any time, including requesting an assessment to help identify the needs of your family and the child in your care.

Online and national support

Online support is available through Kinship Compass, which offers:

  • information and guidance
  • training opportunities
  • resources
  • peer support groups

When courts are making decisions about a child’s welfare, the Family Rights Group can provide advice to parents, grandparents, relatives and friends about their rights and options.

There are also subscription-based organisations that offer specialist support for carers of children who have experienced trauma, including:

Reviewing your Special Guardianship support plan

If your circumstances change, you can request a review of your Special Guardianship support plan by completing the Special Guardians’ self-assessment.

Special guardians' self-assessment

What to expect

The self-assessment form is the first step in reviewing your Special Guardianship support needs. The questions are designed to help you think about the child in your care and any support you or your family may need.

You can skip any questions you are unsure about, but we encourage you to share as much information as possible.

Please note:

  • financial support is not covered in this form and will be reviewed separately
  • information about health, education or housing needs may be shared with the relevant services to help inform the review

Once your self-assessment has been received, the Post Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Team will contact you within 8 weeks.

To find out how we use your information, please read our privacy notice.

If you have any questions, please email adoptionsupporthelpline@lincolnshire.gov.uk or call 01522 554056.

Private fostering

Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 if the child has a disability) is cared for by someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more.

This includes situations where a child lives with:

  • a member of their extended family, such as a great aunt or great uncle
  • a family friend or a friend of the child

It is not private fostering if a child is living with a close relative. Close relatives include:

  • grandparents
  • brothers or sisters
  • aunts or uncles
  • step-parents (by marriage)

Private fostering arrangements are often informal. Many people do not realise that they have become private foster carers by agreeing to care for a child.

When private fostering arrangements happen

A parent may be unable to care for their child for a range of reasons, including when a child:

  • comes to the UK from overseas for education or medical treatment
  • is a teenager living with a friend’s family due to difficulties at home
  • is staying with a host family while attending a school or college

When you must tell us

We have a legal duty to safeguard the wellbeing of children who are privately fostered.

By law, you must tell us:

  • at least six weeks before a child comes to live with you
  • within 48 hours if a child comes to live with you in an emergency
  • if you already have a privately fostered child living with you
  • at least 48 hours before a child leaves your care, and where they will be going

If you do not tell us about a private fostering arrangement, you may be committing an offence and could be fined.

What happens next

Once you have told us, we will arrange for a social worker to visit you at home within seven working days.

The social worker will:

  • gather information about the child
  • speak with you and other members of your household
  • talk to the child
  • visit the child’s parents where possible

They will also explain what private fostering means and what support is available for carers, children and parents.

The social worker will continue to make regular visits to check that the child is safe, well cared for and that the arrangement remains suitable.

Reports and documents

Read our:

Child Arrangement Orders

A Child Arrangement Order (CAO) is a court order made by the Family Court. It sets out:

  • who a child will live with, and/or
  • who the child will spend time with and when.

A Child Arrangement Order usually gives the person named in the order parental responsibility for the child. This is shared with the child’s parent or parents, which means important decisions about the child’s life should be made together.

The local authority is not usually involved in Child Arrangement Orders. However, in some circumstances, advice or limited support may be available.

Informal kinship care

Informal kinship care is a private family arrangement where a child is cared for by a close relative or trusted family member who does not have parental responsibility.

These arrangements are made within the family and:

  • the local authority has not played a significant role in setting up the arrangement, and
  • no Family Court order has been made about the child’s care.

Informal kinship care is often flexible and based on family agreement. Because there is no court order in place the person or people who holds parental responsibility for the child does not change..

Support for informal kinship carers

Even though informal kinship care is arranged privately, support is available to help both carers and children. This can include:

  • Advice and guidance from Lincolnshire County Council about caring for a child safely
  • Access to training and resources to support child development, wellbeing, and attachment
  • Peer support groups where carers can share experiences and get advice from other families
  • Signposting to services such as housing, education, health, and family help

If you are caring for a child under an informal kinship arrangement and need advice or support, you can contact the Customer Service Centre on 01522 782 111.

Support for all kinship carers

Housing

Education

Virtual School Support for Children in Kinship Care

The Lincolnshire Virtual School ensures that children in kinship care get the educational support they need to thrive. We work with carers, schools, and professionals to help children succeed and overcome challenges.

Our support includes:

  • Advisory support: Guidance for kinship carers, schools, and professionals about the child’s learning needs.
  • Training: Joint training opportunities with the Fostering Team.
  • Pupil Premium Plus Advocacy: Supporting access to additional funding where appropriate.
  • School transitions and attendance: Helping children settle, attend regularly, and succeed in school.
  • Social and emotional wellbeing: Promoting access to pastoral support and appropriate services.
  • Voice of the child: Ensuring the child’s views are considered in all education decisions.
  • Multi-agency collaboration: Working with Children’s Services, Health, and other agencies to provide joined-up support.

We are here to champion the educational progress of children in kinship care and empower carers with the tools to support them effectively.

Find out more about what a virtual school is

Peer Support Groups

Local Authority peer support groups complement Kinship Compass groups, offering carers a chance to share experiences and get advice:

Contact: adoptionsupporthelpline@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Family Help Support Services

For targeted support for a child, families can self-refer via the Family Help Front Door: 01522 782 111

Lincolnshire Team Around the Family

The Team Around the Family (TAF) initiative in Lincolnshire is designed to support children and families at the earliest opportunity. It involves a collaborative effort among various professionals to prevent or reduce difficulties for children and their families.

  • Families can self‑refer via an Family Help Assessment
  • Schools/professionals can request targeted support by completing an Family Help Assessment

Find out more about the Lincolnshire Team Around the Family

Early Years Childcare and Education

Family Hubs

Lincolnshire is part of the government’s Family Hubs programme, which provides joined-up support services from pregnancy through to age 19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities).

Training

Lincolnshire County Council works with the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership to provide virtual and face-to-face training opportunities for kinship carers.

You can register for the Kinship Carer safeguarding e-learning courses (select Kinship Carer as your group).

All eLearning is available once logged in.

Once logged in you can locate eLearning by clicking on the 'Learning' tile, then scrolling down to the 'Available Learning' section and clicking the 'View All' button. This will bring up the full list of e-learning courses available to request.

For support on how to use the system view the how to use Enable guide.

Lincolnshire Parent and Carer Forum (LPCF)

LPCF works with the Local Authority and Health to ensure services meet the needs of children with disabilities and special educational needs.

Domestic abuse

Young Carers

Lincolnshire Young Carers supports children and young people up to 19 who help care for someone at home.

  • Offers needs assessments, information, support, and group activities
  • Referrals can be made by families or professionals

To refer to Lincolnshire Young Carers; if your child is open to Team Around the Family or has a Social Worker you can ask them to complete a referral on your behalf. If your child is not open you can self-refer by emailing youngcarers@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

County Carers Group

Supports families of young adults (14+) and adults with learning disabilities or autism.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Children’s Health

Special Educational Needs

Caring for children with additional needs:

Half-Term Clubs and Activities

Positive Futures

Sports and physical activity programmes in: Boston, Gainsborough, Grantham, Lincoln, Skegness, South Holland

Family Services Directory

Our directory includes:

  • Ofsted registered childcare (childminders, pre-schools, day nurseries, after-school clubs)
  • Unregistered childcare (parent/toddler groups, childcare for over-8s)
  • Advice on choosing childcare and financial support
  • Local and national support organisations
  • Leisure activities, leaflets, guides
  • Career info for childcare
  • Support for families of children with disabilities or additional needs
  • Lincolnshire children’s centres
  • Find family services

Youth and Community Development

Lincolnshire Youth and Community Development Workers provide:

Children that have been in care: The child in your care may be eligible for leaving Care services.

Family Group Decision Making

FGDM is a formal meeting where a child’s wider family and network come together to plan future arrangements, ensuring the child is safe and their wellbeing promoted.

  • Families are empowered to contribute their knowledge, skills, and resources.
  • Plans are developed collaboratively, guided by a Family Group Decision Making Worker.
  • Referring professionals provide initial information and then step back to allow the family to create the plan.

Timescale: An FGDM plan is usually completed within six weeks.

Family Network Meetings vs FGDM Meetings

  • Family Network Meetings: Less formal, early-stage meetings to identify support from the child’s network.
  • FGDM Meetings: More formal, may require a referral if further planning or impartial facilitation is needed.

Referrals

A referral for an FGDM Worker can be made when:

  • A child in Lincolnshire is at risk of becoming a Child in Care
  • Kinship care arrangements or pre-proceedings require planning
  • A Child in Care needs support to return to family/friends
  • Initial Family Network Meetings have not resolved concerns

To support SGO carers with family time and meeting the needs of the children they care for. 

Note: Referrals are only accepted from Lincolnshire Children’s Services.

Life Links

Life Links supports children in care and care leavers, helping them build lifelong supportive networks.

  • For children in care aged 15.9 years and above, and care leavers up to 25
  • A dedicated worker helps the young person develop and maintain a supportive network
  • Focus on safety, wellbeing, and transition to adulthood

Foster Carer and Kinship Carer Training

Training covers:

  • Family Time – understanding and managing family time arrangements
  • FGDM – using FGDM processes to support placements and care arrangements

Special Guardianship Orders (SGO)

FGDM can support SGO carers in planning family time as children grow and needs change.

  • Requests are made through the Family Help Front Door or through the adoption support helpline
  • Guidance will be provided on responsibilities and decision-making

Family Help Support Services

Family Help Front Door: 01522 782 111

Adoption support Helpline

adoptionsupporthelpline@lincolnshire.gov.uk or call 01522 554056.