Special guardianship

Kinship carers support

Kinship Reach

Kinship Reach is a specifically tailored programme designed to assist 60 kinship families in Birmingham and allow our carers, families and children to thrive. Building on existing guidance, it will offer carers further help with their confidence and wellbeing, as well as improving access to information and social connection through peer support. 

Furthermore, all carers in Birmingham are able to access general support via the Kinship website. This is irrespective of living arrangement — children can be living with them as connected carers, special guardianship orders (SGO), child arrangement orders (CAO), private foster carers (PF), or a private family arrangement.

Additional support

Alongside this, within the Trust the SGO and PF teams provide support to their respective carers. We also support some of the more complex CAO arrangements. 

All newly granted SGO arrangements in Birmingham are supported by an allocated worker from the team for the initial six months and can then access support at anytime during the life of the Order. 

Where children have been previously looked after and a therapeutic need is identified we complete an assessment of need. Where appropriate, we will then make an application to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support fund. For some carers we may identify that their support needs can be met via Kinship Reach and the team will make a referral to use one of our 60 commissioned places.

Peer support groups

Through our work with Kinship, the Trust are also happy to report that the following four peer support groups have been established across Birmingham:

Birmingham North Kinship Carers

  • Monthly
  • Second Thursday
  • 10:30am to 12:00pm
  • Term time only – 18+
  • Community room at Erdington Leisure Centre, Orphanage Road, Erdington, B24 9HU

Birmingham South Kinship Carers

  • Monthly
  • Third Tuesday
  • 10:30am to 12:00pm
  • Term time only – 18+
  •  Loco Lounge, 32-34 High Street, Kings Heath, B14 7JT

Dudley Kinship Carers (Birmingham carers welcome)

  • Monthly
  • Last Tuesday
  • 10:30am to 12:00pm
  • Term time only – 18+
  • Eat Central, Merry Hill, Pedmore Rd, Brierley Hill DY5 1QX (meet in the section next to Burger King)

Birmingham East Kinship Carers

  • Monthly
  • Fourth Thursday
  • 10:30am to 12:00pm
  • Term time only – 18+
  • Community Room at Ward End Fire Station, Washwood Heath Road, Ward End, Birmingham, B8 2HF

If carers have any questions about any of the groups, please direct them to Lisa Webley: lisa.webley@kinship.org.uk or telephone 07355 035996.

All kinship carers and special guardians are welcome.