Kinship Care Support Groups and Charities in England

You Don't Have to Navigate This Alone

Raising someone else's child — whether you have a Special Guardianship Order, a Child Arrangements Order, or no legal order at all — is one of the most isolating experiences a family member can face. The friends your age are retiring; you're doing the school run. The parent whose child you're raising may be hostile, absent or unwell. And the system expects you to know things nobody ever taught you.

The good news is that England has a strong network of charities, helplines and local support groups specifically for kinship carers. Most are free, and several offer specialist legal and financial advice that goes well beyond what a general Citizens Advice session covers.

National Charities

Kinship (formerly Grandparents Plus) The leading UK charity for kinship carers. Kinship offers:

• Free advice line: 0300 123 7015 (Monday–Friday, 10:30am–1pm, excluding public holidays) — covers legal questions, financial support, benefits, assessment preparation and your rights as a kinship carer
• Kinship Compass: an online portal where you enter your postcode and circumstances to get a personalised guide to the benefits and support you're entitled to
• Local peer support groups: Kinship runs or connects carers to support groups across England where you can meet other grandparents and relatives in the same situation
• Free legal advice sessions: periodic sessions with a family solicitor, available to all kinship carers regardless of means

Family Rights Group Specialist advice for families dealing with children's services:

• Free advice line: 0808 801 0366 (Monday–Friday, 9:30am–3pm) — staffed by qualified advisers who understand local authority processes, care proceedings and your rights during assessments
• Template letters: their website has free template letters for common situations — writing to the local authority, challenging assessment findings, requesting support services
• Online information: detailed guides on SGOs, Child Arrangements Orders, and what to do if your local authority is involved with your family

Child Law Advice (Coram) Legal information on child and family law:

• Telephone advice: Family Line 0300 330 5480 and Education line 0300 330 5485 (Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm) — the Family Line covers parental responsibility and court orders; the Education line covers school-related questions. Call charges may apply depending on your phone plan.
• Comprehensive online guides: particularly useful for understanding the legal framework around different types of orders and what your rights are under each

Support Through Court (formerly Personal Support Unit) Free, practical support for people attending the Family Court without a solicitor:

• Trained volunteers at Family Court centres in many areas across England; check availability at your local court
• They can sit with you during hearings, help you understand what's happening, and assist with organising court documents
• They don't give legal advice, but their practical support is invaluable if you're representing yourself

Local Support Groups

Beyond the national charities, many areas have local kinship care support groups. These are usually small, informal gatherings — sometimes at a community centre, sometimes at a café — where kinship carers meet regularly to share experiences, swap practical advice, and simply be around people who understand.

To find a local group:

• Ask Kinship (0300 123 7015) — its Kinship Compass tool can help you find support in your area
• Contact your local authority's children's services department — many councils fund or host kinship carer groups
• Search online for "[your area] kinship care support group" or "[your area] grandparents raising grandchildren"
• Check with local churches, community centres and libraries, which sometimes host informal carer groups

If there's no group in your area, Kinship also runs online peer support sessions — video calls with other kinship carers facilitated by a trained peer supporter.

Your Rights as a Kinship Carer

Whatever your legal situation, you have rights:

• Local authority assessment and support — the local authority must prepare a report when you apply for an SGO under Section 14A of the Children Act 1989; special guardians can ask about support services under Section 14F and the Special Guardianship Regulations 2005. Informal carers can ask about discretionary support under Section 17
• Financial support is not automatic — SGO allowances are discretionary and means-tested, and informal carers have no automatic entitlement to an allowance
• Right to complain — if a local authority refuses to assess you, reduces your allowance without explanation, or fails to provide support it promised in writing, you can use the council's complaints procedure (Local Authority Social Services Complaints Regulations 2006)
• Right to information — you're entitled to understand the local authority's policies on kinship care allowances and support services

The Kinship charity's website has a detailed guide to kinship carers' rights in England, including template letters for requesting assessments and challenging decisions.

Getting Help With an SGO Application

If you're considering or already in the process of applying for a Special Guardianship Order, these organisations can help at every stage — from deciding whether an SGO is the right order, through the assessment, to preparing for court. Our SGO Process Guide brings together the practical steps in a single printable resource, and includes a helpline directory with all the numbers and services listed above.

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