Social Services and Kinship Care in England: What to Expect

The Fear That Stops Carers Asking for Help

One of the most common anxieties among kinship carers is that contacting social services will result in the child being taken away and placed with strangers in foster care. This fear keeps many grandparents, aunts and uncles from seeking the support they are entitled to.

The reality is different from the fear. Social services' primary goal is to keep children within their families wherever it is safe to do so. A grandparent or relative who has stepped in to care for a child is doing exactly what the system wants to see happen — a child remaining within their family network rather than entering the formal care system.

When Social Services Get Involved

Social services may already be involved in the family's situation — for example, if the parent's circumstances (addiction, mental health crisis, domestic abuse) triggered a referral before the child moved to the relative's home. In that case, the kinship carer may inherit an open case.

Social services can also become involved when:

• A school, GP or health visitor makes a safeguarding referral about the child
• The carer contacts children's services to ask for support
• A private fostering notification triggers an assessment (this applies to non-close relatives only)
• Someone reports a concern about the child's welfare

Being contacted by social services does not mean you are under investigation. It means a process has been triggered that requires them to check on the child's situation.

What a Children's Services Assessment Looks Like

If children's social care carries out an assessment of a kinship arrangement, the process typically involves:

1. An initial phone call or visit from a social worker
2. A conversation about the child's circumstances, how the arrangement started, and how the child is doing
3. A visit to the carer's home to check that the accommodation is suitable
4. Checks on the adults in the household — this may include a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check
5. A discussion about what support the carer and child might need

The assessment is about welfare and safety. The social worker is looking at whether the child is safe, settled and having their needs met. They are not looking for reasons to remove a child from a loving relative's home.

DBS Checks for Informal Kinship Carers

Informal kinship carers — relatives caring for a child under a private family arrangement rather than a formal fostering placement — are not automatically required to have a DBS check. There is no statutory requirement for a grandparent looking after their grandchild to apply for a DBS certificate.

However, DBS checks may be requested in specific situations:

• If the arrangement is assessed by children's services (for example, through a connected persons assessment), DBS checks on all adults in the household are standard practice
• If the arrangement is a private fostering arrangement (non-close relatives), the local authority will carry out DBS checks as part of the statutory assessment
• If the carer volunteers at the child's school, the school's own safeguarding policy will determine whether a DBS check is needed

A DBS check is not something to worry about if there is nothing to find. It is a standard safeguarding measure, not an accusation.

Connected Persons Assessment

If children's social care is formally involved — for example, because the child was previously subject to a child protection plan or care proceedings — the local authority may carry out a "connected persons assessment" (sometimes called a "viability assessment" or "kinship assessment").

This is a more detailed evaluation than a standard welfare check. It looks at:

• The carer's ability to meet the child's needs long-term
• The stability of the household and accommodation
• The carer's own health and support network
• The carer's understanding of the child's background and needs
• DBS checks and references

A connected persons assessment can feel intrusive, but its purpose is to establish that the kinship placement is appropriate. A positive assessment can lead to the local authority offering financial support, a formal kinship fostering arrangement, or support for a Special Guardianship Order application.

Can Social Services Remove the Child?

Social services cannot simply remove a child from a relative's care on a whim. To remove a child from any home, the local authority must either:

• Obtain a court order (an Emergency Protection Order or an Interim Care Order)
• Exercise police protection powers (only in immediate emergencies, lasting a maximum of 72 hours)

If a social worker has concerns about the child's safety in the kinship placement, they must follow legal processes. The carer has the right to know what the concerns are, to respond, and to seek legal advice.

If the parent demands the child's return and the carer believes it would be unsafe, the carer should seek urgent legal advice. The Family Rights Group (0808 801 0366) provides specialist advice for families involved with children's services.

Getting Support Without Triggering an Investigation

Kinship carers can access support in ways that do not involve a formal referral to children's social care:

• Kinship charity helpline (0300 123 7015): advice on rights, benefits and practical issues
• Your council's kinship local offer: published under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, detailing local support available
• Family Rights Group (0808 801 0366): specialist advice when social services are involved
• Your GP: can refer the child for health or emotional support without a social services referral

The England kinship consent guide covers the full practical framework — school, GP, medical consent and when to involve social services — so carers can organise the immediate essentials independently.

See more England guides →