From Crisis Points to Turning Points

Supporting Kinship Carers and Estranged Young People to Build

Stronger Family Units

Julie Selwyn, Elaine Farmer, Sarah Meakings and Paula Vaisey (2013)

Key Research Features

• Parental influence and contact limited

• Poverty often a consequence of taking on the children

• Carers’ health compromised

• Carers struggle to to deal with disturbed behaviours

• Difficulties with the children’s parents

• Carer’s struggle with loss & sense of hopelessness

Specific categories of kinship carers

Young kinship carers (siblings & young aunts)

Kin carers in poor health who were dependent on the help of the child

Kin carers who supported two generations,

Existing Support?

Informal support was limited• Few people to turn to or rely on• Tensions in the extended family • Over 30%of the carers had been the butt of critical remarks

Semi-formal Services and Formal Services• Most were unaware of semi-formal support available• GPs, teachers and solicitors were the main sources of support. • 71% of the carers had contacted Children’s Services. Help was often

(42%) refused. Only 23% of carers received the help they had asked for.

Help Required

• 90% of the carers wanted more help: – financial (55%), – practical (47%), – emotional support (40%), – information (36%)

– advice on children’s behaviour (37%).

RECOMMENDATIONS

• 1. Central Government• 2. Children’s services• 3. Local Authorities• 4. Other Professionals• 5. Voluntary Organisations

RECOMMENDATIONS SYNOPSIS

– A national allowance for informal carers.– A culture change in statutory services.– Information.– Improved kinship policies and practices. – Better awareness among universal services such as GPs,

teachers and solicitors.

Supporting Estranged Young People

• What is an Estranged Young Person? – young people who receive no support from parents or guardians

• Why are they estranged?– Family relationship breakdown– Escaping Abuse– relationships with their family have broken down and they have been kicked out of the family

home. Some have suffered abuse from which they have needed to escape.

Supporting Estranged Young People

• What are their Needs?

• As a result of having nowhere else to turn, they try to live independently and often end up homeless and Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

• How does Buttle help them?– funding for education, employment or training opportunities. – contributing to setting up home costs. – personalised package of support created with the young person and their support worker. – Up to £2,000 per case.

Supporting Estranged Young People

• Case Studies

Contact us:

WalesButtle UKPO Box 2528CardiffCF23 0GXwales@buttleuk.org029 2054 1996