PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Carers: Finance (15 May 2023)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make a comparative assessment of the impact of the variations in the levels of kinship carer payments across local authorities in England.

Asked by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)

Kinship carers play an extremely important role in both their kin children’s lives and in the Children’s Social Care system.

On 2February 2023, the department published the consultation and children’s social care implementation strategy, which sets out how we will achieve broad, system-wide transformation: Stable Homes, Built on Love. Through this strategy the department has made a commitment to implement or explore each of the Review’s recommendations on kinship care.

The department has committed to work across government to explore the case for mandating a financial allowance for kinship carers with Special Guardianship Order and Child Arrangements Order in every local authority.

The department is also committed to publishing a national kinship care strategy by the end of 2023. This will provide an update on reform activity such as exploring financial allowances. The strategy will set out a long-term vision for kinship care, and detail how we can better support children and carers. We see this as a pivotal moment for kinship care and will be an opportunity to make real and lasting change.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities already makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

Answered by:
Claire Coutinho (Conservative)
18 May 2023