Special Guardians
At Adopt London, we understand that Special Guardians (also called kinship carers) often need the same support as adopters. We have a wealth of connections, local support services, and networking groups that Special Guardians can tap into and share their experiences.
If you live in or have had a child placed with you from any of our 24 London Boroughs, we can help direct you to local support.
Kinship
Kinship, formerly known as Grandparents Plus, is the leading kinship care charity and provides emotional, practical support and advice for any friend or family member raising a child full-time because their parents are unable to look after them – kinship carers – regardless of their legal order. Most of the 24 boroughs within Adopt London (Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Newham, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth) are members of Kinship Membership. This offers all kinship carers, regardless of legal order, including special guardians support with:
- Specialist information and advice – benefits, financial issues, housing, education, legal issues and contact with family members
- Grants for essential items
- Virtual peer support groups to meet other special guardians and kinship carers
- Live advice surgeries on Facebook to answer any queries you may have
- A chat on the phone with one of their trained kinship carer Someone Like Me volunteers
- Membership of their Kinship Community of over 8,000 kinship carers to receive regular e-news about the latest developments in the world of kinship care
If you would like to improve your wellbeing, share your concerns and experiences with other kinship families in the same situation, feel less isolated, and receive help with financial worries, you can get in touch with one of the advice team.
Call on 0300 033 9851 Monday to Thursday 10am to 2pm. Or complete this self-referral form and one of their advisers will get back to you.
Watch their animated film – ‘Something to be proud of’ to see how they help kinship families.
Family Rights Group
The Family Rights Group is a charity that can give advice and information to Special Guardians.
- Offering a free and confidential telephone and digital advice service providing legal and practical advice to families.
- Supporting kinship carers, who are raising a relative or a friend’s child
- The website also has advice sheets for Special Guardians
You can contact them through their website or by Freephone 0808 801 0366
The National Association of Therapeutic Parents
The NATP is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to help families dealing with the difficult behaviour of children who had suffered trauma, and to help with the feelings of isolation, of being blamed, misunderstood, and unsupported.
If you a Special Guardian the NATP can support you and offers a range of benefits including listening circles, telephone consultations, a men’s support group, access to useful resources, a members-only Facebook group, webinars, face to face training, a helpline, and more.
This short video will help to explain more about the NATP services. Please call on 01453 519000 to discuss membership and its benefits.
The Kinship Kitchen
Kinship Kitchen is a Community Interest Company supporting kinship families across South London through initiatives such as community cooking groups, cooking clubs, and food surplus donations.
Their work helps children self esteem and allows them to grow in confidence, encourages peer support, and promotes health and independence through culturally relevant, nutritious cooking, whilst strengthening local ties.
Please email [email protected] for more information or visit: www.kinship-kitchen.co.uk
Weekly Activities Term Time Only
Founded in 2020, Kinship Kitchen began by bringing together socially isolated kinship carers to create positive shared experiences for families. Today, they continue to build resilience and inclusion through engaging activities that strengthen family bonds, and encourage community connections.
Every 2nd Friday of the month, 5-7pm: Teenagers cooking group at Irish Community Centre, 2a Davenport Road, SE6 2AZ. Open to young people aged 12-16 who are growing up in kinship care or foster care. Promoting independence skills, friendship and an active lifestyle; sports and games by Positive Activities CIC.
Wednesdays 10am-12pm: Hot food cooked by Kinship Kitchen available at social supermarket Feed The Hill, 367 New Cross Rd, London SE14 6AT. Do a week’s worth of shopping for £2 (if you can afford it, otherwise it’s free). Wide range of fresh foods, ready made, food and culturally relevant foods available every week. No need to show evidence of benefits, just turn up. Open to anyone living in SE14/SE4 postcodes. https://boldvision.uk/feed-the-hill/
Tuesdays 3,15-4,45pm: Therapeutic cooking group at Forest Academy in Croydon. Only open to children who attend the school and who are in kinship care, foster care or adopted. Sports and games by Positive Activities CIC. Please contact the school or email [email protected] for more information.
Mondays 3,30-4,30pm: Therapeutic cooking group at Tidemill Academy in Deptford. Only open to children who attend the school and who are in kinship care, foster care or adopted. Please contact the school or email [email protected] for more information.
Local Authority Services
Adopt London have a wealth of education support to offer families with a Special Guardianship Order. This includes advice from The Virtual School, access to information from the Local Offer and the Family Information Service, Pupil Premium Plus to Priority School admissions. Further information is available on our Education page.
If you are a Special Guardian and live in one of the Adopt London West boroughs; Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham or Hounslow, you can use services from PAC UK for confidential counselling and support service (currently virtual) under the Adopt London West’s contract. Adopt London West also run a monthly virtual support group for Special Guardians.
If you need to speak to a social worker about your child, please contact your Local Authority SGO Team.
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