Kinship Barnsley

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In Barnsley Council, we have a dedicated Kinship Team that offers a wide range of support to families.
The team provides advice, guidance, and practical help to Kinship Foster Carers throughout the process—both before and after approval.

You can contact the Kinship Team directly on 01226 775876.

The phone line is open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm

You can also call 01226 772423 to request an assessment for therapeutic intervention for the child in your care. This is also the number to contact if you would like an allocated social worker to support your family.

A Therapeutic Assessment is a way to understand what extra emotional or wellbeing support your child might need. It looks at things like how your child is feeling, any challenges they’ve faced, and what could help them thrive.

During the assessment, a professional will spend time with you and your child—talking, listening, and sometimes using activities or questionnaires. It helps to build a clear picture of your child’s needs and recommends the right support, such as play therapy, counselling, or family sessions.

It’s all about making sure you and your child have the tools and help you need to feel supported and confident. It’s not a test, and everything shared is treated with respect and confidentiality.

What is a Therapeutic Intervention?
Once an assessment shows what your child might need, a therapeutic intervention is the next step—it’s the practical help to support their emotional wellbeing. This could include:

• Play therapy – helping children express feelings through play.
• Counselling or talking therapy – giving your child a safe space to talk about their experiences.
  
• Family sessions – supporting you and your child together to strengthen relationships and coping strategies.

The goal is to help your child feel safe, understood, and supported, while giving you tools to manage any challenges.

Kinship care is when a child lives with a relative or a close family friend instead of their parents. The person providing this care is called a kinship carer.

This usually happens because the child’s parents are unable to look after them, and it can be a full-time arrangement or most of the time. Children may live with relatives or friends under different types of arrangements—some formal, others informal.

If you want to care for a child permanently without ongoing involvement from children’s social care, you can apply for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or a Child Arrangement Order (CAO). When either order is granted, the child is no longer classed as a ‘looked after child’.

Special Guardianship Order (SGO)

As a special guardian, you take full responsibility for the child’s care and upbringing. You can make most decisions without needing permission from others who have parental responsibility, except for:

• Adoption
• Changing the child’s surname
• Taking the child out of the UK for more than 3 months

Child Arrangement Order (CAO)

With a CAO, you share parental responsibility with the child’s parents but can make everyday decisions about their care without seeking permission.

Kinship carers may also be able to claim benefits such as Child Benefit and Universal Credit.

If the child was ‘looked after’ before the SGO ( Special Guardianship Order ) was granted, you have the right to an assessment for support services, which may include financial help.

If you were previously the child’s foster carer, this support may include an allowance and possibly part of the fostering fee for up to two years (or longer if appropriate).