How can professionals

support kinship carers?

#KinshipCareWeek

• Introduce Mentor, ADEPIS and CAYT

• Define kinship care

• Outline Kinship Care Week

• Explore what kinship carers’ needs are, esp. around substance misuse in children

• Get to know more about drugs and alcohol and their impact on young people

• Talk about why awareness of substance misuse is important for kinship carers

Today’s webinar

Mentor’s mission

To promote the health and wellbeing of

children and young people and prevent

alcohol and drug misuse.

Research Programmes Policy

Develop life skills that build resilience

to risk in children & young people

How we do it

Mentor-ADEPIS is publicly acknowledged as

the leading source of evidence-based

resources for alcohol and drug education

and prevention for schools.

Mentor-ADEPIS

In 2015 ADEPIS was expanded to include the

Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions (CAYT)

database of impact studies.

CAYT

Mentor-ADEPIS seminars

• CAYT seminars

• Teacher training

Plus…

• The Mentor Community of Evidence-based Practice

Kinship care is an

arrangement for a

family member or

close friend to care

for children whose

parents are unable

to look after them.

What is kinship care?

The most common

reason for children

entering kinship care is

parental drug and

alcohol abuse (67%).

Reasons for kinship care

In young people, drugs and alcohol can:

• contribute to poor judgment and bad decisions

• increase the chances of getting into fights,

accidents and other dangerous situations

• damage the growing body and developing brain

• lead to addiction during adolescence (though

evidence suggests this doesn’t happen a lot)

Why is this important?

Mentor’s kinship care work

Our experience shows that kinship carers play a vital role in keeping children safe from drugs and alcohol.

Their attitudes and behaviours can help shape young people’s views on drink and drugs.

The role of kinship carers

A recent study found that

77% of kinship carers

have asked for

professional support...

Why are we here today?

Practically?

Emotionally?

Financially?

What do kinship carers need:

• Knowledge about key issues

• Advice on how to talk about substances

• Education and training

• Knowing what to do if they’re concerned

• Peer and one-to-one support

• Help lines or a point of contact

• Resources and further information.

Practical needs

• Empathy and gentleness

• Encouragement and positivity

• Cared for to feel they’re not alone

• That they can make a positive difference

• A non-judgmental, non-blaming attitude

• Awareness or understanding of their situation – and that it could happen to anyone.

Emotional needs

Make sure you communicate these two important facts to kinship carers:

1. They did not cause their son or daughter’s alcohol or other drug problems. Neither did the child.

2. The carer and their children can’t cure the parents’ alcohol or drug problems, but they can encourage them to seek treatment and support.

• Understanding what kind of carer

you are and what support is there

• Child Benefit? Tax Credits? Kinship

Carer Allowance?

• Paying for food, clothes, school

supplies, toys

• Supporting yourselves as well

Financial needs

• One-to-one support

• Peer support groups

• Couples’ therapy

• Family group conferencing

• Drop-in sessions

• Educational groups

• Respite services

Types of support

Drugs

Image: The Guardian

New Psychoactive Substances

Alcohol

DO:

• Pick the right time

• Start the discussion early, and keep talking

• Remind them drinking is not the norm

• Place limits and consequences on behaviour

• Be nurturing and express warmth

• Encourage children to express opinions

• Use adverts, or soap stories to spark the topic

• Ask what they’ve learned about drugs at school

Advice for carers

DON’T:

• Tell them to ‘just say no’ – it’s not effective

• Exaggerate the harms – you’ll sound less credible

• Preach, use scare tactics, sound angry or accusatory.

• Try and get everything across in one go. Many small talks are better.

• Interrogate them about what they’ve been up to when you’re not around.

• Panic. If your child has tried drugs, be calm when discussing it with them.

Rules and boundaries about drinking mean

young people are less likely to get drunk.

This means kinship carers should

set boundaries and reward children

if they stick to them.

If they break the rules, consequences

should be consistent and fair.

Recommendations for carers

If a kinship carer is concerned, encourage them to:

• Get information from sources with specialist knowledge, online or in person.

• Get support for themselves, too, and find someone they can talk to and trust.

Where carers can go for help

Kinship

Care

Guide for

England

Alcohol

& Drugs:

Guide for

Kinship

Carers

Kinship Care Guide for Scotland

Resources + advice

#KinshipCareWeek

For more information visit

mentoruk.org.uk/kinshipcareweek