Who can attend our carer meetings?

Meetings are open to all kinship carers who reside in the West Glasgow area. By West Glasgow we broadly mean the area stretching from Glasgow City Centre down to Drumchapel and Yoker and taking in North Woodside, Partick, Scotstoun and Knightswood. However some of our members live outside the Glasgow City boundary in areas such as Clydebank and Bearsden.

On occasion workers from social work and health attend our meetings. They are their to answer questions that we wish to raise or to provide support through Community Development. We have no direct formal link with the Social Work department.

What is a Kinship Carer?

There are a number of definitions used by different local authorities and Government departments regarding who is or isn’t a kinship carer. Our definition of a kinship carer would be anyone who is caring for a child whom they are not the parent of but who they are related to. In the majority of cases within our group we are the grandparents of the children we are caring for but there are also situations where it can be an uncle, aunt or other relative who is caring for the children.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q1. What allowances am I entitled to?

A1. You can get advice on applying for benefits and allowances e.g. kinship care money from Social Work Services, Welfare Right’s and Citizen Advice Bureau.

Q2. Are there any support groups for grandparents looking after their grandchildren?

A2. There is a Glasgow Grandparents Carers Group in the West of the city, which meets fortnightly, and is open to all kinship carers in the West of Glasgow.

Q3. What happens at Glasgow Grandparents Carers Groups?

A3. The groups are informal and you can receive support from other kinship carers and be put in touch with other supports for you and the children in your care?

Q4. Do the Kinship Care Groups help the children and young people we are caring for?

A4. We arrange outings, activities and holidays for them particularly during school holiday time. The children find support from getting to know other children in a similar situation to themselves.

Q5. Are there other organisations which can help me with the emotional and behavioural difficulties my grandchildren are experiencing?

A5. There are a number of different Statutory and Voluntary organisations, such as Community Mental Health Teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and the Notre Dame Centre who can provide psychological and therapeutic support.

Q6. My grandson is too scared to leave the house and is refusing to go to school, what should I do?

A6. It is important for you to keep in touch with the headteacher of the school to discuss concerns. Your grandchild may need additional support to manage the social and emotional demands of school. The school is best placed to carry out an assessment of need and will determine whether it would be appropriate for the young person to be put forward to a Joint Support Team meeting (JST). This is a multi-agency group with members from Education (including Psychological Services and ELOs), Social Work Services and Health in attendance.

Q7. Where can I get help to parent the children in my care?

A7. By joining a Kinship Care Group you will gain new skills and support. The Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) is also available to parents and carers in Glasgow, which helps parents and carers understand and manage positively children’s behaviour..

Q8. What rights does a kinship carer have and what rights do the children in kinship care have?

A8. Each situation is unique and has differences depending on a number of factors e.g. residency orders, age of children etc. Social Work Services and other organisations such as Children’s Rights Project can offer advice on this.