Family Rights Group :: Press releases

Latest press releases

FAMILY RIGHTS GROUP HAILS BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT TO TACKLE DISCRIMINATION IN BENEFITS SYSTEM

24th March 2010

The charity Family Rights Group today hailed the Chancellor's announcement to tackle discrimination in the benefits system which adversely affects many grandparents and other relatives who are raising children who cannot live with their parents. (see Treasury PNO1, page 13)

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, who has led the campaign on behalf of the Kinship Care Alliance, which comprises organisations supporting family and friends carers said: "The Government is to be congratulated for having listened to family and friends carers. This measure will ensure that family and friends carers who have stepped in to raise a child - who might otherwise be in state care and who receive some some payment from the local authority specifically to help with the costs of the child - aren't penalised in terms of reductions in their Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. "We believe significantly more stilll need to be done, including the introduction of a national financial allowance and support system to enable more children who are in the care system to live safely and securely with their wider family and to assist many children who are currently living with impoverished family and friends carers. Today’s announcement is just a first step, but important nonetheless.

- "Ends -

Family and friends carers are bringing up children as a result of tragedy or trauma, including parental mental or physical ill health, domestic abuse, alcohol or substance misuse, imprisonment or bereavement. Research has shown that these children have suffered similar adversities to those in the care system, yet family and friends carers often suffer significant financial hardship as a result of taking on the care of the children as well as overcrowding as well as isolation.
Family and friends carers who are raising children permanently under a special guardianship or residence order order may receive some help from the local authority in the form of a allowance.
The Government's announcement means that from April 2011 these allowances, and Section 50 payments made to some Scottish carers, will be disregarded as income when calculating entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit bringing these payments into line with the treatment of Child Maintenance. In effect this step will mean that some carers will be gain by up to £47.69 per week per child from next April.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS CARERS RECOGNISED IN KEY AMENDMENT TO CHILD POVERTY BILL

For immediate release 10 March 2010

The Charity Family Rights Group today claimed an important victory for grandparents and other relative carers when the Child Poverty Bill was amended late last night to state that the term 'parents' in the Bill refers to any individual who has parental responsibility for the child or with whom a child resides.

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group said:

"Research shows that 75% of family and friends carers experienced financial hardship, 35% overcrowding and 31% a disability or chronic illness. In over 30% of cases relatives have to give up work to raise these very vulnerable children, who have often experienced tragedy or trauma, such as parental bereavement or abuse. Yet to date children living with family and friends carers are overlooked from official statistics. This amendment should change that, by requiring Government and local authorities to include these very vulnerable children and carers in data collection and reporting and in strategies and practical services aimed at addressing the needs of the impoverished children.”

The amendments (45 and 46) follows concerted lobbying by Labour peer Baroness Doreen Massey in conjunction with the Family Rights Group, Grandparents Plus and other members of the Kinship Care Alliance It was proposed by Lord McKenzie, Government Minister at the Department for Work and Pensions and Baroness Massey. The Child Poverty Bill which is due to be enacted this month sets targets to eradicate child poverty.

Cathy Ashley said:

"We still have a long way to go to improve the desperate situation for many of these children and carers but this is an important first step. We are grateful to Baroness Massey for her tenacity and tireless efforts and to the Government for listening."

Anita MacAloren, a sibling carer to her husband's young brother said "For too many years already vulnerable children being raised by relatives have been left in abject poverty and isolation. We can't afford to squander the futures of a generation of young people who have so much to offer this country and it's not right to continue to prey upon the good will of grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings who are already making so many sacrifices because of their love for these children. I'm therefore delighted that we're starting to see action by Government to recognise the needs of these children and carers."

Charities welcome Ministers’ commitment to reviewing family and friends carers’ access to financial support and legal advice, but call on Ministers to go beyond ‘warm words’

20th January 2010

Family Rights Group today warmly welcomed Ministers’ announcement, as part of the Families and Relationships Green Paper, to hold a review into family and friends carers’ access to support and legal advice. However, the charity has called upon Ministers to go beyond warm words by ensuring the review reports before the General Election and will consider how to assist impoverished carers with the significant financial burden, including legal costs that they often face when raising children who aren’t able to live with their parents.

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, said:

"Family and friends carers are raising these children out of love and devotion, but we know many find their lives are in tatters as they struggle day to day to survive financially as well as dealing, often alone, with the strains of raising very vulnerable children who have suffered tragedy or trauma. Some are grandparents near retirement who have to use their life savings to fund legal costs. The announcement of a review is a welcome step forward, as is the new forthcoming family and friends Guidance. But the devil is in the detail. We need a commitment from government that the review will report before the general election and will consider what action is necessary to assist carers to face the financial and practical challenges of raising vulnerable children who aren’t able to live with their parents.”

Click here to download the press release

New research reveals local authorities are neglecting children on the edge of care living with grandparents and other relatives

16th September 2009

There are estimated to be up to 300,000 children who cannot live with their parents, because of tragedy, trauma or abuse. Yet research shows these children have had as many adversities as those in the care system, and that their carers, normally their grandparent, aunt or uncle, are often living in poverty.

New analysis of a freedom of information survey of local authorities, to which 83% of authorities in England and Wales responded, has found that despite many of these children being on the edge of the care system:

More than two thirds (69%) of local authorities don’t have a coherent written approach to family and friends care.
The majority (52%) of local authorities who stated that family and friends care should be the first option for children in need of alternative care had no policy on family and friends care.
There was significant regional variation with 80% of authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside failing to have a policy for children being raised by family and friends carers outside the care system, compared to 39% of authorities in the South East.
Just over half of local authorities (52%) have no guidance on the assessment of placements with relatives raising a child outside the care system.
62% of those authorities didn’t have a written statement on support services, available to children being raised by family and friends carer outside the care system or failed to describe any eligibility criteria for such support. These carers are therefore left to deal on their own to supervise often difficult contact arrangements, don’t have access to a link worker to address children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties, nor do they get training, advice or even the assistance of a local support group.

Moreover, the survey found some authorities were blatantly breaking the law, for example, by paying family and friends foster carers less than they were paying unrelated foster carers.

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group commented:

“It’s a postcode lottery whether the most marginalised children in our society are getting any support and help. That many authorities don’t have written policies confirms what we know from calls from carers to our national advice line, that these children are being overlooked by local authorities, and instead grandparents and other relatives are left to struggle on their own with children who are often very disturbed because of their past. There are some notable exceptions amongst local authorities, but in the main it is a very sobering picture.”

The charity Family Rights Group, in conjunction with other voluntary organisations, under the auspices of the Kinship Care Alliance, is launching a campaign for a national financial allowance and an effective support system for family and friends carers who are raising vulnerable children who would otherwise be in care. Over 100 carers have already emailed their MPs and PPC to highlight their concerns. On 28^th October 2009 they are lobbying Parliament to make their voice heard.

To download the freedom of information analysis report click here

To download the family and friends care good practice guide for local authorities click here

To download the policy briefing on family and friends care click here.

Mica Paris launches new report on keeping black minority ethnic children safe within their families

30 April 2009

The Charity Family Rights Group held a seminar in London entitled 'Embracing Race and Culture in Family Group Conferences', chaired by singer and broadcaster Mica Paris. Mica is taking a break from promoting her long awaited album ‘Born again’ to support the work of Family Rights Group.

Family Group Conferences are decision making meetings at which families are supported to come together to make safe plans for a child at risk. They are increasingly being used by local authorities to plan for children on the brink of being taken into care. Concerned about the low numbers of black minority ethnic families being offered a family group conference, Family Rights Group, with funding from the Big Lottery, has identified best practice internationally and worked with two black minority ethnic community-based organisations in London, namely Hopscotch in Camden, and Claudia Jones in Hackney.

Family Rights Group has supported these organisations to develop and run a family group conference service, thus increasing the accessibility of family group conferencing to black minority ethnic communities, in a way that could potentially be replicated nation-wide.

Mica Paris commented: “I am delighted to be able to give some time to supporting the work of this successful project. The impact has been to support more black minority ethnic families to take the lead in making and implementing effective plans to safeguard children where there was a risk of the child becoming subject to care proceedings or being excluded from school. It has also enabled families to set out what support they need from agencies for the plan to work. My personal experience is that the black extended family, including grandparents are influential in the care and support of children. It was my own grandparents that have influenced me in life and enabled my career as a singer.”

Family Rights Group challenges Government to implement the recommendations of the Commons Select Committee on Looked-after Children

20th April 2009

In response to the Third Report of the Session 2008-9 of the House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee: Looked-after Children HC111, Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, stated:

"We warmly welcome the report's analysis and recommendations. The report rightly emphasizes "that it is imperative that constructive relationships between children's services and the family are established at the outset, maintained while the child is in care, and continued when they return home.”

"We are pleased that the Committee has listened and taken on board evidence from our charity and others working with the most vulnerable children and adults in our society that:

- investment in early intervention is vital in reducing the likelihood of child misery and ensuring children’s wellbeing and

- social workers need to be freed up to work with families before problems become acute.

“We estimate that there are four times as many children who cannot live with their parents who are living with relatives or friends than there are in the care system. Most of these carers are impoverished grandparents, left to deal on their own with traumatised children. The evidence is that family and friends care arrangements often work best for the child. Yet we know of placements that have faltered or broken down because of lack of support from authorities. To date the needs of these children have been neglected. It is imperative that the Government and the Conservative Party front-bench now adopt the report's strong proposals that a thorough and consistent support system, including through the benefits system, is introduced for these children.”

GOOD NEWS - ADVICE SERVICE - NEW 0808 FREEPHONE AND LONGER OPENING HOURS

April 2009

Our free, confidential advice service for families is now free to callers ringing from mobile as well as landline phones. The new number is 0808 801 1366. The service has also been expanded and is open an hour and half longer each day, from 10am-3:30pm Monday to Friday.

Last year only one in four callers was able to get through to our advice service. Almost all our callers are mothers, fathers and relatives who are involved with or need children's social care services and we know that our service makes a significant difference to children and families' lives. Now thanks to new funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families the number of callers we are able to support will increase to from 2500 in 2007/8 to 5400 in 2009/10. The monies, which are part of the government's parent know-how fund, mean that Family Rights Group's advice line will be open for an extra hour and a half each week day and we will have two lines available.

To find out more about our advice service click here

FAMILY RIGHTS GROUP'S RESPONSE TO LORD LAMING'S REVIEW

March 2009

The charity has expressed disappointment in Lord Laming’s review of child protection and safeguarding following the death of Baby P in Haringey. Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, stated

“The report with its 58 recommendations replicates the very problems that beset child welfare – namely an over focus on changing structures, introducing new targets, commissioning reviews and amending processes." To read the full press release click here.

To read Lord Laming's review click here

To read FRG's submission to Lord Laming's review click here