Social Disadvantages & Being Marginalised from Support

Social Disadvantages & Being Marginalised from Support

Sibling kinship care can keep brothers and sisters together, protect important family relationships and give children the opportunity to remain connected to their family, community, culture and identity. However, the same families who step forward to provide care can also experience significant disadvantage. Sibling kinship carers may give up work or education, experience financial hardship, live in overcrowded housing and struggle to access the support they are entitled to. Some may also be reluctant to ask for help because they are worried about how professionals will view them.

This creates an important contradiction: Sibling kinship care can provide significant social advantages for children, while sibling carers and their families can simultaneously become socially and financially marginalised.

Poverty and financial hardship

Poverty is an important issue for many kinship families. Historical UK research using 2001 Census data estimated that around 23% of children in the UK were living in poverty, while children being raised in sibling kinship care were estimated to be around three times more likely to experience poverty (Selwyn & Nandy, 2014). Although these are historical figures and should not be treated as current estimates, they highlight a longstanding relationship between sibling kinship care and socioeconomic disadvantage. Many kinship carers reduce their working hours, leave employment or give up education when they take responsibility for a child (Broad, 2007). This can be particularly significant for sibling carers, who are often younger adults who may still be establishing their careers or completing their education.

For some carers, caring for a younger brother or sister can mean putting their own plans on hold. Research has found that carers may view this as a necessary sacrifice or an obligation towards their family, rather than something they should complain about (Griggs et al., 2010). But caring for your sibling should not mean that you have to accept financial hardship or give up your own future.

Education and employment

Becoming a sibling carer can happen at a time when an older sibling is studying, starting work or developing their own career. The sudden responsibility of caring for a younger sibling can make continuing education or employment difficult. Historical research found significant educational disadvantage among sibling kinship carers. Selwyn and Nandy (2012) reported that 42% of sister kinship carers had no formal qualifications. This needs to be understood alongside the fact that sibling carers tend to be younger and are more likely to be women, unemployed and caring for one or more children (Selwyn & Nandy, 2012). Leaving education or employment may be necessary in the short term, but it can have consequences for a carer's long-term financial security and independence. A young sibling carer may therefore face a difficult choice: How do I provide the care my sibling needs while also building a future for myself? Sibling carers should not have to choose between caring for their family and having opportunities of their own.

Benefits and navigating financial support

Understanding the benefits and financial support available to kinship families can be complicated. Kinship carers have reported difficulties understanding their entitlements and accessing services. Some carers may also feel embarrassed about asking for financial assistance or may believe they should manage without help (McCartan et al., 2018). Some kinship carers have also experienced debt associated with the costs of obtaining legal orders, including Special Guardianship Orders (Farmer, 2009; Griggs et al., 2010). The financial situation of a sibling kinship family can therefore be affected by several things at once:

• reduced or lost employment

• education being interrupted

• additional household costs

• legal costs

• housing costs

• the child's needs

• uncertainty about benefits and allowances

If you are struggling financially, asking for support is not something to be ashamed of.

The financial support available to you will depend on your circumstances and the legal arrangements for your sibling. It is important to obtain current advice rather than relying on information from other families, as entitlements can change.

Housing and overcrowding

Finding suitable housing can be a major challenge when a child suddenly comes to live with an older sibling. A sibling carer may have been living alone or sharing accommodation before becoming responsible for a younger child. Their existing home may not have enough bedrooms or space. Research comparing kinship and non-kinship placements found that 34% of kinship placements were living in overcrowded housing, compared with 4% of children in non-kinship placements (Farmer, 2009).

Overcrowding is more than an inconvenience.

Lack of space can affect:

• privacy

• sleep

• relationships

• study

• children's behaviour

• family routines

• carers' ability to have time for themselves.

Farmer (2009) found that pressure caused by inadequate space could contribute to arguments and family conflict. If your sibling has come to live with you and your home is no longer suitable, you should seek advice about your housing options rather than assuming that you have to manage the situation alone.

Where sibling kinship families live

Sibling kinship carers are more likely than parents with dependent children to live in areas experiencing high levels of deprivation. Selwyn and Nandy (2012) found that sibling kinship carers were twice as likely as parents with dependent children to live in the most deprived areas of the country. McCartan et al. (2018) similarly identified a strong association between kinship care and neighbourhood deprivation. Their research found that children entering kinship care were more likely to live in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in their respective UK nation, with particularly high disparities reported in the data available for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Research from Scotland found that 36% of kinship carers lived within the 20% most deprived areas, compared with 8% living within the 20% least deprived areas (Taylor et al., 2020). These findings demonstrate that kinship care cannot be considered separately from wider issues such as poverty, housing, employment and access to services.

Deprivation can affect children's wellbeing

Children living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation can face additional challenges.

Research has identified greater levels of mental health difficulties, challenging behaviour and poor emotional wellbeing among children in kinship care living in areas experiencing high deprivation (Taylor et al., 2020). The circumstances that lead to a child entering kinship care can also be connected to socioeconomic disadvantage. Parental mental health difficulties, drug and alcohol misuse, imprisonment and violence have all been reported more frequently within areas experiencing higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation (Taylor et al., 2020). This does not mean that poverty causes neglect or that families living in deprived areas are less capable of caring for children. Rather, it highlights how multiple disadvantages can overlap and increase the pressures experienced by families.

Rural and isolated communities

Where a sibling kinship family lives can also affect the support available to them. Families living in rural communities may experience additional barriers, including:

• fewer community services

• limited public transport

• social isolation

• fewer childcare opportunities

• reduced access to mental health services

• fewer food banks and other sources of practical assistance

• fewer employment opportunities (Griggs et al., 2010; McCartan et al., 2018).

Financial difficulties can make these problems worse. For example, if a carer cannot afford a car or fuel, travelling to appointments or support groups may become difficult. This can reduce opportunities for carers to build social capital — the relationships, networks and community connections that can provide practical and emotional support (Taylor et al., 2020).

Ethnicity and cultural identity

Kinship carers are not one homogenous group. Sibling kinship families come from a wide range of ethnic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Historical research estimated that approximately 31% of sibling kinship carers in the UK were from minority ethnic backgrounds in 2001 (Selwyn & Nandy, 2014). The proportion varied across the UK nations, reflecting differences in the ethnic composition of the wider population. In England, approximately 28% of sibling kinship carers were estimated not to have been born in the UK (Selwyn & Nandy, 2012). These figures are based on historical Census data and should not be interpreted as a current demographic profile. For some families, placing a child with relatives may be particularly important for maintaining:

• language

• culture

• religion

• family traditions

• community connections

• national or cultural identity.

Research suggests that children may come to live with relatives or family friends partly because families want to protect educational and future opportunities while maintaining family connections (Griggs et al., 2010; Montserrat & Casas, 2018).

Children crossing borders

Some children come to live with relatives after moving between countries or communities.

These arrangements can involve additional vulnerabilities, particularly where the child has little previous relationship with the relative caring for them or where the family has limited connections with local support services (Broad, 2007; Griggs et al., 2010). Families who are new to an area may not know:

• where to find support

• how children's social care works

• what their legal rights are

• what financial assistance may be available

• how to access education or health services.

If you are caring for a sibling who has moved to you from another country, it is particularly important to seek appropriate legal and safeguarding advice.

The social advantages of sibling kinship care

Despite these challenges, sibling kinship care can provide significant advantages for children. Remaining within their family can help children maintain relationships with people who are important to them and preserve a sense of family identity and belonging.

For a child who has experienced parental separation, bereavement or other trauma, being able to remain with a brother or sister can provide an important source of familiarity and emotional security. Sibling carers can also provide something that other placements cannot easily replicate: a shared family history.

An older sibling may understand:

• the child's family background

• important memories

• family traditions

• relationships with other relatives

• the child's cultural identity

• experiences that the child may not be able to explain to someone outside the family.

This shared history can be an important part of helping children understand who they are.

Keeping brothers and sisters connected

When children cannot remain with their parents, keeping siblings together can help preserve one of the most important relationships in their lives. An older sibling who becomes a kinship carer may provide continuity at a time when almost everything else has changed. The relationship can offer:

• familiarity

• emotional security

• shared identity

• continuity of family relationships

• protection from further separation

• a sense of belonging.

However, sibling kinship care should not be romanticised. Keeping siblings together is valuable, but the older sibling also needs support to make the arrangement safe and sustainable.

Why sibling carers can become marginalised from support

There is a difficult contradiction within kinship care. The system may value keeping children within their families, but the family members who provide that care can struggle to access support. Sibling carers may not know what services are available. They may not identify themselves as carers. They may be reluctant to approach social services because they are worried that asking for help will make professionals question their ability to care for their sibling (Taylor et al., 2020). Some carers have also reported being refused support because they are relatives rather than unrelated foster carers (Farmer, 2009). This can leave sibling carers feeling that they are expected to provide the care, but are not recognised as needing care themselves.

Schools can become an important source of support

For many kinship families, schools are an important source of practical and emotional support. Research has found that schools were among the main formal services accessed by kinship families, followed by social services and the NHS (Taylor et al., 2020).

A school may be one of the first places to notice that a child is struggling. Teachers and pastoral staff can potentially help with:

• emotional wellbeing

• attendance

• learning difficulties

• special educational needs

• communication with other professionals

• practical support

• identifying changes in behaviour.

If your sibling is struggling at school, tell the school that they are living in a sibling kinship-care arrangement. This can help staff understand the context of their needs.

What support should be available?

In England, local authorities are required to have arrangements for supporting kinship families, although the support available can vary depending on the child's circumstances and legal status. This can make the system difficult to navigate.

The support available to a kinship foster carer can be different from that available to someone caring for a child under a Special Guardianship Order, Child Arrangements Order or an informal family arrangement. Your legal status matters, but it does not mean that your needs are unimportant. If you are unsure what support is available, ask your local authority for information about its kinship-care policy and support offer.

Why might carers not ask for help?

There are many reasons why a sibling carer may not seek support.

You might think:

"I'm their brother or sister — I should be able to do this."

"My family will think I'm complaining."

"Social services might think I can't cope."

"Other people have it worse."

"I don't want anyone to take my sibling away."

"I don't know what I'm entitled to."

These concerns can be powerful barriers to asking for help. Research suggests that fear of professional judgement can discourage kinship carers from approaching services (Taylor et al., 2020). Needing help does not mean that you are an unsuitable carer.

In many cases, getting help early can make a placement more stable.

Why support can reduce over time

Kinship families can receive considerable professional involvement when a child first comes into their care. However, research has found that support can decrease once the immediate crisis has passed, unless there is a risk of placement breakdown or concerns about the child's safety (Farmer, 2009). This can leave carers feeling that they are expected to manage independently. Warren-Adamson (2009) identified a number of pressures affecting social-work practice, including bureaucracy, procedural requirements, audits, limited resources and defensive practice. These pressures can make it difficult for professionals to provide the consistent, relationship-based support that kinship families may need.

Kinship care should not be the "cheapest option"

Kinship care can be considerably less expensive for local authorities than unrelated foster care. Research has identified lower placement costs associated with kinship care, partly because there are fewer recruitment and training costs and historically less support has been provided to kinship carers (McCartan et al., 2018). But the lower financial cost to the system can translate into higher personal costs for the carer.

A sibling carer may pay that cost through:

• lost employment

• interrupted education

• reduced income

• unsuitable housing

• debt

• emotional exhaustion

• reduced opportunities

• relationship difficulties.

The fact that a sibling steps forward to care for a child should not mean that they are expected to provide that care without appropriate support.

 

You are not asking for too much

If you are caring for a younger sibling, you may have been told — explicitly or implicitly — that because you are family, you should simply manage. But family care is still care.

You may need:

• financial advice

• benefits advice

• housing support

• legal advice

• emotional support

• mental health services

• respite

• childcare

• education or employment support

• help understanding social care

• support from other sibling carers.

Asking for support can help you continue caring for your sibling safely and sustainably.

 

What can you do if you are struggling?

If you are experiencing financial, housing, employment, educational or emotional difficulties, consider speaking to:

• Speak with Sibling Kinship Advisors.

• your local authority's kinship-care team

• your sibling's social worker, if they have one

• your GP or other health professional

• your sibling's school or college

• a housing adviser

• a welfare-benefits adviser

• a solicitor or specialist legal adviser

• a local kinship-care support organisation

• a specialist charity.

Keep records of the support you request and the responses you receive. If you are unsure about your rights or entitlements, ask for information in writing. The legal and financial support available to you will depend on your circumstances, your location within the UK and the legal status of the child.

A message to sibling kinship carers

If you have taken responsibility for a younger brother or sister, you have done something significant. You may have helped your sibling remain within their family when other options could have meant separation from the people and relationships they know.  You should not have to become financially disadvantaged, isolated or invisible simply because you stepped forward to care for your family. Sibling kinship care should recognise both sides of the relationship: the child's need for safety, stability and belonging — and the carer's need for support, security and a future of their own.

References and further reading

Broad, B. (2007). Research into kinship care, including the socioeconomic circumstances of kinship carers, employment, poverty, housing and the support available to families.

Farmer, E. (2009). Research examining children placed with family and friends, including housing conditions, family conflict, financial circumstances, professional support and differences between kinship and unrelated foster placements.

Griggs, J., et al. (2010). Research examining the experiences of children and families in kinship care, including family support, poverty, housing, cultural identity and relationships within kinship networks.

McCartan, C., et al. (2018). Research examining kinship care and the experiences of kinship carers, including socioeconomic deprivation, access to services, financial support and the costs associated with kinship placements.

Selwyn, J. & Nandy, S. (2012). Research examining the characteristics and circumstances of kinship carers and children in kinship care, including age, gender, qualifications, ethnicity, employment and deprivation.

Selwyn, J. & Nandy, S. (2014). Research using UK Census data to estimate the scale and characteristics of kinship care, including poverty and the proportion of children being raised by relatives and siblings.

Taylor, J., et al. (2020). Research examining the experiences of kinship carers, including socioeconomic deprivation, family relationships, access to support and the experiences of carers in Scotland.

Warren-Adamson, C. (2009). Research examining kinship-care practice and the experiences of social workers, including organisational pressures, resources and professional support.