Kinship Care

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:50 pm on 22 January 2004.

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Photo of Christine May Christine May Labour 5:50, 22 January 2004

I thank John Swinburne for the considerable time that he spent with me. The debate on the resulting motion has tapped into the wealth of experience among members of issues around kinship care and the hardship and distress that it can cause to families. If nothing else, the debate is worth while in showing that the Parliament recognises the vital role that is played by grandparents and other relations, including aunts and uncles, in caring for related children.

As members have said, we should recognise that the children who are cared for in that way generally have better outcomes than children in other areas of the looked-after sector. It is also undoubtedly the case that looking after someone else's child, whether they are related or not, requires emotional and financial dedication—the expenses will almost always outstrip allowances.

Again, as members have said, we need to be careful that we do not create a situation in which it becomes more financially viable for parents not to look after their children but to get their mums or dads to do it. It is essential that when we talk about kinship care we mean the recognised situation in which the child is legally deemed to require foster care.

It has been argued that foster carers who are registered and trained do a more professional job and that the fee that they get is to compensate them for not being able to seek other work. It has also been argued that they look after older or more difficult children with complex needs. We need to recognise the significant and complex care needs of the children of addicts in particular, as those children are increasingly being looked after by their grandparents.

Other members have spoken about the training and scrutiny issues that are involved in becoming a recognised foster carer. As I do not have the benefit of Scott Barrie's experience, I checked on the present situation in Fife. I found that Fife Council pays a maintenance allowance or, if there is a residence order, a related carers allowance. In some of those cases, as only the basic registration requirements need to be taken on board, the barrier of the requirement for significant scrutiny and legal checks is not an issue. That encourages families to apply for residence orders for the children so that they can get the related carers allowance.

The issue is a national one and I am aware of the current cases. In Fife and elsewhere, people would like a national scheme with national levels of payment and national standards. I have become convinced over the past week that a national debate is required for that to happen. Work will need to be done to ensure that tax and benefit issues can be resolved.

There is an active and informed foster carers group in Fife. Trish Godman ably outlined the national scheme and special provision for kinship carers. I would like the minister to consider holding discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities about drawing up a national scheme—at the moment, the local authorities have the discretion and the legal right to make payments. I look forward to hearing the minister's comments on that point.