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Kinship youth club - register your interest!

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Kinship youth club - register your interest!

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Summer Holiday Newsletter 2026 - activity ideas inside

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Summer Holiday Newsletter 2026 - activity ideas inside

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NEW online course - understanding your child in a changing world - click to enrol 

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NEW online course - understanding your child in a changing world - click to enrol 

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We have established support groups which are known as Kinship Coffee Mornings to offer an opportunity to meet other Kinship Carers, share experiences and offer support to one another over a tea or coffee. The Kinship Coffee Mornings can assist with challenges on your kinship journey which issues such as positive communication and managing family time with the biological family of the child or young person. If you live in the Northumberland area and would like to access any of our Kinship Coffee Mornings, we would love to hear from you.

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Email: kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk for more information

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Email kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk for more information

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Email kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk for more information

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Email kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk for more information

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If you are looking after a child who is not your biological child, and you are unsure of how to access the right support, get in touch and we will help you to work out the next steps.

Telephone: 01670 626262

Email: kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk

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If you're a kinship carer who isn't related to the child you're caring for, this group is for you - email kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk to find out more, or just come along

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Health Visitor Services are for all children age 0-19 (or 0-25 with a disability).

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Growing Healthy 0-19 Northumberland | HDFT Childrens Health Service

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Welcome to Growing Healthy 0-19 services in Northumberland Click to view our clinics Growing Healthy Northumberland 0-19 Location The 0-19 (25 for SEND) team are located in all localities across Northumberland. The service is predominately a home visiting service but contacts can be arranged in Family Hubs, education, colleges and community settings when required.... Read More

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This flyer is for the programme starting in January 2026 however further dates will be scheduled so do make contact if the child you are caring for is interested.

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For support with education, you can contact Northumberland’s Virtual School Team. We provide information, advice and guidance on education topics such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) and suspensions. While we cannot work directly with your child, we can provide a listening ear, help you navigate education systems and signpost you to other services. Please get in touch: virtualschool@northumberland.gov.uk

Representatives from the Virtual School will endeavour to visit each kinship support group at least once per year.

The Virtual School Team also provide consultation and training to schools on a variety of topics relevant to kinship care including Attachment & Trauma, Bereavement & Loss and Emotion Coaching. They advocate for children living in kinship care throughout their work in schools.

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Halloween Tips for neurodivergent families

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What is Kinship Care?
Kinship care is defined as:

“Any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent.”

Kinship Carers usually have a prior connection to the child or their parents they could be Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents or other relatives, they may also be family friends. These carers are often to referred to as ‘kinship carers’ or ‘connected persons’.

Where safe and suitable, Northumberland County Council will always look to consider friends and family as the first option for children who are not able to continue living with their parents. Parents of the child will be asked to put forward those adults that they feel would be best placed to care for the child. Social Workers within Northumberland County Council encourage Kinship Care in recognition of the benefits to the child of being cared for by those they have some existing familiarity with. Kinship Care can also make it easier for the child/ren to stay in touch with their parents and wider family members.

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The Kinship website has lots of resources including free workshops and events for Kinship carers.

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Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We're here for all kinship carers - the grandparents and siblings, the aunts, uncles, and family friends who step up to raise children when their parents can't.

#KinshipCareWeek has landed! Kinship Care Week (2-8 October) is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible role that kinship carers play in children's lives and society, and recognise the profound commitment and love they have for the children they care for.

This year, the theme of Kinship Care Week is . #DoOneThing . The public and political profile of kinship care has never been higher - but we need to push it even further up the agenda. # DoOneThing to raise awareness and keep kinship care in the spotlight Learn more about how you can ge involved.

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Homepage - Kinship - The kinship care charity

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Kinship is the national charity for kinship care in England and Wales. Are you looking after a child of a relative or friend full-time?

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Click here for an explanation of commonly used abbreviations. If there are any others which you would like to be added to this list, please get in touch and let us know.

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At Northumberland County Council, our Kinship Team is part of our Family Placement Service, along with the Permanence Team and Fostering Team. It was created to respond to the need for dedicated assessment and support to Kinship Carers and their families.

This means that when a friend or family member has been identified as willing or able to care for another person's child, a Social Worker from the Kinship Team will visit them and complete an assessment of the prospective carer.

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Here is a list of books for children of various ages which feature children living in Kinship Care, these are available to buy or borrow from your local library.

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Books with family and friends looking after children

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It's important that books reflect contemporary society, and that children see a variety of family situations in the stories they read. Some families...

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We would highly recommended that you register at your local Family Hub where you can access a wide range of groups, training and support - both online and in person - supporting parents and carers from birth to the teenage years. Click the image for more information, or call your hub on the number below and have a chat.

Contact numbers - Northumberland

North- Alnwick, Berwick, Hadston, Wooler - 01670620430

Central- Ashington, Bedlington, Newbiggin areas - 01670 819988

South East - Blyth, Cramlington & Seaton Valley areas - 01670 798800

West - Bellingham, Halthwhistle, Hexham, Prudhoe - 01434 601698

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Family Hubs in Northumberland, previously Sure Start Children’s Centres

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Family Hubs Northumberland, previously known as Sure Start Children’s Centres, are spaces to meet, learn, take part in FREE activities and access help and information. We’re here to support parents and carers of children or young people between 0-19 years, or 25 with additional needs.

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The Kinship Team provides information and guidance to help Kinship Carers in their role. This includes:

Training

One to One Support

Support Groups / Kinship Coffee Mornings

Family Fun Day Events

Monthly Kinship Newsletter Subscription

Local Service Knowledge – Signposting

Referrals to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF)

Duty Line – 01670 626262 (Available between 8:30am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30-4:30pm Friday. For emergencies during out of hours, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays, please contact Onecall on 01670 536400)

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The Kinship Team can offer advice to Kinship Carers to find information about a range of emotional issues, including signposting to health and education services or carer support groups so people can share their experiences. More specialist support may be available to make applications for funding for specific therapies (if qualifying criteria is met). This is through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF).

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If you are caring for a child with additional needs, take a look at the SEND Local Offer to see if there are any SEND specific resources or groups that may benefit you or the child in your care.

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Northumberland’s SEND local offer is here to help you to find the right support for children, young people and adults aged 0-25 years.

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This is a guide produced by Northumberland Parent Carer Forum for parents and carers of children with additional needs and is a very helpful overview of what support services are available.

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We can provide Kinship Carers with support in cases where the child was previously a Cared for Child through Northumberland County Council before the Special Guardianship Order (SGO) was granted, and where this order was granted in the last 3 years if the child has now moved out of Northumberland. Support can be provided at any time if the child remains in Northumberland.

When the 3-year period from the making of the SGO has expired, the Local Authority where the Special Guardian lives is responsible for providing support services.

All Special Guardians have an SGO Support Plan which is agreed at the granting of the Order. Support Plans include help for the child placed, their carer(s) and family, and the child’s birth family. The plans are based around the needs of those involved but typically include details regarding health, education, emotions, identity, finance and housing.

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Under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) children will continue to have priority for school admissions and will still receive pupil premium. For children in Northumberland, involvement of the Virtual School will continue, or the Kinship Team will help people access schools in other areas.

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The Kinship Team can offer advice around any issues with family time arrangements and signpost Kinship Carers to complete training to enhance knowledge and skills further.

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Kinship Preparation Training is offered to all Kinship Carers who are undergoing assessment, your Kinship Social Worker will provide further information around this.

Additional training is available to cover a variety of areas, for more details please contact your Kinship Social Worker or the contact the duty line or email.

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Foundations for Attachment Training is run by NEWST (Northumberland Emotional Wellbeing and Support Team)

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NEWST is made up of clinical professionals who have a range of specialist training in child and adolescent mental health. You could be offered a place on one of our courses called ‘Foundations for Attachment Training’ (FfA). This course aims to help carers to develop deeper understanding about cared for children’s lived experiences, the impact of developmental trauma upon behaviours in the current context and how, you as their carer, may intervene in therapeutic ways to support your child’s growth and recovery.

The course provides an opportunity to talk to other carers in similar circumstances and provides a supportive and encouraging environment to learn, talk and find ways forward for you and your child.

If you are interested in attending this course, please contact your Kinship social worker or email kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk

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Many prospective carers are concerned about how they will afford to support an extra child/ren in their household.

The Kinship Team can advise about financial support that Kinship Carers may be eligible for and any necessary assessments. Kinship Carers must report any change to their circumstances which could affect the support on offer.

Payments for children under a Child Arrangement Order (CAO) or Special Guardianship Order (SGO) can be different to those under the Kinship Care arrangement. You may receive an allowance - however, this is usually means-tested after a financial assessment of your income and outgoings and is reviewed annually to consider any changes in circumstances.

If a private fostering arrangement has taken place without the involvement from the Local Authority - whereby a child under the age of 16 (or 18 if the child has a disability) lives for 28 days or more in the care of someone who is not the child's parent(s), a person with parental responsibility for the child or a relative of the child, the child is not ‘cared for’ by the local authority and an allowance may not be paid.

Financial Review Form - https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/Child-Families/Looked%20after%20children/Fostering%20and%20Adoption/FPS-Adoption-SGO-CAO-Allowances-Financial-Asses-Review.pdf

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If the child you care for is entitled to Free School Meals, you may receive a code from their school to grant you access to book school holiday activities through the Holiday Activity Fund. Further information is available here along with contact details if you believe the child in your care is entitled to this support.

Please contact your Kinship social worker if you require any support with this.

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Northumberland Holiday Provision | Northumberland County Council

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Families of children on free school meals receive vouchers for holiday activities, while providers can apply for HAF funding to offer activities.

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Financial support and benefits for kinship carers

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Information on financial support and benefits available for kinship carers to help pay for the cost of caring for a child.

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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

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We have different professionals who all work together to help children and young people who are having problems with their emotional or mental health. We know that sometimes young people worry about coming to see us but we are here to help. This leaflet should help answer some of the questions that you might have.

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Children and Young People's Service - Northumberland - CNTW165

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The Children and Young People's Service provides a single service to all children and young people aged 0-18 years living in Northumberland who present with mental health difficulties. This includes children and young people who may have learning difficulties and those living in a range of difficult and challenging circumstances.

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Covering Blyth and the surrounding area, Kate’s Place is a community group for children and young people who have a significant person in their life who has died or is dying. Click the picture above for further details.

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We work with parents whose children are in need, at risk or are in the care system & with kinship carers who are raising children unable to remain at home.

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Young Minds is a mental health charity for children who can offer advice and support to children and young people as well as their carers.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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First Thursday of each month during term time
10:30am to 12:00pm

Contact Rachel on 01670 812019 to find out more

This group is for adults only

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Here you will find information about housing services and benefits, and guidance for landlords and tenants.

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If you or the child you care for are affected by someone else's alcohol use, Al-Anon may be able to offer valuable support.

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Contact info@ageuk-northumberland.org.uk to find out more

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Second Tuesday of each month during term time
10:00am to 12:00pm

Contact Keith on 07305 590056 to find out more

This group is for adults only

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When
2nd Tuesday of each month during term time
10:00am to 12:00pm

Where
East Bedlington Community Centre, 16 & 17 Station Street, Bedlington, NE22 7JN

How to join
Contact via email to join the group.

Children
Unfortunately children cannot attend this group.

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This group is led by kinship carers and open to all kinship carers in Bedlington and surrounding areas.

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The Kinship Team organise activity days for Kinship Carers to connect, sometimes with the children they care for. For more details, please subscribe to the Newsletter (there's a link in the latest copy - top left of this padlet), or contact the Kinship Team on 01670 626262 for further information.

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Kooth is another support for children and young people around their emotional wellbeing.

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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This Kinship Local Offer was first created in April 2025 and is reviewed regularly, and at least monthly.

If you have questions or require support that cannot be answered with the information on this site, please feel free to contact us:

Contact Us

Post:

Kinship Team
Northumberland County Council
County Hall

Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Telephone:

01670 626262

Email:

kinshipsupport@northumberland.gov.uk

Referral form for Kinship Family Support Worker:

If you are working with a kinship carer and think they would benefit from some support from our Kinship team, please contact us using the form below.

Please discuss this with the kinship carer before making a referral.

If you do not work for Northumberland County Council, please email the email address above to request a referral form.

https://forms.office.com/e/3p1duBHjp5

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We celebrated carer's week 2026 with a cake and crafts session

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One of our Kinship Carers at a recent Family Fun Day at a local farm.

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Carer Guides to Education Teams and Supports Available

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Carer Guides to Education Teams and Supports Available

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Below are a series of guides about each of the teams within the Virtual School and how they may be able to support you.

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Handy pocket guide for your National Minimum Standards

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Handy pocket guide for your National Minimum Standards

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You probably know that the National

Minimum Standards aim to safeguard children and young people living in

foster and kinship care as well as promoting their well-being.

This pocket guide makes it easy for you to meet them the 12 child-focused standards – with clear, practical examples you can use day-to-day.

It also shows how fostering service standards support each one, helping you give children the best care possible. A great tool to refer to anytime!

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Her Circle is an organisation run by women for women.  We specialise in issues related to complex motherhood and women’s recovery from trauma and abuse within that area.

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We raise women's voices to contribute to research and increasing understanding about complex motherhood and surrounding issues.

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From shared experience to collective power.

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StayWise is the UK’s leading emergency services and safety-focused organisations, making it easy for you to find trusted activities that provide learning opportunities to help keep you safe.

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StayWise brings together the educational resources of the emergency services and key safety-focused organisations. We have done this to support teachers and community safety practitioners in delivering essential safety messages.

It facilitates a more effective, consistent and curriculum-linked way of imparting vital life skills to today's young people and preparing a safety-conscious environment for the generations of tomorrow. By using the tools on the site, we can strengthen relationships between communities and emergency services, enhancing the health and safety of everyone within our communities.

Whether you are an educator looking to enhance your teaching and learning or a member of a blue light, or safety-focused, organisation looking for prevention content, StayWise has resources for you.

Teacher

I am a teacher, youth worker or volunteer delivering education to children and young people.

Teacher Area

Blue light & Safety focused organisations

I work for the emergency services or I am a safety professional looking for resources to support community engagement.

Blue Light Area

Public Resources

I am a young person, carer or parent looking for fun activities that will help keep me and my family safe.

Public Area

User feedback

We think StayWise is great, but don't just take our word for it. See what some of our users are saying about the site...

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StayWise provides a free online library full of educational resources and activities from the UK's leading emergency services and safety-focused organisations.

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Relationships Matter is a programme where eight councils across the North East have come together to support families in their local areas.

So whether you are parenting as a couple, are separated or bringing up children with other family members, we’re here to support you all to build strong, healthy relationships with each other.

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Relationships Matter – Support for relationships

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We know all families argue but we all want to help families get along better and create positive relationships for parents and their children.

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Exploitation, Modern Slavery & Sex Work Support Flyer

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Parenting Older Children Schedule - From September 2026 

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Parenting Older Children Schedule - From September 2026 