Kinship Local Offer

Here you will find information on some of the support available to you if you are a Southwark kinship carer.

Family support

The Special Guardian and Connected Carers Team are happy to answer your queries. This includes: 

• financial entitlements
• how to get a referral for therapy, housing or family mediation  

The team also runs a monthly support group where you can meet other kinship carers and talk about concerns. Contact them by:

• phone: 020 7525 1762
• email: sgoconnectedpersons@southwark.gov.uk 

Childcare 

Childcare costs can be expensive. As a kinship carer, you may be entitled to financial support to help cover the cost of childcare. There are a certain number of hours a week of free childcare, from an approved provider, available for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

Currently, if you’re working and you live in England, you can get:

• 15 hours a week if your child is 9 months to 2 years old
• 30 hours a week if your child is 3 to 4 years old

These age ranges are inclusive, meaning you can get 15 hours a week up until your child’s third birthday, and 30 hours a week up until their fourth birthday.

By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support a week.

If you're eligible for Universal Credit, go to work, and pay for childcare, you can get up to 85% of the childcare costs back through Universal Credit. However, you will only get the money back once the childcare has happened, usually in the same assessment period that you report them. 

You can claim a maximum amount for each assessment period of:

• £1,014.63 for 1 child
• £1,739.37 for 2 or more children

If you cannot pay your childcare costs upfront, you may be able to get help with that through the Flexible Support Fund.

For more information, contact the Southwark Family Information Service.

You can:

• call 0800 013 0639, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• email family.info@southwark.gov.uk

Kinship 

Kinship is a national charity that provides dedicated help, advice and information to kinship carers. Visit the Kinship website.

General support

Southwark kinship carers can also get:

• confidential and impartial advice on local services for children and families from Southwark Family Information Service
• advice and support for parents and carers from  Southwark Children and Family Centres
• resources for young people from One Hub Southwark
• support for children, young people and adults (aged 0-25) who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• free parenting courses led by parents from our Southwark communities from our Family Early Help Team
• therapy and parenting advice from The Nest Southwark  
• help for people struggling with their mental health to navigate a range of services on offer from the Southwark Wellbeing Hub
• a directory of community-based mental health and wellbeing services specifically for Black people in Southwark from Healthwatch Southwark
• advice if your child is involved with or requires children’s social care services from the Family Rights Group
• free independent legal advice and factsheets to children, parents, carers from Coram Child Law Advice