份 o ran y cyn 없이wn y gwahanol lleol a lychwin am unrhyw leisio ddebyddion y cyfnod, ond eich misgynig yn cael ei ddfrannu. Mae'r ddorffent wedi bod i'r ddwylau gefnodiwyr i gael ei archifinogiad, a chi allu fy mwy chyfiad a'i gael ei angen, mewn ei ddwylau i'r cyfnod yn ei ddodffent. Maesgrame, if you are ready, seven minutes please. Maesgrame, first of all, I thank all who supported this motion, the authors of, Through Our Eyes, the booklet The Product of Kinship Carers, who took part in a creative writing course, and all kinship carers, including many of whom are here tonight, and across Scotland, without whom so many children would be without the love, support and guidance essential to As at 31 July 2014, there were over 15,500 looked after children. From 2013 there has been a decrease, but this gives an indication of the number of families affected. But I want to focus away from figures and statistics and to the impact on the carers, as described in this book. I think that the best thing that I could do, Deputy Presiding Officers, is to read extracts from it. I'm going to start with a passage that starts with where do I begin. Life as we knew it changed and normal routine became a series of meetings, core groups, looked after children reviews, children's hearings and child protection, jargon such as parallel planning, rehabilitation and section 11 residency orders was commonplace at the meetings. It was presumed that I understood the purpose of each meeting, presumed that I understood social work terminology, presumed that I would make myself available for every meeting and for social work visits, presumed that I was coping fine. I cannot count the number of times I was told I was doing a great job. I was not in control of my life anymore. Life went on. Now we are almost eight years down the line and I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I were not raising my grandson. He goes on to say, was it the life that I would have chosen? No way. Would I ever change it? No way. From another extract called, I don't want this, well my family are fine, strong and supportive. We will deal with this but I don't want this. This mess that wasn't my making, I could start at the very beginning and tell you about my daughter and her problem or I could tell you about the hell of living with a drug addict. I could call him the father, any vile name I could think of but this is not about them and I will not make it about them but I don't want this. This is about my grandson and about adoption, about him being adopted and it can't be happening. Another one called our precious grandchildren. This is about a court battle. We went to court again and it was dad against mum. The judge told us that it was only those that mattered who could say. We told him that we had been looking after our grandchildren for the last year. The judge then told us that we mattered at last we could have our say. Mum set her piece, dad said his and then we were able to speak. Our son was asked what he had to offer his children. He said discipline. We were asked the same question, we replied love. Shortly after the hearing we were allowed to take the children away for a three week holiday to Canada. When we were there we found out we had won the case and we could keep the children with us. It was a further six years after the court case that we found out that we had section 11 and had parental rights and responsibility. At last we could stop worrying about someone coming and taking away our precious grandchildren. Another story called life changes. This is from a parent, a grandparents who take care of two granddaughters and also a great-grandson. He gives us a typical day that some will recognise from their parenting. 7am, up wash, shave and have a cuppa. 7.30, wake up eldest granddaughter for school. 7.45, wake up great-grandson and dress him. 7.55, take granddaughter round to bus stop then home. 8 o'clock, wake up wife and help her if needed. 8.15, wake up my other granddaughter. 8.30, take great-grandson to school then home. 9 o'clock, make sure other granddaughter is ready for taxi to school. 9.15, check on my wife to make sure he's okay and the rest of the day is all organised round the children. My days are not what I imagined they would be like at the stage of my life. It's exhausting at times and sometimes I feel my life is no longer my own but when I think back I remember I was working so hard when my own children were growing up I missed a lot. Now that I have my grandchildren it's like having a second chance. I can now honestly say I enjoy our lives together and truly love seeing them develop into our next generation. Those are all stories from the heart and some of them tell as many will recognise of sons or daughters who become drug addicts or have relationships with drug addicts and the children that go to these grandparents are often quite damaged and traumatised and these are grandparents who were looking at a different stage of their life. Some of them had to sell their houses, some of them had to give up jobs but not one of them thought they would turn their back on the children and we do to some extent take them for granted. I don't mean we mean to take them for granted but the thing about this book which I found extremely moving through our eyes is that there's guilt, there's people who wish for a time, they didn't have that life but we'd now never change it. People who were thrown into the situation, they thought their life was going to take a different tack but would never ever have turned their back on the grandchildren. Here's somebody who says now, it's under story now, I've been a kinship carer for 15 years but we had our grandchildren a year before that. Over the years I've heard so many things that have been done to the grandparents and the children through alcohol and drugs but with all the things that happened to us and against us as grandparents we all become stronger. The grandparents moved on events and outings for the children we got go to because we're just big kids ourselves. I feel we're like all one big family helping each other and what I feel is important about this book and I know the grandparents painted again in Kinship Cairns and Midlothian want to happen is that they want social workers to read these stories. They want trainee social workers to read these stories. To remember, as the first story illustrated, the jargon that is put before these grandparents is bewildering, the time it takes, the concern that despite having physically looked after the children for years you may have them taken away from you. I think that this is essential reading and I recommend it to parliamentarians here and I'm glad you're here to hear it some of you but I also recommend it to anybody involved with Kinship carers through the various agencies. Thank you very much Presiding Officer. I now call on more come to him to be followed by Kenny Gibson. Can I begin by congratulating Christine Grahame on introducing this motion and saying that I have actually signed the motion but it doesn't appear because I put the wrong number but it should be corrected hopefully tomorrow. I would also of course congratulate the group who have been meeting for quite a long time in Midlothian and certainly commend their very moving and powerful publication, which I was pleased to read this morning. As Christine Grahame says, her recommendation that all social workers should read it is a very good recommendation. I think that we all talk about learning from the experience of whether it's patients in the health service or service users from local councils or whatever, but I think that principle is absolutely right. Listen to what people who are saying have learned from experience what it's all about and social workers could certainly profit from reading this publication. Of course, in paying tribute to those particular grandparents, I think that we should pay tribute to all grandparents who are Kinship carers. Perhaps to all grandparents more widely, as a grandparent myself, I totally understand the amazingly strong bond that exists between a grandparent and a grandchild. In my experience, it's of the same strength as the bond that exists between a parent and a child. I think that grandparents more generally play a very important part in the lives of their grandchildren, at least the very many grandparents do, often providing childcare and other support. We should remember that as part of our consideration today, but clearly being a grandparent kinship carer is of a different order of magnitude and many particular challenges and problems face grandparents in that situation. They are documented most powerfully in the publication, but clearly others have written about them. For example, Citizens Advice Scotland did some work on this and highlighted problems such as giving up work, arranging and paying for childcare, dealing with financial problems, the need for respite care, pressure on the grandparent's own relationship and so on. That has been documented in studies, but there is a particular truth in reading it from grandparent kinship carers. As it happens, just by coincidence yesterday, a constituent who is a grandchip kinship carer, just beginning to become a kinship carer, came into my constituency office entirely, as I said, by coincidence. She certainly outlined some of the challenges that she is facing. For example, she is working full-time, so how is she going to manage to deal with looking after the child? Obviously, one of her key demands is for some help with childcare. I am obviously helping to investigate that for her, and hopefully we can make progress on it. However, that was just a small example that just came across my desk yesterday. Christine Graham talked about 13,000 looked-after children. Of course, many kinship carers are looking after a looked-after child, but equally there are many other kinship carers who have children who are not looked after in the formal sense of looked after by the local authority. That was one example for me yesterday. It is clear that there is a particular issue, because while looked after children have certain rights in terms of entitlements that the kinship carer will receive, those looking after children who are not in that category really have no rights at all. The support that they get from local authorities is entirely discretionary. I realise that—perhaps the minister will talk about that in her wind-up—there are regulations coming on the back of the recent young people's bill that will give certain rights to kinship carers looking after children who are not formally looked after. That will hopefully improve the situation, but at present it is entirely discretionary. Although support can be given through the use of the children's act of the 1968 social work act, we know that that is entirely discretionary, so the quicker we can have those regulations introduced the better. Let's end once again by paying tribute to Christine Grahame, but even more importantly to the grandparents who have produced this magnificent publication through our eyes. I begin by thanking my colleague Christine Grahame for securing this valuable debating time to discuss and debate this important issue. The work of kinship carers is not always feel understood and all too often overlooked entirely. However, the love and care that they provide is invaluable not only to the children who look after but to society more generally, allowing some of their most vulnerable children to remain within their wider family instead of going into institutionalised care or to a foster family. Kinship care is often far more challenging than many people realise and impacts enormously on the carers' life. If a grandparent is concerned, it is quite daunting, particularly when they believe that their life is going to go on a different path than the one that they perhaps had envisaged. It is wrong to assume that kinship care is simply a normal family obligation with mere seamless transitions from one household to another. Indeed, the circumstances surrounding the need for kinship care can often be incredibly complex and difficult to deal with, both for the child and their carer. As the book through our eyes successfully explains, kinship carers can often find the role they have assumed extremely demanding and simply do not have the knowledge or support to cope, at least initially. Children may experience mental health problems or be traumatised as a result of domestic violence, bereavement or neglect. As Christine Grahame is clearing her motion, stories with titles such as I do not want this, it was only for a couple of weeks, where do I begin and a long road ahead show this compelling and heartfelt book as it affects people who have to deal with these issues on a day-to-day basis and provides a unique insight into the challenges that kinship carers face. It is therefore important that we, as a Parliament, do what we can to recognise and confront this reality and support kinship carers as they manage in often very difficult circumstances. In this vein, I would like to make special mention of children first and recognise the vital work that they carry out to support kinship carers through their national helpline and national kinship care service, which also advice, support and information to kinship carers. It is also through their consultations with kinship carers that we can build a picture of what level of service and support is required to improve the current situation. I am confident that the Scottish Government will continue to support children first and other organisations, but most importantly the kinship carers themselves in the excellent work that they do in the years ahead, as I am sure the minister will confirm. Although there is clearly a need to strengthen and expand the support that is available to kinship carers, particularly in terms of befriending services and financial support, I am pleased to note that the Scottish Government has been moving in the right direction over the years. Indeed, the Scottish Government was the first to introduce kinship care payments and, for the first time, the Children and Young People Scotland Act 2014 provides specific legal entitlements to support for kinship carers and also for eligible children themselves. Financial support is clearly of great importance when we consider the increased cost of keeping a dependent child and also the fact that some 43 per cent of kinship carers have to give up work to fulfil their role, causing undoubted financial strain. As my understanding that the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a financial review of support for kinship carers to consider how best to support kinship care families in the future. Unfortunately, despite assurances from the UK Government during the welfare reform process, that they would exempt kinship carers from welfare reform changes for up to a year after they came into effect, including sanctions that return to work, interviews, bedroom tax, etc. Many are affected. I therefore hope that, along with our colleagues at Westminster, we can compare the UK Government, so look again at this issue and recognise a different legislative frameworks for kinship care north and south of the border, ensuring that families get all the benefits that they are entitled to on time. Again, I would like to thank my colleague Christine Grahame for securing this debate. I look forward to further exploring how we can help those who sacrifice so much to help others. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I also commend Christine Grahame for securing this evening's debate and for her very moving readings from through our eyes. As a grandmother myself, I'm very much aware of the role, influence and support that grandparents can have in families and their key position in assisting parents who often lead busy lives and at times require a respite from day-to-day parenting. When my children were young, I was fortunate enough to work for just two mornings a week and my mum loved to look after them, using her significant storytelling skills to enthrall and sometimes terrify them with tales of fairies and witches. She loved her involvement with them and they loved having her around. My husband and I were able to enjoy the occasional weekend away by ourselves when my parents-in-law had the children to stay, which I suspect was more of a treat for the young ones than it was for the oldies, but they never admitted that they were pleased to hand their young charges back to us. Many grandparents today have very serious child caring responsibilities, which they sometimes find stressful and onerous at a time when they've retired from work and had been anticipating a life of their own. It was time to do things that were beyond their reach when they were working themselves. Grandparents are often the unsung kinship carers who should be championed and recognised as vital components in the growth and wellbeing of children and young adults. Christine Grahame's motions entitled Through Our Eyes, which, as we know, refers to a truly inspiring book of collections of poems and stories of kinship carers who have been at the coalface of looking after children in a whole manner of circumstances. Having read the rave reviews not released by Christine Grahame herself, I think that this will definitely be in my list of summer readings. I haven't read it as yet. As I said, as a grandparent, I know the importance attached to the presence of grannies and grandadds in everyday life, and I count myself lucky that I've lived to see my older grandchildren grow up and get to know the newest arrival who will celebrate his first birthday next month. I've not had to make the very real sacrifices which many kinship carers have made to take care of their grandchildren. The charity Grandparents Parenting Again and Kinship Carers, now in its 10th year, provides an invaluable service to people in Midlothian, as Christine Grahame described, and similarly in my hometown of Aberdeen, the work of family law in Rose Street stretches across all areas and includes advice regarding the role of grandparents when families experience divorce or separation. Sadly, grandparents can often be caught in the crossfire of a separation, leading to children not being able to see their grandmothers and grandfathers. I know kinship carers, though, who have been left literally holding the baby when their own offspring have hit a crisis, whether through drugs or alcohol or a violent domestic relationship. They step in to take the children to a safe place in an emergency when they're not secure at home, and because they're not in a formal caring relationship, they're left without help or support, a situation that may not be resolved in years. They may have to give up their work and deed their lives for their grandchildren, and they suffer financial hardship and stress, which can endanger their own relationships. As Christine Grahame said, they don't abandon the children they love and care for. I welcomed the publication last year of the National Family Mediation's leaflet, which specifically addresses how grandparents can help their grandchildren cope with their lives after parents have separated. I also read with interest the recently published report by Grandparents Plus, which highlights the fact that, since the late 1990s, grandparents have increasingly contributed to the upbringing of their grandchildren, but without the financial means that come with being registered as a formal kinship carer looked after children. Figures going back to 2010 showed that one in every 100 children lives with a grandparent because they cannot, for some reason, live with a birth parent. At the same time, more than 1 million children in the UK are denied contact with at least one of their grandparents. I have incredible sympathy with grandparents who voluntarily give up their time to look after their grandchildren without the necessary backup from the state. If we want to reduce the benefits bill and get parents into work, we must also look at assisting grandparents who step into child-minding roles. To conclude, I just say that all of us in this chamber and many outside of the chamber recognise the enormous contribution to society that is made by kinship carers in general, but I feel that more emphasis needs to be placed on respite and allowing such carers much needed time-out from what can be a very pressurised job of looking after loved ones. Again, I thank Christine Grahame for tabling the motion and allowing us to celebrate those unsung heroes. I thank the minister, Fiona McLeod, to close the debate. I am half of the Government, so, thereby, please, minister. I begin by echoing other members' thanks to Christine Grahame for bringing this very important issue before Parliament. Christine, you have allowed us to highlight to Parliament and to the rest of Scotland the great work that was carried out by grandparents' parenting again and by kinship carers in Midlothian. Indeed, all kinship carers and kinship carers throughout Scotland. I thank all the kinship carers for the work that they are doing. You have also introduced this librarian to a lovely collection of stories that I did not know, which was a delight to read, which is sometimes quite difficult but informative. I will return to that later. The Scottish Government believes that the best place for a child to live, whenever a child needs to leave its birth parents, is in the wider family if it is safe and in the best interests of the child to do so. That way, it allows the child to retain a sense of family of identity and heritage and helps a child to feel safe, protected and valued. There are many children and young people in Scotland who are living in kinship carer arrangements. Christine Grahame highlighted some of the numbers. In 2014, there were 4,181 looked after children living with family and friends. We estimate that there may be as many as 15,000 non-looked after children living in informal kinship carer arrangements. Those numbers again highlight how important kinship carers are and how much gratitude we have to show towards them. The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role played by kinship carers in providing secure, stable and nurturing homes. Kinship carers who take on that responsibility are providing a valuable service and it is therefore vital that we provide them with the right support at the right time to care for their children. That is why we as a Government since 2007 have done much to address kinship carers' specific needs. I can highlight just a few of our actions. In 2009, we established the looked after children Scotland regulations, which, for the first time, gave local authorities the power to pay an allowance to kinship carers of looked after children. The Children and Young People Act of last year enhances the support that is available to kinship carers of non-looked after children who obtain an order under section 111 of the Children's Scotland Act 1995, which gives them parental responsibilities and rights, residence or guardianship, and that will now be called a kinship carer order. Perhaps that addresses some of the questions that Malcolm Chisholm asked, because that means that there will, for the first time, be a specific legal entitlement to support for kinship carers of non-looked after eligible children subject to a kinship carer order and also for the eligible children themselves, which I think is important to realise. The Government believes that the support for kinship carers, which is set out in the act and subsequently through secondary legislation, will make a real and positive difference to kinship carers and the children in their carers. However, we recognise that more can be done to support kinship carers and those in their carers and that there is a need for greater fairness in the provision of allowances. That is why we are currently reviewing the financial support available to kinship carers with a view to tailoring support and tackling inconsistencies across Scotland. Kenneth Gibson raised the position of benefits, and I am sure that he knows, but it is worth putting on the record that, a couple of years ago, the Scottish Government managed to work with the DWP to get a benefits disregard for kinship carers so that they did not lose out on their local authority allowances, but absolutely we have to continue to be vigilant and to work with the UK Government to ensure that any changes in benefits do not impact negatively on our kinship carers. I was interested in the first reading that Christine made from the book, because it allows me to highlight the further support that we provide kinship families. In her first reading, she talked about how the jargon busting and how, when it is new especially, there is such a maze for the kinship carers to work through. Since 2011, the Scottish Government has funded to the tune of about £1 million Systems Advice Scotland, Children First and Mentor UK to deliver information advice and support to kinship carers. That has ensured that hundreds of kinship care families throughout Scotland have had access to the right supports at the right time for them, and I hope that I am absolutely on solid ground in saying that that support is out there to help kinship carers. All those policies and programmes demonstrate how much the Scottish Government values kinship carers and that we are committed to tackling inequalities and ensuring that kinship care families are fully supported to carry out this important role. As I said earlier, I think that Through Our Eyes is a wonderful book that not only demonstrates the difficulties that can be encountered by kinship carers but also emphasises the happiness, the laughter and the joy that the role can bring as evidenced by when Christine Grahame read out the fifth extract. I wonder if the minister would add her support to my call and the kinship carers call for social work as we made aware of the book, so that they understand that many of the kinship carers keep quiet about a lot of stuff when they are dealing with the professionals that the professionals ought to really know about. Ms Grahame has just gone in before I came to the librarian bit, because I absolutely believe that this book will become part of the body of evidence for practitioners and for students in social work. As a librarian everybody hears me talking about the evidence and it is all about peer reviewed and random and controlled trials, but part of the body of evidence is for practitioners to understand through real life stories what it is really like to be a kinship carer. I commend the book and I salute kinship carers throughout Scotland for the role that they play in ensuring that the children and young people in their care are safe, secure, nurtured and loved, enabling them to go on and they tap a and successful lives. Minister, I thank you all for taking part in this important debate and I now close this meeting of Parliament.