During a recent case, Nottingham City Council accepted defeat over a legal challenge to support Kinship carers through the placement of fourteen “looked after children.”

The fourteen children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to live with their grandparents after their parents were convicted during a court hearing in December 2024. Social workers, at this time, visited the grandparents and requested that they continue providing care for the children. Of course, the grandparents were happy to do so if this prevented the children from being separated and placed with strangers.

The children were left in their grandparents’ care until February 2025 when their parents were released from prison.

Due to the number of children in their care, the grandparents were forced to leave their home and move into the parents’ home, for an unknown period due to the circumstances at that time. This only exacerbated their financial issues as they were making payments on both properties due to the parents’ being in prison. The grandparents provided the children with extensive support and despite health conditions of their own, provided excellent care to the children.

The grandparents requested extra and financial support for kinship carers from Social Services. However, during the time spent in their grandparent’s care, the Local Authority failed to provide support for the family beyond requesting charitable support. Nottingham City Council’s standard rate for children between the ages of 0 and 15 ranges from £170.00 per week and £213.00 per week. Carers in Nottingham City Council are also able to claim skills payments, depending on their experience, and one-off clothing allowance for each child.

The grandparents sought support through Kinship, a charitable organisation that assists and supports kinship carers in caring for children when their parents aren’t able to do so. Kinship signposted the clients to our team at Ridley & Hall. After receiving legal advice, the grandparents became aware of the responsibilities Nottingham City Council had towards the children and it was clear that these responsibilities had not been complied with.

Following action taken by our team, the grandparents received a back payment of £36,269.28, covering the period from December to February in which the children were in their care.

Partner, Helen Moody from Ridley & Hall’s specialist Kinship Care Team, who represented the grandparents, commented:

“This was such an unusual case because of the amount of children involved. Certainly, in my experience, I have never known 14 children to be placed with their grandparents. The sheer commitment shown by the grandparents in this case to keep the children together as a sibling group should not be understated. Yet, the Council still took advantage of their good nature. It was clear that the grandparents had agreed to care for the children on the basis that they would be supported. They knew that they couldn’t do it alone; particularly because the grandfather had health issues. To then have money that they were entitled to and required to meet the children’s needs withheld is nothing short of outrageous, and something which almost led to a breakdown of the placement. There would have been no alternative placement able to keep the sibling group together. The amount of stability that the children were given in the time of crisis cannot, and should not, be understated.”

If you have been asked by the Local Authority to care for a family member, get in touch with our specialist Kinship Care Team on 0800 860 6265.

Sophie Aldridge – Trainee Solicitor