Councillors in Richmond upon Thames have requested a comprehensive update on kinship care arrangements, with the topic scheduled for discussion at the next Education and Children's Services Committee meeting in November. The request, made during a meeting on Thursday, 10 September 2026, signals a focus on enhancing support for kinship carers and the children they care for.
Councillor Michael Wilson specifically asked for more detail on the council's current kinship care provisions and what steps are being taken to improve them. Ian Dodds, Executive Director of Children's Services, confirmed that an update on kinship care would be timely. He noted that the council's 'local offer' for kinship carers has been in place for 15 months and agreed that November would be a suitable time to present this information to the committee.
The 'local offer' aims to provide a range of support for kinship carers. This includes improvements to early therapeutic support, developed in partnership with health professionals. The goal is to offer this support proactively, rather than waiting for children to reach a stage where formal assessments and packages of support are required. This approach has been described as successful in improving outcomes.
The November meeting is expected to provide a detailed overview of these improvements and the effectiveness of the existing local offer. The specific outcomes or decisions from this meeting are yet to be determined, but the discussion is anticipated to focus on further enhancing the support structures for kinship carers in the borough.
For further details on the committee's proceedings, the agenda can be found at Agenda frontsheet Thursday 10-Sep-2026 19.00 Education and Childrens Services Committee. Information regarding decisions made during the meeting is available at Decisions Thursday 10-Sep-2026 19.00 Education and Childrens Services Committee, and the full public reports pack is accessible at Public reports pack Thursday 10-Sep-2026 19.00 Education and Childrens Services Committee.
