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Positive Relationships: Grandparents - Tender age

Inclusion Working With Parents Practice Positive Relationships
An increasing number of grandparents are taking on the sole care of children. Katy Morton looks at the impact it has on their lives.

Around 200,000 grandparents in the UK are acting as full-time parents to their grandchildren. Those who take on the role and act as guardians to their grandchildren sacrifice the usual relationship with their grandchildren and the privilege of being able to see them when they want and spoil them, say grandparent support groups.

Research by charity Grandparents Plus shows that most grandparent carers are under 65 years old and four out of ten are likely to be raising children alone. Often they have no other option than to take on their grandchildren who otherwise would be put into care.

Despite there being no official figures on the number of full-time grandparent carers in the UK, Grandparents Plus says its records suggest the number of grandparents looking after their grandchildren is on the rise. New guidance being introduced in April, which will recommend that local authorities look to family members in the first instance to provide care, will only add to their growing numbers.

'There can be a mixture of reasons why grandparents become carers to their grandchildren,' says the charity's chief executive Sam Smethers. 'In our survey of 225 grandparent and other kinship carers, 117 said that parental substance misuse was the main reason, or one of the main reasons why they were bringing up their grandchildren' (Nursery World, News, 10 February 2011).

'Other reasons why grandparents have to pick up the pieces can include domestic violence at home, parental abuse or neglect, bereavement, disability or imprisonment.'

To provide a loving, stable environment for their grandchildren, however, grandparent carers often have to make huge sacrifices.

'Many are forced to take early retirement or reduce the number of hours they work so they can look after a child, which can impact on their household income and affect their pension entitlement,' explains Ms Smethers.

'We have found a large proportion of carers are surviving on a household income of less than £300 a week, when the average is £500.

'Grandparents also have difficulty accessing benefits when their grandchildren first move into their homes. This, along with the costs of bringing up a child and legal fees to obtain court legal orders to protect their grandchildren, can be crippling.'

HEALTH EFFECTS

While grandparent carers are estimated to save the taxpayer £5.5bn a year by bringing up their own grandchildren, they can only claim benefits for income replacement.

Grandparents who register as foster carers receive funding towards the care of a child, whereas those who have special guardianship are less likely to receive any financial help. Some local authorities offer a discretionary payment to grandparent carers, but for many this is not an option.

Caring for a grandchild full-time can also have implications on grandparents' health. Research carried out by London South Bank University on behalf of the Grandparents' Association has shown that those who provide more than 30 hours of care a week suffer the most in terms of sleep, finances and physical health.

Over half of the grandparents (based on a survey of 200) questioned said their physical health had worsened, 70 per cent said their sleep patterns had been affected and 40 per cent claimed their mental health had deteriorated (News, 13 October 2010). More worryingly, of the 'family and friends' carers looking after a child with a disability or special needs, just over half have a chronic health condition or disability themselves.

'Grandparent carers often have their own emotional trauma to deal with, particularly when it is their son's or daughter's child they are looking after,' says Ms Smethers. 'Caring for a child full-time can affect grandparents' stress levels and cause depression, which is very common among carers. It can also have a knock-on effect on their social lives and make them feel isolated.'

SCARCE SUPPORT

Despite the growing number of grandparent carers, they are often overlooked by Government policy and practice.

'The biggest problem grandparent carers face is not knowing what they are entitled to and where to go for information and advice,' says Ms Smethers. 'What grandparents need is practical support and parenting systems tailored to friends and family carers that understand their position and can respond to this. Providing good respite care is also important.'

A survey by Grandparents Plus found the majority of carers wanted a break from caring for their grandchildren, but of those who asked for help, only one in four received the support they needed (News, 3 February 2011).

EARLY YEARS HELP

Ms Smethers says it's important that early years settings recognise the difference between parents and grandparent carers. She recommends that they refer grandparents to organisations such as Grandparents Plus, the Grandparents Association and the Family Rights Group.

Next month Grandparents Plus is launching a new advice and information service for grandparent carers that will offer practical support.

'Early years settings can act as a great source of advice,' she adds. 'Many nurseries are now running grandparent groups, but anything they do at all to welcome grandparents is good.'

 

CASE STUDY: FULL-TIME CARER

Natalie Hennigham is a full-time carer to her seven-year-old grandchild. She took over care of her grandson in 2007 because of her daughter's drug addiction and acquired special guardianship of him a year later.

She explains, 'My daughter initially asked me to look after my grandson, but I refused as I felt he is her responsibility and I also had my 11-year-old daughter to think about. When he went into care I visited him regularly, but it was heartbreaking to keep leaving him there.'

Taking on her grandson meant Ms Hennigham had to give up her bank job, which she says was very stressful, and to sacrifice her relationship with her partner.

'My social life is non-existent now,' she says. 'I feel isolated as I have no time to build a relationship with other grandmothers. When I took on my grandson, members of the family and social services said they would support me, but it never happened.

'The school said they are here for me if I ever need any help, but they have only ever called me in to talk about my grandson's bad behaviour and to suggest moving him to an alternative school, when he is the brightest in his class.'

Providing for her grandson financially has also been tough on Ms Hennigham. 'The only money I receive is a remittance fee, which is not even worth talking about,' she says. 'I have to pay for my grandson's clothes, food, play-centre and any after-school activities he wants to do.'

Because Ms Hennigham chose special guardianship of her grandson rather than become his foster carer, she is not entitled to any financial help - a decision she made so as not to have any intrusion from social services.

'Fortunately, I have legal aid to cover the court costs of applying and being granted special guardianship. I do get respite because his mother has him some weekends and his dad often takes him in the school holidays.

'It's taken me five years to get used to caring for my grandson. It's been difficult, as I have suffered psychologically too,' she adds.

'Being a full-time carer has cheated my grandson of his relationship with his grandma - now I'm the parent and have to discipline him, whereas before I could spoil him and comfort him when his mother told him off.'

 

CASE STUDY: CAVERSTEDE EARLY YEARS CENTRE

Caverstede Early Years Centre in Peterborough recognised the need for a grandparents group to support the growing number of grandparent carers in the community. The monthly sessions are held at the local community centre and led by Caverstede's senior practitioner, Caroline Farrington.

She says, 'The one-and-a-half-hour sessions are very low-key and informal and we let grandparents take the lead, with the aim to make them feel valued and give them a voice. A member of staff is always on hand to answer any questions the grandparents may have and we make them aware of various organisation and charities that can help.'

Since starting the group Ms Farrington says she has seen a positive change in the grandparents, who have benefited from meeting and talking to people in the same position as themselves.

Next month the group will welcome a representative of the Grandparents Association who has been invited to offer more comprehensive advice to the grandparents.

 

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