Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement specific training for (a) emergency care workers, (b) other healthcare professionals and (c) administrative NHS staff on (i) treating children who are in kinship care, (ii) the various types of care arrangements and (iii) the rights of carers with legally recognised parental responsibility.

The core and specialist training for children living with kinship carers is the same as for all children in care. The Government does not have plans to implement specialised training at present.

The Government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. We are determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers have a crucial role to play. The Government knows that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support in the health system. Kinship carers often take on this role at a time when they were least expecting to raise a family, and we recognise the challenges they face.