Family Support

family support

Family life is different for all of us. What we have to deal with as a family and the challenges we face can sometimes make us feel we are on our own without support.

There are organisations we can reach out to when we need a helping hand through a crisis or if we need someone to talk to, someone to give information, advice and a listening ear.

Whatever you are going through as a family, advice and support is available to help you get through difficult times and enjoy the best of family time together.

Relationships

Living together

Citizen's Advice -Legal difference between living together and civil partnership.

Marriage and Civil Partnership

GOV.UK - what the law says about marriage and civil partnerships.

Births Marriages and Deaths in Sandwell

Register Office in Sandwell.


Getting a Divorce

Citizen's Advice - Separation and getting a divorce.

Divorce Step by Step

GOV.UK - Get a Divorce Step by Step.

Children and Divorce

Family Lives - advice on supporting children through a divorce.


Money Advice 

Divorce and separation - how to manage your money.

Rights of Women and Divorce

A guide to divorce.


LGBT Equality

What the law says - LGBT Rights and Equality.

LGBT Partnership Rights

Same Sex relationships and Civil Partnership rights.


Domestic Abuse

Local support and refuge for women suffering domestic abuse and sexual violence.


Relate -help with family life and parenting

Relate advice if you're having problems in your family life.

Caring for children and young people

NHS Services, support and tips if you care for someone under 21, and moving to adult social services.

Family Life

Family Relationships

Childline - help for whatever is going on in the family.

Families Under Pressure

Tips and tricks to help with difficult behaviour and negative emotions.


Stepfamilies

Relate - advice on parenting stepfamilies.

Becoming a Stepfamily

Family Lives - advice on becoming a stepfamily.

Happy Steps

Help with common issues in stepfamily life.


Blended Families

Create a successful blended family.

Blended Families Advice

Advice on common problems families face coming together in new relationships.

Complicated Families

Adding a new baby to an already blended family.


Parents in Prison

Family Lives - coping if a parent goes to prison.

National Information Centre on children of offenders

An information service for all professionals who come into contact with the children and families of offenders.


Family Rights

A national charity that advises parents, grandparents, relatives and friends about their rights and options.

Fostering & Adoption

Foster for Sandwell

Information about fostering in Sandwell.

Private fostering

Care of a child by someone who is not their parent or a close relative.


Adopting a child

Find out who can adopt and what you need to do.

Adoption in Sandwell

Children need a stable home; can you help?


Having your children adopted

Advice and support with making this difficult decision.

Adoption: I’m getting a new family

Information for children and young people who are being adopted.

Young Parenting

Teenage Pregnancy

Information, advice and guidance for teenagers and their families.

Teenage Pregnancy Support

NHS Teenage Pregnancy support.


Young Parenting Advice

Family Lives -Information and advice for young parents.

Young Parents support 

Little Lullaby offers young parent support by young parents.


Single Young Parents

Gingerbread - Advice for young single parents.

Supporting Young Mothers

Home Start - advice for young mothers.


Being a Young Parent

Childline - help and support for young parents.

Teenage Pregnancy

Advice for parents on supporting their teenager with their pregnancy.


If you are under 16, there are only a few benefits you can claim in your own right.

Once you are 16, there are more benefits you can claim in your own right.

Guide to benefits for under 18's with a baby

Dads

Dads and Partners

NCT information and advice on birth and labour for Dads and Birth Partners.

Tips for your birth partner

NHS advice on support during labour and birth.


Becoming a single Dad

Gingerbread advice for single Dads.

Dads Matter

Support for dads worried about or suffering from Depression, Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).


DadPad

The essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS.

Single parent benefits for Dads

A quick run-down of benefits for single dads and how to make a claim.


Advice for Dads to be

Family Lives advice for Dads to be.

Sands Bereavement Support

Information and support for partners.


Paternity Pay and Leave

GOV.UK information on paternity entitlement and statutory rights.

Parental Rights and Responsibilities

guidance on parent's legal rights and responsibilities. 

Kinship Carers

What is Kinship Care

Kinship care is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or friend who isn’t their parent, usually because their parents aren’t able to care for them. That relative or friend is called a ‘kinship carer’, and it’s estimated that around half of kinship carers are grandparents, but many other relatives including older siblings, aunts, uncles, as well as family friends and neighbours can also be kinship carers.

Kinship Carers

Information for all kinship carers - grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and family friends who step up to raise children when their parents aren’t able to.


Kinship Carers Support Groups

An opportunity to meet other kinship carers and get advice and support.

Kinship Care in England

Key legislation, regulation, guidance and research  relating to kinship care.


Looking after someone else's child

Get support and financial help if someone else’s child is living with you full time.

Private Fostering in Sandwell

Information about private fostering and safeguarding children in Sandwell.

Young Carers

Being a Young Carer

Young carers are young people aged five to 18 who look after a family member who is ill, disabled, is experiencing mental ill health, or is affected by alcohol and/or substance misuse.

The Children and Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014 gave young carers improved rights to an assessment of their needs.

If you or your parents request it, a social worker from your local council must visit to carry out a young carer's assessment.

A young carer's assessment can determine whether it's appropriate for you to care for someone else, and takes into account whether you want to be a carer.

The social worker must also look at your education, training, leisure opportunities and views about your future.

As part of the assessment, the social worker must ask about your wishes and involve you, your parents and anyone else you or your parents want to be involved.

Getting an assessment is the best way to find out what's available in your situation.

Contact Sandwell Council on 0121 569 2200 to talk to a social worker.


Know your Rights as a young carer

Sandwell Young Carers

Sandwell Young Carers provides guidance and support to children and young people (aged 5-18) whose health, education and social lives have been affected as a result of caring for a dependent family member.


Barnardo's Young Carers

emotional support, drop in centres, trips and activities for young carers.

Sidekick

Sidekick is a confidential helpline for young carers in the UK. You can message us any time, about anything that's bothering you as a young carer.

Send a text to 07888 868 059 or an email to sidekick@actionforchildren.org.uk


Being a young carer

NHS advice on being a young carer, your rights and who can support you.

Carers Allowance

A benefit available to young carers 16 and over who are working.


NHS Carers Assessment

If you care for someone, you can have an assessment to see what might help make your life easier. 

LGBT Parenting

Having a baby if you are LGBT+

NHS information and advice on fertility, conception, adoption, co-parenting and surrogacy.

LGBT Parenting Rights

Parental responsibility, adopting, fostering, co-parenting, fertility treatment and surrogacy.


Parenting in same sex relationships

Family Lives information and advice on same sex relationships and parenting.

LGBTQ+ Single Parenting

Gingerbread advice on issues that may be of particular relevance to LGBTQ+ single parents or where extra information may be helpful, such as parental responsibility and workplace rights.

Grandparents

Grandparents and Kinship Care

Information for Grandparents and family where Grandparents become kinship carers.

Resources for Grandparents

Help for grandparents looking after grandchildren.


Grandparents to be antenatal sessions

Sandwell’s Changes Antenatal offer – a two hour session specifically designed to support grandparents-to-be or other family members.

Top tips for Grandparents

Age UK top tips for Grandparents and Grandparents to be.


Kinship Care - Grandchildren coming to live with you

Tips for Grandparents who become their Grandchildren's main carers.

Bereavement and Loss

Grieving and Dealing with Loss

Childline support and advice to help children cope with death and grief.

Cruse Bereavement Care

Free, confidential support for families in Sandwell.


Get help with bereavement and grief

NHS advice on coping with stages of grief.

Supporting your child when someone dies

Advice on helping your child cope with the loss of someone close to them.


Winston's Wish

Supporting children and young people after the death of a parent or sibling.

Page last reviewed: 06/07/2023

Actions

Get in touch with us

Family Information Service

family_information@sandwell.gov.uk
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