Topics: Support for you and Our services
Support groups
Meeting and speaking to other special guardians can be helpful for you and the child you care for in lots of ways. You can attend guardian support groups in person or online, which makes it easy to connect and share with people who understand your experience.
Support and understanding
Special guardians often say that no one understands them quite like other guardians. People regularly tell us they were hesitant to join a group but felt a sense of relief once they did.
You can share practical ideas, make new friends and celebrate success together. There are local and national groups that run in person and online – try them out and find what works for you.
Some of the benefits guardians say they find from joining a support group include:
understanding
reassurance
ideas and inspiration
perspective
friendships
“I wish I’d known how lonely and confused I’d feel at the start. It wasn’t until I joined a guardian group that I felt able to talk about it. It was such a relief to know I wasn’t the only one.”
Try our local groups
We offer two groups in Buckinghamshire where you can meet and speak to other guardians. Both are very welcoming of new members and you can join either one or both groups.
We encourage everyone to try them out and there is no commitment. Say as much or as little as feels right to you.
Contact our team via phone or email to find out more, tell us you’re interested and ask any questions.
Guardians group
Our first guardian group meets every month on a Wednesday from 10–11.30am. Sometimes the meeting takes place in person and sometimes online. It’s a great way to meet other guardians, learn about important topics and get support.
Meetups usually combine a mixture of group discussion and guest speakers who cover topics chosen by the group. Previous examples include finance, education and behaviour.
Meetings are run by our support team who arrange speakers and venues, plus answer support related questions.
WhatsApp messaging group
There is a closed ‘guardians only’ WhatsApp group that’s supported by our team. If that doesn’t mean much to you, WhatsApp is a free, secure messaging app that you can use on a smartphone or tablet.
Read an introduction to WhatsApp from Age UK.
The WhatsApp group is a safe space where guardians can message any time to ask questions, share information and talk about their experiences.
You can get involved as much or as little as you like and at times that suit you. It can be a nice informal way to make connections and start benefiting from other people's experiences and advice.
All information is treated in confidence and no members of the staff team have access to the group.
An experienced guardian acts as group administrator and will introduce you once you've contacted our team to say you’re interested.
Events and free newsletter
We also run events during the year to bring special guardians and the children they care for together. You can be the first to hear about events, support and other news if you sign up for our free monthly newsletter for special guardians and adoptive parents.
Find national groups and forums
You don't need to be restricted to local connections and can find valuable support in national peer groups and forums. Most are online and provide easy access to a large range of experiences and information. They can be a great place to chat and get advice.
We’ve listed several groups and forums below that have been recommended by special guardians. Most need you to have a free Facebook account to access them and some you will need to register a user account, but they are free to use.
Facebook groups
National organisations
Family Rights Group (FRG) forum ↗ – FRG runs an online forum where anyone involved with special guardianship can have their questions answered by a member their support team. There is a bank of past questions and answers you may find useful.
Kinship peer support finder ↗ – Kinship is a charity that runs different initiatives to help all kinship carers, which includes special guardians, connect to their peers. It includes one-to-one support and local groups.
Groups for children and birth parents
We also run separate groups that support children and birth parents. Both groups meet throughout the year. They can help a child living under guardianship or a birth parent whose child is living away to process their feelings, form valuable connections and gain reassurance and perspective.
If you think you know someone who might benefit from these groups, please contact our support team for more information.
Things you can do now
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Meet other special guardians
You can come to one of our guardian groups in person or attend online. If you prefer something more informal, there is a WhatsApp group where you can message each other. Contact our team for more information or to join.
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Join a Facebook group
There are several Facebook groups that connect special guardians. Use them for free and as a great way to get advice, ask questions and share experiences with people in similar positions.