If you’re caring for the children of loved ones affected by substance misuse, you’re a kinship carer.

Swanswell wants to set up a new support and advocacy group for Coventry and Warwickshire, bringing together grandparents or other relatives in a kinship caring role.

We know that this role is often done with little support or financial help, so we want to find out from you what you would like help with, and with your help, raise the profile of your important caring role both locally and nationally.

A survey by Grandparents Plus in 2010 suggested there were at least 200,000 grandparent carers in the UK (Saunders, H., and Selwyn, J,. 2008), of which 46% were caring for children because of substance misuse problems affecting their parents (Wellard, S. and Wheatley, B. 2010).

Problematic alcohol or illicit drug use is one of the most common causes of kinship caring and it’s thought that an estimated 1.3 million children have parents who are affected by substance misuse (Cabinet Office, 2004 and Department of Health 2007).

With that in mind, Swanswell’s asking grandparents, aunties, uncles, older siblings and other family members to get in touch with the charity to register their interest in getting involved with the group, which will be led by the carers themselves.

All information will be treated confidentially.

If you’re a kinship carer and would like to find out more about helping us set up the kinship carers support and advocacy group, please call Adele Farr on 02476 226 619.