Tracey's Story
Tracey Robbins, alongside her husband Mark, has been caring for her three grandchildren (aged 15, 14 and 8) for two years and was given a special guardianship order (SGO) 12 months ago.
The 53-year-old, who lives in Wigton, said: “I couldn’t have stood by and seen them go into care. I have a beautiful big house here in Cumbria but before they came to live with me, I couldn’t live in peace as I felt so much guilt about their life.”
She added: “I have always been in my grandchildren’s lives and tried to make sure everything was safe and okay for them; which has really helped them to settle into living with me. They always called me ‘happy nanna’.
“There’s no greater purpose than to try to give a child the best start in life, it is so lovely to see them grow and flourish – since coming to me they are loving just being children again, loving life.”
But she admits it has not always been easy to parent for a ‘second time round’. “It is hard, things have changed so much, even thinking about school these days – so much is done via apps such as Class Dojo, EduLink and Infomail. We’ve had a lot to learn!”
Thankfully her employer has been incredibly supportive of her new role, Tracey explained: “I work for the Eden Project in Cornwall and they have been amazing. When the children first came to us I had been working full time but they allowed me not only to take some compassionate leave but also to reduce my hours and were just so flexible – it was a huge help.
“It doesn’t seem fair that when you adopt you get time off to help your children settle into their new life but unfortunately there is nothing to support kinship carers in employment law.”
It is not only her employers that have been supportive, Tracey said that since gaining the SGO the family has had amazing support from the local authority; from the kinship team and also the virtual schools team who she says have been ‘brilliant’.
She looks forward to attending her local support groups: “Whenever there’s a Coffee and Chat session for kinship carers I try to attend. It is so lovely to be in a room with other people who are in a similar situation to ourselves. You can talk to each other freely without constantly having to explain yourself. It is a ‘safe space’, with access to other people who know how complex the small things can sometimes be as a kinship carer. I always feel so much ‘lighter’ when I come out, it is just lovely.”
Tracey finishes by saying: “I do miss being a ‘grandmother’ – instead I have to be the rule maker and take on a different role. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, as I can just see all of the childrens’ amazing potential and want to give them the second ‘best start’ in life that I can.”