Dani Pini recently had the pleasure of meeting Clare Kassa, Chief Executive of the UK charity Sibs. About Sibs and its mission Sibs was set up in 2001 in response to demand from parents and professionals for information on how to support children and adults who grow up with or have grown up with a disabled brother or sister. This is a topic that is particularly relevant to our clients here in the Court of Protection team, many of whom are young children with siblings, or adults whose siblings play a significant role in their care and support packages. Supporting siblings in childhood In childhood, siblings of disabled people grow up often receiving less attention, have more worries than their peers and have to face some challenging situations in their home lives. Sibs provides direct support to children aged 7-17 through their YoungSibs information hub, so that children can find information about disability and also get answers to their questions directly from Sibs staff. The web pages provide a range of resources including age-appropriate information on disabilities and health conditions including autism, ADHD, Fragile X and learning disabilities. There is lots of information about how to cope with sibling life at school, maintaining good mental health and tips about what siblings can do if they are worried about the future. Importantly, there is also information about finding ways to develop positive relationships with their brothers and sisters. Sibs also writes monthly blogs for children on relevant topics such as celebrating family occasions, changing schools or learning about new diagnoses. Challenges faced by adult siblings Adult siblings provide care, support and advocacy for their brothers and sisters whilst juggling their own lives and multiple commitments. Siblings rarely receive any acknowledgement of their role or expertise, information about service provision, or support for their own needs. As a result, many adult siblings experience isolation, reduced wellbeing and negative effects on their work, relationships and finances. Many siblings just want to enjoy social time with their brother or sister, rather than time being focused on care tasks. Advice and personal stories are available via their website along with information on network peer support groups, guides on care topics such as mental capacity and managing finances, on-line and in person events and workshops and access to Sibs eBook “Self-care for siblings”. Sibs Talk Lite: Supporting siblings in schools Sibs Talk Lite has also been developed to provide a range of resources for primary and secondary schools to support siblings who are growing up with a brother or sister who is disabled, has special education needs or a serious long-term health condition. For adult siblings Sibs runs a network of adult sibling support groups, provides information guides and runs specialist events. Training is provided for both parents and professionals on supporting siblings across the lifespan. A lifelong relationship: Clare Kassa’s perspective Clare told me that “[t]he sibling relationship is often the longest relationship we experience across the lifespan, but siblings of disabled people are an overlooked group. Siblings have a lifelong need for information and for many, being a sibling also brings caring responsibilities. Our small charity exists to raise awareness and understanding about sibling life and provide specialist vital support.” Her words truly resonated with my experience as a Court of Protection solicitor. Building a relationship of trust and support with our clients also involves understanding their families’ dynamics and being able to offer more than just financial support. How to support Sibs As a registered charity, Sibs’ biggest challenge is generating funding for their work. They rely on donations and support from individuals, businesses, foundations and organisations. If you would like to get involved with any of the events Sibs is holding, raise funds on their behalf or help them out with a donation from you or your business, please visit their website, where you can find out how to get involved. Save the date: Celebrate National Siblings Day on 10th April 2025 – a global awareness day recognising brothers and sisters! Last year’s event reached 21.9 million across social media. Lots of young and adult siblings got involved in events and activities run and promoted by Sibs and hopefully this year’s event will be even bigger and better! If you would like further information about National Siblings Day, please look up their website or sign up to their regular newsletter.
