A call for significant changes to Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) has been made.
A new research review shows that SGOs provide children with a safe, permanent home with family members when the court decides they cannot live with their birth parents.
The review commissioned by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory calls for significant changes including:
Increasing focus on working with family members who might become the child’s special guardian before care proceedings commence.
A statutory minimum amount of preparation and training for prospective special guardians.
Ensuring that prospective special guardians have direct experience of caring for the child before making a Special Guardianship Order, evidenced by a thorough assessment of suitability
Ensuring that support services are available locally and align with entitlements for adopters and foster carers such as parental leave, housing priority and financial support.
According to the review, use of SGOs is not aligned with best practice in other forms of placement such as adoption and foster care, even though children have experienced similar levels of abuse and neglect and the demands placed on special guardians are as great as for other carers.
Our family team has a lot of experience in advising prospective special guardians in respect of the court process and availability of support services.