Special Guardianship Orders (SGO): Process, Support and Allowances

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) gives a child a secure, long-term home with someone who isn’t their parent—often grandparents, aunts/uncles, older siblings, or family friends—while preserving legal links with birth family. It lasts until the child turns 18 and gives the special guardian enhanced parental responsibility, meaning they can make day-to-day and major decisions without needing routine consent from others with parental responsibility.

What an SGO does (and doesn’t) change

With an SGO in place, the child usually lives with the special guardian permanently. The guardian can make decisions on education, health, religion, travel, and daily care, using their parental responsibility to the exclusion of others when necessary. The order does not extinguish the birth parents’ legal status (unlike adoption), and contact with parents or relatives may continue—either informally or under a court-set plan.

Who can apply and when

Prospective special guardians must be over 18. Common routes include: a relative or connected person caring for the child already, current foster carers, or others the child knows. Applications can be made within ongoing care or private law proceedings, or separately with the court’s permission. Courts consider the child’s welfare, permanence, and the applicant’s capacity to meet the child’s long-term needs.

The SGO assessment and report (what to expect)

Before the court makes an SGO, the local authority must prepare an SGO report addressing the child’s history and needs, the applicant’s suitability, safeguarding checks (including DBS, references, and medical information), and proposals for support and contact. This process resembles elements of fostering and adoption assessments but is tailored to kinship care. Timescales vary depending on complexity and whether the child is already placed.

Contact arrangements under an SGO

Contact can be direct (face-to-face), supervised, or indirect (letters/messages), and may be agreed informally or ordered by the court. Managing safe, child-centred contact is often one of the more demanding aspects for special guardians; local services and specialist charities offer guidance and templates for planning, reviewing, and recording contact.

Special guardianship support: what you can ask for

Local authorities are required to make arrangements for special guardianship support services, including advice, information, counselling, therapeutic input, support groups, training, and financial support where eligible. A needs assessment should determine what’s offered and lead to a written Special Guardianship Support Plan that can be reviewed and updated as the child’s needs change (for example at school transitions or after an assessment).

Support isn’t limited to the guardian; it can also include help for the child (e.g., therapeutic services) and for birth parents in relation to contact. Children who were looked-after immediately before the SGO may also qualify for leaving-care advice and assistance under the Children Act 1989 when they reach 16+, which is important for post-16 education, housing, and pathways to adulthood.

Money matters: SGO allowances

Many special guardians wonder if there is a standard national rate. The key points are:

• Special guardian allowance is discretionary and means-tested. Local authorities assess whether financial support is needed to maintain the child’s placement and, if so, how much. Awards are typically reviewed annually and may change if circumstances change (e.g., income, benefits, new household members).
• Payments can be made periodically (regular weekly/monthly allowance) or as single/instalment payments for specific costs (e.g., bedroom furniture, car seats, contact travel). Financial support stops if a qualifying condition ceases (for example if the child no longer lives with the guardian).
• Councils follow local means-test models (often published) to calculate awards; these models consider net income, outgoings, and benefits. You should be given the results in writing, usually within your Support Plan.

Because SGO allowances are not the same as fostering allowances, amounts vary widely between areas. If you’re currently a foster carer for the child, discuss how support transitions when moving to an SGO (many councils have transitional arrangements).

The 2025 Kinship Allowance Pilot (England): how it links to SGOs

In England, the government announced a Kinship Allowance Pilot running in selected local authorities, paying eligible kinship carers an allowance equivalent to the fostering National Minimum Allowance. The pilot starts rolling out from November 2025 and will be independently evaluated before any wider rollout decisions. While not all special guardians will be covered, it signals policy momentum towards improved, more consistent support for kinship families. Check if your area is participating and how SGOs fit within eligibility.

How SGO allowances interact with benefits and other help

Special guardians may still be eligible for mainstream benefits (e.g., Child Benefit, Universal Credit) depending on household circumstances. Your SGO allowance is separate and usually treated differently in means-tests; seek welfare rights advice when your Support Plan is drawn up so nothing is missed (especially disability-related benefits where applicable). Many councils and charities provide benefit checkers or can signpost independent advice.

Reviewing and challenging support

Because SGO support (including money) is tied to assessed need, it should be reviewed annually or when circumstances change. If your situation alters—say, increased contact travel, therapeutic costs, or reduced working hours to meet the child’s needs—ask for a re-assessment. Where you disagree with decisions, use the council’s complaints procedure and, if required, seek specialist legal or advocacy help. Councils must follow the Special Guardianship Regulations and related statutory guidance when assessing, planning and reviewing support.

Practical tips for prospective (and new) special guardians

1. Document the child’s needs early. Keep records of routines, school/health appointments, transport, and any therapy—this evidence helps shape a realistic Support Plan.
2. Pin down contact in writing. Clear contact expectations reduce conflict. If safety is an issue, request supervised or supported contact and a review date.
3. Ask to see the means-test model. Understanding what is and isn’t counted (and how frequently the council reviews) helps you budget and challenge errors.
4. Check school and health entitlements. SG children may need rapid GP registration, dental checks, and school support (SEN, Education Health and Care Plans). Your Support Plan can reference these responsibilities and coordination.
5. Plan for transitions. Moves to secondary school, GCSE years, and post-16 education are pressure points—ask for Support Plan reviews ahead of time.

SGO vs adoption vs long-term fostering—choosing the right route

• SGO preserves legal ties with birth family and is designed for permanence when parents cannot care safely but ongoing identity and contact are important. Financial support is discretionary/means-tested and tailored via the Support Plan.
• Adoption transfers full parental responsibility and severs legal ties to birth parents; support may include adoption allowance and the Adoption Support Fund for therapy.
• Long-term fostering keeps the child looked-after under the local authority, with carers receiving fostering allowances/fees and regular statutory reviews; it may suit children who need the additional safeguards of care planning.

There is no single “best” option—courts weigh the child’s welfare, stability, identity, and family relationships. If you’re deciding, request independent advice from kinship support organisations and speak to your social worker and (where appropriate) a solicitor.

Key takeaways

• An SGO provides permanence and enhanced parental responsibility to carers the child already knows, while keeping birth family links.
• Local authorities must offer special guardianship support services; your Support Plan should set out practical, therapeutic, and financial help and be reviewable.
• SGO allowances are discretionary and means-tested, reviewed yearly, and can be regular or one-off payments linked to need.
• In England, the Kinship Allowance Pilot (from Nov 2025) will test paying kinship carers at fostering-equivalent rates in selected areas—watch for local eligibility.