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

Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) give a child a permanent home with someone they know and trust—often grandparents, relatives or former foster carers—when living with birth parents isn’t safe and adoption isn’t the right fit. SGOs sit between long-term fostering and adoption: they’re more secure than a Child Arrangements Order, but they do not legally sever the child’s ties with birth family. SGOs apply in England and Wales under the Children Act 1989; in Scotland and Northern Ireland different legal routes are used.

What an SGO does (and doesn’t) do

Parental responsibility and day-to-day decisions

An SGO gives the special guardian parental responsibility and the final say on most day-to-day decisions (schooling, medical issues, routine), even where others—such as birth parents—retain parental responsibility. It lasts until the child turns 18 unless the court ends it sooner. Unlike adoption, it does not end the legal relationship with birth parents, and contact may continue where safe and in the child’s best interests.

England & Wales only

SGOs are a legal route for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different permanence orders and kinship arrangements, so advice there follows separate frameworks. If you live outside England or Wales, seek local legal guidance.

Who can apply—and when?

Typical applicants

Family members (including grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles), family friends and foster carers are common applicants. The court will look at the child’s welfare, the history of care, and whether special guardianship offers stability and security without the finality of adoption.

Giving notice to the council

If you’re applying outside care proceedings, you must notify your local council in writing at least three months before you apply, so it can prepare the required report for the court. You must also notify anyone named in existing orders about the child.

Inside care proceedings (the 26-week timetable)

Where an SGO is considered during public law (care) proceedings, the family court works to conclude cases within 26 weeks, with limited scope for extensions. This drives timely assessments and decisions about a child’s permanence plan.

The assessment and court process

The local authority report

Before making an SGO, the court must receive a comprehensive report from the local authority covering the child’s needs, the applicant’s capacity to meet them, safeguarding checks, contact proposals, housing, finances and support needs. This report informs whether special guardianship best serves the child’s long-term welfare.

Support plan (drafted before the order)

If the report identifies support needs, the council should prepare a Special Guardianship Support Plan setting out services (e.g., therapeutic input, training, contact facilitation, practical help) and any proposed financial support. The plan is considered by the court alongside the SGO application.

The order and contact

The court’s final order names the special guardian(s) and may set out contact arrangements with parents or relatives (direct, supervised, or indirect). The special guardian then leads day-to-day decisions and works with the local authority and school/health services to implement the support plan.

Support for special guardians

What help can be included?

Support can cover therapeutic services, parenting programmes, training specific to trauma/attachment, respite, help with contact arrangements, and practical assistance (e.g., transport). Where the council provides one-off cash as part of a service—say, petrol for contact or a babysitter for a short break—statutory guidance says that should not be means-tested (this is distinct from regular financial support, which usually is).

England and Wales: the policy picture

In Wales, practice is guided by a Code of Practice that sets out expectations on assessment and support for SGOs, and there is an “All-Wales offer” describing the baseline of support services regional partners should provide. In England, statutory guidance sets similar expectations around assessment, planning and review. Whichever nation you’re in, ask for the written support plan and how to access reviews if needs change.

Financial support and allowances

Is there an SGO allowance?

Yes—financial support may be available, but it’s discretionary and usually means-tested. Councils assess your income/expenditure and the child’s needs; awards vary by area and can be time-limited or reviewed annually. You’re more likely to get an allowance if the child was looked after by the local authority before the order, or if you were previously the child’s kinship foster carer. Expect the level to differ from fostering allowances/fees, because SGO payments are assessed on your circumstances rather than set nationally.

How the means test works (in practice)

Local authorities often follow a standardised means-test model (or a variant of it). They’ll ask for proof of income, benefits and essential costs, then calculate whether and how much allowance is payable. Policies differ, but transparency on the calculation and a right to review are common features.

One-off or service payments

Where the council provides cash as part of a service—for example, to facilitate contact or short-break babysitting—statutory guidance indicates this shouldn’t be means-tested, because it’s a service delivery mechanism rather than ongoing financial support. Keep receipts and agree these in advance via your support plan.

Benefits alongside an SGO

Special guardians can usually claim Child Benefit and other means-tested benefits subject to normal rules. A small number may qualify for Guardian’s Allowance (a separate DWP benefit) in specific circumstances, such as where both parents have died—this is in addition to Child Benefit and is tax-free. Check eligibility carefully as rules are narrow.

SGO vs long-term fostering vs adoption

Security, support and money—how they differ

• Long-term fostering: allowance + potential carer fee, strong professional support structure; parental responsibility remains with parents/local authority; placements can change.
• SGO: more secure day-to-day decision-making and legal authority rests with the special guardian; discretionary, means-tested allowance may be available; support via a support plan rather than a fostering framework.
• Adoption: lifelong legal change; contact often less frequent or indirect; support via adoption support assessments; financial help can be available but is also discretionary/means-tested.

For many children, SGOs balance stability with continued family links—especially when they can stay within their wider family network.

Reviews, changes and what if circumstances shift?

Asking for a review

If the child’s needs escalate (for example, new diagnoses or school changes) or your finances alter materially, you can ask the local authority to review the support plan and allowance. Councils publish their policies and timescales for reassessment.

Varying or discharging an SGO

Although SGOs are designed to last to 18, they can be varied or discharged by the court if there’s a significant change in circumstances and it’s necessary to meet the child’s welfare. Legal advice is recommended if you’re considering an application or responding to one.

Practical tips before you decide

Ask the right questions early

• What support will be in my plan for Year 1? (Therapy, training, contact, respite.)
• How will financial support be calculated and reviewed? (Request the policy.)
• Who do I contact if needs change? (Named worker; review timescales.)
• How will school and health be coordinated? (SEN/EHCP where relevant.)

Get the support plan in writing before the order is made, and keep it with your court paperwork. If you’re a foster carer considering SGO, seek advice on how your current fostering package compares with likely SGO support so you can budget realistically.

Bottom line

SGOs give children a stable, long-term family home with carers who have the authority to parent, while preserving safe links to birth family. The process involves notice (in private applications), a local authority report, a support plan, and a court decision—often within the family court’s 26-week timetable when inside care proceedings. Support can include therapy, training, help with contact and, in many cases, a means-tested allowance. Go in with eyes open: understand your council’s policy, secure a written plan, and keep it under review as needs evolve.