Further to a previous article which explained what a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is, at Hegarty we offer one-off legal advice in respect of SGO Reports and Support Plans which are prepared as part of ongoing care proceedings.. If you have been put forward by the parents of a child as part of these proceedings and approached by a social worker to be assessed as a potential special guardian.. You would become an SGO carer and have responsibility for most of the decisions in the child's upbringing, including where the child lives, goes to school and the medical treatment they receive (claiming any relevant state benefits for the child and means-tested allowances). If you apply to be an SGO carer you CANNOT: Change the name of the child
A special guardianship order (SGO) is made by a family court and states where a child will live to give them security and a permeant home until they are 18 years old. The most common ways to get financial help include: a special guardian allowance from children's services; other support from children's services; government benefits. The SGO report is structured to include the following; the child's information, the birth parent(s) information, the prospective guardian's information, the wishes and feelings of those involved, the support and statutory requirements, key issues of the SGO and any other Orders that could be made, the recommendation of the Assessing Social Worker and a recommendation about contact between.