Special guardianship order assessments

Overview of the special guardianship order assessment

When you apply to become a special guardian, you’ll have an assessment. It’s not a test – it measures:

• your suitability to take on the child, as well as
• the child’s needs.
• the parents’ capacity to look after the child

Depending on your situation, either:

• a social worker from your local authority’s children services will assess you
• the court or local authority (in care proceedings) might appoint an independent assessor.

The social worker will then write a report. The family court uses this report to help make the decision whether to grant the special guardianship order.

Timeline for the special guardianship order assessment

Assessments are usually completed within 12 weeks (3 months).

If you are being assessed as part of care proceedings

In care proceedings, the local authority makes the application to the court. The court will tell the local authority a date by when they should complete your SGO assessment. This is usually within 12 weeks, but it can be less, depending on the circumstances. Social workers need to keep to the date set by the court.

If you have made a private application to the court for a special guardianship order

Once you have notified the local authority of your intention to apply for a special guardianship order (SGO), the local authority should complete your assessment in 12 weeks. Once your assessment is complete, submit your application for the SGO to the court. The court may not be able to grant a special guardianship order unless it has received the report from the local authority.

Read more about making a private application for a special guardianship order (SGO).

Working with local authority children’s services

The local authority should provide you with information about the assessment process so that you know how children’s services will assess you. This includes the criteria they’ll use to assess you and the support they will offer you through the process.

SGO regulations specify what information needs to go into an SGO assessment.

Local authorities have their own templates and forms. These must cover all the information required by the court. Ask them for a copy of the template or form they will use, so that you know what they will be assessing.

Read our guide on working with social workers for an introduction to their role and a list of questions to ask them.

Gathering information for the assessment

The assessment goes into a lot of detail and includes information about you and your background, the child and any support you think you will need.

The social worker will usually complete the process over 6-8 visits, with each visit being at least 2 hours long. However, there may be more sessions if there is a complex history, or less sessions if each session has been longer and the situation is more straightforward. They will also ask you to provide 3 references from family or friends.

It will cover a wide range of topics including:

• employment history
• relationship histories
• family relationships
• your physical and mental health
• your ability to care for the child until they are 18
• how your parents or carers raised you
• how you parented your children
• how you will manage contact
• income and expenditure

They will also check:

• your identity
• pets in your home
• health and safety of your home
• local authorities where you may have lived previously
• with the school your children attend to see how you’re meeting their educational needs

Sharing experiences you think might have a negative impact on your assessment

It doesn’t matter if you’ve had difficult experiences in the past, but the social worker will want to know how you dealt with them.

You should always discuss any difficult experiences you’ve had in the past with the social worker. If you don’t tell them early on in the process, they may see it as not being open and working in partnership with social workers.

If social workers later learn things you’ve not shared, it can affect your assessment later. Things that have happened in the past should not automatically prevent you from having the assessment. The only exception to this would be if you or a member of your household has a criminal record for child abuse or neglect, violent or sexual offences.

Social workers look at:

• your individual history
• the changes you have made since then
• your understanding and reflection on the history
• your capacity to take protective actions when caring for children

Towards the end of the process, the social worker should give you a draft copy of the assessment and ask if you think it is accurate.

Redacting personal information when the social worker files the assessment

The social worker will file the report with the court. They will share it with all parties involved in the case, including birth parents.

You may have shared personal or financial information during the assessment. If you don’t want this to be available to everyone, ask the social worker to redact those details before filing. It is best to ask the social worker for any redactions in writing.

Looking after yourself during the assessment process

You may be talking to the social worker about upsetting topics. It’s a good idea to plan with the social worker when these visits happen, so you have time to wind down and have a break afterwards.

It’s important to get support and ask your social worker for help if you need to.

Kinship can connect you with ‘Someone Like Me’ if you would like to speak to someone who has been through a similar experience. You can also contact our advice team if you have any questions or challenges during the assessment process.

Court decision

If you’re assessed as suitable, the social worker will submit their report to the family court. The court will decide whether to approve a special guardianship order as part of public law care proceedings or approve your private application.

You can find out more about going to court in our advice guide.

Challenging a negative assessment

If the local authority assess you as not suitable to be a special guardian, you should respond in writing, challenging the reasons for the negative assessment.

You need to respond within the timeframe given in the assessment. This is usually 10-14 days.

If the court agrees with your challenge, they may ask the local authority to carry out a new assessment.

Support from Kinship

Here at Kinship, we offer a range of free support for all kinship carers, including workshops, online advice and information, and support groups.

To find services, information and support in your local area, including information about your local children’s services, use our Kinship Compass tool.

You can also contact the Kinship advice team for free, non-judgmental advice and information if you live in England or Wales.