Kinship
Special Guardianship Orders
A special guardian is usually someone with a close relationship to the child, such as a family member, former foster carer, or family friend. They need to apply to the court, which will consider their suitability and the child's needs based on a report from the local authority.
Special guardianship is a formal court order, which places a child or young person with someone permanently and gives this person parental responsibility for the child. This could be a grandparent, close relative, or a family friend.
Special guardianship means that the child lives with carers who have parental responsibility for them until they are grown up. If the child was looked after before the Special Guardianship Order (SGO) was granted, they will no longer be the responsibility of the local authority. The order usually lasts until the child is 18 years old.
Apply to become a special guardian on the GOV.UK website
In Swindon our post-order SGO support is provided by Swindon Borough Council.
Support might include:
- advice about special guardianship for families and professionals
- help with contact between a child, his/her parents, or relatives
- support groups
- training programmes and workshops
- therapeutic services for the child
If you would like further support please contact us at sgosupportduty@swindon.gov.uk or telephone 01793 465700.
We continue to maintain responsibility for financial allowances. As part of your assessment, a financial means-tested assessment will have been completed during the assessment process.
If you have a query related to an SGO allowance, email sgofinance@swindon.gov.uk.
Useful resources
