Settling in payments

[youngagain]

The L.A. have a duty to pay for baby sitters so you can have some respite. This is not means tested as it is providing a service.They rejected our claim for such and other service related payments.This is illegal and contrary to the special guardianship regulations. You should get travelling expenses and other one off payments for things like contact.

[Piglets-House]

Youngagain, Can I just say that you have no idea what you are talking about. Special Guardianship is not there so people can milk the LA for every penny they can. When an order is made a support package is put in place for the child which should meet their needs, it can be reviewed annually if necessary. If you did not get this tied in with your SG Order then it has been deemed you do not require the assistance, it has to be means tested and as far as it contravening human rights you must be joking? I assume you obtain your SGO willingly you were not forced to court and it was not insisted you take on the child/children you have! If not then how can it be in contravention of your human rights. You chose to take on the child/children you have, so with that comes a responsibility to feed and clothe them.

The parents will always retain financial responsibility for the child/children and you can claim from their benefit money yes it is only

[David Roth]

Local authorities do have a duty to provide specific special guardianship support services. But this is a general duty, and the local authority does not have to provide them for each special gfuardian. In other wordsm, although the local authority has a duty to provide these support services, there is no entitlement by special guardians to receive them.

Among the support services which local autorities have a duty to provide are: financial support, support groups, assistance with contact including mediation, therapy for the child, training, respite care, counselling, advice and information.

Because local authorities have discretion over whether to provide these support services to individual carers, there are huge differences between authorities and even within authorities as to how much support carers receive.

David R
FRG Policy Adviser