Sgo/foster/adopt

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ImNew
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2020 6:40 pm

Sgo/foster/adopt

Post by ImNew » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:05 am

Hi everyone

Hope you had a great xmass and a very happy new year!

So here goes...

My sister has a number of children 1 of which is in a childrens home and 2 that live with the father and a now a newborn.

She has had social service involvement for a very ling time (years) over the past there have been many issues (drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, domestic abuse, neglect, suspected mental health issues and one child being sexualy abused by the mothers ex girlfriend....) these issues have been ongoing and i appolagise but i am never surprised by any of the new issues anymore...

When the new baby was born she was unable to bring baby home to her house and lived in a mother and baby unit with 24 hour monitoring. That has now ended and she has been moved into a family foster care home now....

Both settings dont seem to be great....reporting concerns about her mental state, her structure and other bits...

Court ordered assessments - completed

So i have been approved by social services as a foster carer and sgo carer too....they have asked me to take care of baby in the event the court decides what is best....

We have been advised to find legal advice around an sgo and what is best options for us... (confused) and im not sure what is best sgo? Foster?

Is there an incline on what is going to happen?

Has anyone gone through this before? Any advice

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Suzie, FRG Adviser
Posts: 949
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: Sgo/foster/adopt

Post by Suzie, FRG Adviser » Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Dear I’m new

Welcome to the family and friends carers’ discussion board and thank you for your posts; I will reply to both here. I am sorry that there has been a delay in responding to you.

I am also sorry to hear that that your sister is contending with a number of serious difficulties and is currently going through care proceedings. Do you know when the date of the final court hearing is? If not, ask the social worker to let you know so that you can be well-prepared and informed.

Also, are you having any contact with the baby at the moment? If not, do talk to the social worker (and your sister, if you can) about this so that you can begin to get to know each other, where possible.

You have had assessments for both fostering and special guardianship; you say that you have been approved so it sounds as if all your assessments have been completed and that you have been formally approved at the respective panels. Is this right?

If so, this means that children’s services could place the baby with you under an interim (temporary) care order if needed or, if the court agreed (at the end of the case), under a care order with you as the baby’s foster carer or under a Special Guardianship Order(SGO) if the court made a SGO to you. The court would be unlikely to place a baby with a foster carer (kinship or other) under a Care Order as a long-term plan. However, it could certainly do so on a short-term basis, if needed.

At the final hearing, the court will want to make a permanent plan for the baby. If the baby cannot be returned home to either of their parents and if a family member has been approved as a Special Guardian then this is the most likely option, in most cases. Adoption by a close relative such as an aunt is not usually considered to be in the child’s best interests as it skews family relationships. A SGO gives the carer almost exclusive parental responsibility and keeps a child in their family network. Every child’s situation is different, however, and the court would always need to consider which option is best for the individual needs of the child.

So, if you were to care for the baby permanently it might be that this would be via special guardianship. But if there was a very good reason why another order would be better then you could make an argument for this.

A social worker will not remain involved usually if a child is living with a carer under a SGO (but can become involved as/when needed) but a child living with a kinship foster carer continues to be Looked After by the local authority and will still have a social worker.

It is right that you should look into what will be best is right for you and the baby and that you access legal advice about this. Have children’s services offered to pay for you to get some legal advice? They can (but don’t have to) do this. You can ask if they will help in this way so that you are full informed. They should have a policy abut when they pay for family members to get legal advice; it may also be in their Family and Friends care policy – hopefully you can access a link to their policy here.

We have a very detailed guide to Special Guardianship Orders and I think you should look at part 1 in particular as it sets out really clearly what the order is and the effects of having an SGO. Also you might find it helpful to look at pages 15 to 17 which also discusses long-term fostering and adoption.

As part of your special guardianship assessment, your support needs and the baby’s support needs should have been fully assessed- this should include assessing you for a (means-tested and discretionary) SGO allowance . This assessment for support is crucial and can make a huge difference to carers and the children they care for so do make sure you have a copy of the draft support package in advance of the final hearing if you are pursuing special guardianship. If inadequate you can try to negotiate for a better package – a SGO allowance should be in line with fostering allowance less child benefit and child tax credit which special guardians can apply for but foster carers cannot. Please see part 3 of the advice sheet for fuller information. Support can also include help with managing contact arrangements or issues so do look at this part carefully too.

There is recent best practice guidance on special guardianship too that might be worth knowing about.

And make sure to have a look at our two advice sheets on support for relatives and friends looking after someone else’s child (a) and (b).


Please do post back if you have a further query or if you prefer to speak to an adviser please contact the Freephone advice helpline on 0808 801366, Mon to Fri 9.30 am to 3.00 pm.

With best wishes

Suzie

Cazdob
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:49 am

Re: Sgo/foster/adopt

Post by Cazdob » Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:46 pm

I would not recommend going down the sgo route. I was awarded my grandchildren as a contacted foster carer and was then said I was more suited for an sgo and that I would have any support I needed at the other end of the phone. I had my grandchildren for 4 years and their mum had another child and has a stable relationship. I asked for help in returning the children but I couldn't have a social worker as they were classed as looked after and not at risk. I did do all the work myself and finally got them back to their mum and siblings. I would not advise anyone thinking between sgo and foster caring not to take the sgo basically you are left to deal with any situations that arise alone no help it's as though they wipe there hands of you. That in my honest terms is what I think be a foster carer and you will always have someone at hand to talk to .

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