Special guardianship was introduced as a permanence option for children in 2005, through an amendment to the Children Act 1989. It was introduced as a private family law order that appoints one or more persons to be a child's 'special guardian' and is intended for children who cannot live with their birth parents and who would benefit from a legally secure placement.
A special guardianship Order (SGO) enables a special guardian to exercise full parental responsibility for a child, but - unlike adoption - does not sever the child's legal relationship with his or her birth parents.
A study commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) last year found that special guardianship had been a welcome development by families and practitioners, who saw it as an important pathway to permanence. It found that special guardianship was frequently used for children who were living with relatives or family friends, and was overwhelmingly used for children in or on the edge of care.
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