A review published in August by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory calls for significant changes to Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) and recommends including ensuring family members who might become carers have direct experience of looking after the child before the court order is made.
The increasing use of Special Guardianship Orders to place children with relatives following care proceedings, where a child did not have a pre-existing strong relationship with the prospective guardians, has raised concerns about whether such decisions are being made in the best interests of both children and their carers.