Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

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Key definition

Special Guardianship Order definition

What does Special Guardianship Order mean? A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) places a child in the long-term care of an individual (often a relative or former foster carer) and gives that person secure, day-to-day control of parental responsibility without severing the child’s legal ties to birth parents. In England and Wales, SGOs are statutory orders under the Children Act 1989 (as amended by the Adoption and Children Act 2002). They are commonly viewed as a halfway house between a child arrangements order (live with) and adoption. A special guardian holds parental responsibility and may exercise it to the exclusion of others for routine decisions; parents retain parental...

Special guardianship orders under the Children Act 1989: legal framework, court powers, parental responsibility, best practice and legal aid (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note outlines what a special guardianship order (SGO) is under the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), and the court’s power to make an SGO either following an application or on its own initiative. It also sets out how an SGO grants parental responsibility for a child and identifies the criteria relevant to making such an order.

What is a special guardianship order?

A special guardianship order (SGO) appoints one or more individuals to act as a child’s special guardian. It is often characterised as a ‘half-way house’ between residence orders (now known as child arrangements orders) and adoption orders. The notion of special guardianship concerns the exercise of parental responsibility rather than legal parenthood. Although it is a private law order, it is available in both private and public law proceedings, and will be considered as one of the options for a child in care proceedings...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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