Appendix 1: Permanency Planning Pathways Family and Friends Foster Care Special Guardianship Adoption Care Order (SGO) The child has been placed The child is a looked after child The child may be at risk of Looked after children: the LA with the relative or friend by being accommodated by the becoming ‘looked after’ or The may decide that the child the local authority, because local authority under section 20 child may have been ‘looked should be placed for adoption. the person who had been Children Act 1989 or because after’ and their foster carer or They can only do so with the caring for the child was the child is subject to a care other relative/friend applies for consent of the birth parent or deemed not to be providing order; but has been placed with an order. Application can be under a placement order made arrangement suitable care. The child is a a foster carer by the local made without the support of by a court. An approved foster looked after child and so the authority. (Alternatively, the the parents or the local carer can apply for an adoption caring local authority must approve local authority may choose to authority. Relatives may apply order after a year of caring for the relative or friend as a place a child into residential for an order after the child has the child. Other informal carers the local authority foster carer. care where this is considered to lived with them for one year or could apply for an adoption The child may be best meet the child’s needs). for benign reasons, e.g. after order if the child has lived with into accommodated voluntarily parents’ death and in line with them for a period of 3 years. with the agreement of the a prior agreement between the Route parents or may be subject to a birth parents and the carer. care order. Remains with birth parents if child accommodated under section PR shared with parents and Transfers to adopters and 20 CA, or if the child is subject to a care order or emergency anyone else with parental relationship with birth parents protection order the local authority will have parental responsibility for the child. The are severed. responsibility and determines the extent to which it may be special guardian may exercise exercised by others. parental responsibility to the (PR) exclusion of all others with PR, Parental apart from another special Responsibility guardian.
Appendix 1: Permanency Planning Pathways Family and Friends Care Foster Care Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Adoption Route into the caring arrangement The child has been placed with the relative or friend by the local authority, because the person who had been caring for the child was deemed not to be providing suitable care. The child is a looked after child and so the local authority must approve the relative or friend as a local authority foster carer. The child may be accommodated voluntarily with the agreement of the parents or may be subject to a care order. The child is a looked after child being accommodated by the local authority under section 20 Children Act 1989 or because the child is subject to a care order; but has been placed with a foster carer by the local authority. (Alternatively, the local authority may choose to place a child into residential care where this is considered to best meet the child’s needs). The child may be at risk of becoming ‘looked after’ or The child may have been ‘looked after’ and their foster carer or other relative/friend applies for an order. Application can be made without the support of the parents or the local authority. Relatives may apply for an order after the child has lived with them for one year or for benign reasons, e.g. after parents’ death and in line with a prior agreement between the birth parents and the carer. Looked after children: the LA may decide that the child should be placed for adoption. They can only do so with the consent of the birth parent or under a placement order made by a court. An approved foster carer can apply for an adoption order after a year of caring for the child. Other informal carers could apply for an adoption order if the child has lived with them for a period of 3 years. Parental Responsibility (PR) Remains with birth parents if child accommodated under section 20 CA, or if the child is subject to a care order or emergency protection order the local authority will have parental responsibility and determines the extent to which it may be exercised by others. PR shared with parents and anyone else with parental responsibility for the child. The special guardian may exercise parental responsibility to the exclusion of all others with PR, apart from another special guardian. Transfers to adopters and relationship with birth parents are severed.
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