Special guardianship support services: CA 1989 s. 14F
Local authorities must arrange special guardianship support services (including counselling, advice, information, and financial support) and assess needs.
14F Each local authority must make arrangements for the provision within their area of special guardianship support services, which means— counselling, advice and information; and such other services as are prescribed, in relation to special guardianship. The power to make regulations under subsection (1)(b) is to be exercised so as to secure that local authorities provide financial support. At the request of any of the following persons— a child with respect to whom a special guardianship order is in force; a special guardian; a parent; any other person who falls within a prescribed description, a local authority may carry out an assessment of that person’s needs for special guardianship support services (but, if the Secretary of State so provides in regulations, they must do so if he is a person of a prescribed description, or if his case falls within a prescribed description, or if both he and his case fall within prescribed descriptions). A local authority may, at the request of any other person, carry out an assessment of that person’s needs for special guardianship support services. Where, as a result of an assessment, a local authority decide that a person has needs for special guardianship support services, they must then decide whether to provide any such services to that person. If— a local authority decide to provide any special guardianship support services to a person, and the circumstances fall within a prescribed description, the local authority must prepare a plan in accordance with which special guardianship support services are to be provided to him, and keep the plan under review. The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about assessments, preparing and reviewing plans, the provision of special guardianship support services in accordance with plans and reviewing the provision of special guardianship support services. The regulations may in particular make provision— about the type of assessment which is to be carried out, or the way in which an assessment is to be carried out; about the way in which a plan is to be prepared; about the way in which, and the time at which, a plan or the provision of special guardianship support services is to be reviewed; about the considerations to which a local authority are to have regard in carrying out an assessment or review or preparing a plan; as to the circumstances in which a local authority may provide special guardianship support services subject to conditions (including conditions as to payment for the support or the repayment of financial support); as to the consequences of conditions imposed by virtue of paragraph (e) not being met (including the recovery of any financial support provided); as to the circumstances in which this section may apply to a local authority in respect of persons who are outside that local authority’s area; as to the circumstances in which a local authority may recover from another local authority the expenses of providing special guardianship support services to any person. A local authority may provide special guardianship support services (or any part of them) by securing their provision by— another local authority; or a person within a description prescribed in regulations of persons who may provide special guardianship support services, and may also arrange with any such authority or person for that other authority or that person to carry out the local authority’s functions in relation to assessments under this section. A local authority may carry out an assessment of the needs of any person for the purposes of this section at the same time as an assessment of his needs is made under any other provision of this Act or under any other enactment. Section 27 (co-operation between authorities) applies in relation to the exercise of functions of a local authority in England under this section as it applies in relation to the exercise of functions of a local authority under Part 3 and see sections 164 and 164A of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 for provision about co-operation between local authorities in Wales and other bodies.
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
This section places a duty on each local authority to make arrangements for the provision of special guardianship support services within their area. These services include counselling, advice, information, and any other services prescribed by regulations – in particular financial support. The local authority may, upon request, assess a person’s needs for these services, and must do so if regulations require it. After an assessment, the authority decides whether to provide services; if they do and the circumstances are prescribed, they must prepare a written plan and keep it under review.
The Secretary of State can issue regulations covering how assessments and plans are carried out, when conditions (including repayment) apply, and how local authorities can recover costs from each other. The authority can arrange for another local authority or a prescribed person to provide the services or carry out assessments. Assessments under this section can be done at the same time as other assessments under the Children Act or other laws.
When it applies
- A special guardian requests financial support from the local authority to cover the cost of a child’s therapeutic sessions.
- A parent seeks advice or information about maintaining contact with a child who is subject to a special guardianship order.
- A local authority assesses a special guardian’s needs for counselling after the guardian reports stress and isolation.
- A child under a special guardianship order asks the local authority for information about their birth family.
- A local authority prepares a support plan for a special guardian who has been assessed as needing ongoing financial help.
What this section does not say
- This section does not cover the making, variation, or discharge of a special guardianship order (those are dealt with under sections 14A to 14E).
- It does not cover financial relief for children generally (that is section 15).
- It does not cover the general duty to provide services for children in need under section 17.
- It does not cover the enforcement of court orders or compensation for loss (sections 11M to 11P and 14).
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This page reproduces the text of CA 1989 s. 14F in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.