Learning from Research | Experiences of contact with birth parents for special guardian families

THEME

Special guardians are usually family members or family friends who look after a child when the birth parent is deemed not able to, often due to the child being at risk of abuse or neglect despite interventions and support from social services. This differs from informal kinship care and child arrangement orders as special guardianship orders (SGOs) are legal court orders (Children Act, 1989) appointing an individual or couple legal guardianship of a child until the age of eighteen. An SGO grants special guardians’ legal parental responsibility for all decisions relating to the child/children, apart from a name change or relocating to another country outside the UK, these two decisions still require the birth parent’s consent and an application to the Family Court. The Court should consider the best interests of the child when deciding to revoke an order. Special guardianship statutory guidance regulations (amended 2016) state that the child retains a link with their birth parents. Regulation 3: Provision of Special Guardianship Support Services, stipulates: “assistance, including mediation services, in relation to contact between the child and their parents or relatives or any other person with whom the child has a relationship that the local authority considers to be beneficial to the welfare of the child (regulation 3(1)(c)”

Despite this guidance, previous research has identified support with birth parent contact as a consistently unmet need for special guardians (Wade. 2014; Ashley and Braun, 2019; Hunt, 2020). Recent best practice guidance issued by the Public Law Working Group (2021) proposes contact with birth parents has specific detail in the support plan, which social services prepare prior to the SGO being granted. This includes when, how often, duration, type of contact, and who has responsibility for organising contact.

Michelle's PhD explores the experience of contact from both the perspective of the special guardian and the birth parent. Study one explores special guardians' experience and identifies three core areas of importance when managing contact with birth parents. which are support with contact, managing relationships/family dynamics and the wellbeing of the special guardian and child.

This session will discuss each of these areas in depth, including how the findings may impact practice and the way we support special guardians with contact. There will be time for questions and a breakout room to discuss each core area and reflect on one's own practice.

PRESENTERS

Michelle Hall, Post graduate researcher, Leeds Trinity University

Michelle's PhD explores the experience of contact from both the perspective of the special guardian and the birth parent. Study one explores special guardians' experience and identifies three core areas of importance when managing contact with birth parents. which are support with contact, managing relationships/family dynamics and the wellbeing of the special guardian and child. This session will discuss each of these areas in depth, including how the findings may impact practice and the way we support special guardians with contact. There will be time for questions and a breakout room to discuss each core area and reflect on one's own practice.

Michelle is a postgraduate researcher at Leeds Trinity University with a background in Health and Social Care. Michelle completed her MA in Family Support at Leeds Trinity in 2021. As a special guardian herself, Michelle understands that contact is a pressing concern for special guardians. Michelle's MA dissertation explored contact from the perspectives of special guardians and practitioners. This led to Michelle developing a proposal for further research which also looks at birth parents' perspectives, whose views are often omitted in research. Michelle is also a panel member of the Kinship Advisory Group.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The session is aimed at foster carers, adopters, children’s services, social workers, supervising social workers, managers and anyone interested in learning about the experiences and perspective of contact from both special guardians and birth parents

For social workers, reflection on this session may contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD).

FEES

Members: FREE (don't forget to log in to your account to receive your discount)
Non-members: £20+VAT.

Places on this event are limited, so early booking is recommended.

CONTACT

Telephone 020 7520 7520/0310

Email events@corambaaf.org.uk

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