The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) is a government fund. It helps families in England who need therapeutic support after adoption and might otherwise struggle to get the help they need.
Many families are unaware that they could be eligible for this funding, so in this article we’re looking at:
- who’s eligible
- how much funding is available and for what
- what you need to do to apply.
Who’s eligible for the adoption and special guardianship support fund?
Children and young people aged 21 or younger (or 25 if they have an education, health and care plan) who live in England may be eligible for the ASGSF if they:
- are waiting for adoption
- were adopted from local authority care in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
- were adopted from abroad with a recognised adoption status
- were in care before a special guardianship order (SGO) was made
- left care under a SGO that became an adoption order, or vice versa
- were previously looked after and are under a residency order or child arrangement order (CAO)
- were previously looked after but where the adoption, special guardianship, residency or CAO placement has broken down.
How much funding is available?
The amount of funding available per year for each child is:
- £2,500 for specialist assessment
- £5,000 for therapy
In certain circumstances, if the therapy cost is more than these limits, the ASGSF can fund up to half of the total up to £30,000, with the local authority paying the rest.
The government set up the ASGSF in May 2015 and it’s due to be available until March 2025.
What you can use the funding for
It’s important that the funding is used for therapies that help improve your child or young person’s relationships, behaviour and emotion management, confidence, family life, and engagement with learning.
Examples of this kind of support include (but aren’t limited to):
- creative therapies such as music, art, play and drama
- Theraplay
- psychotherapy
- filial therapy (a type of therapy that combines family and play therapy techniques to strengthen the relationship between parent/carer and child)
- dyadic developmental psychotherapy
- eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- multi systemic therapy
- extensive life story work with therapy to help the young person understand and cope with revisiting trauma and past problems
- therapeutic short breaks
You can also use the funding for a specialist assessment of your family’s needs, if it:
- is carried out by a qualified clinician (for example a clinical psychologist or attachment psychotherapist)
- focuses on trauma and attachment
- results in a therapeutic support plan.
A social worker from your local authority will talk you through the kinds of services you can access and who provides them.
Adopted people over the age of 18 can access support through the ASGSF without parental consent, but for children and young people under this age, their parent(s) will need to be involved.
What you need to do to access the fund
The first step to accessing the fund is for the local authority to assess your family’s adoption support needs. Adopted people over the age of 18 can access support through the ASGSF without parental consent, but for children and young people under this age, their parent(s) will need to be involved.
For the first three years, the local authority that placed the child with you will carry out the assessment. After that time, the local authority where you live (if different) takes responsibility.
The local authority may cover how to apply and the process for getting funding on their website, so it’s worth starting there for more information. If you can’t find what you need, the social worker you worked with when your child was placed with you may be able to help.
Further information about the adoption and special guardianship support fund
For more information:
- check the local authority’s website (use the GOV.UK tool to find your local council if you’re not sure)
- speak to your social worker
- contact our free and confidential PAC-UK Advice Line via phone (0300 1800 090) or email [email protected]
For an insight into the impact of the ASGSF, see Teresa’s story: Accessing therapy – Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund.
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