The Special Guardianship (Wales) Regulations 2005

Assessment procedure

6.—(1) In carrying out an assessment of a person’s needs for special guardianship support services, a local authority must—

(a) have regard to the following considerations, namely—

(i) the needs of the person being assessed and how these might be met;

(ii) the needs of the relevant child and the family members of any special guardian or prospective special guardian, in so far as they have not been addressed under head (i) above, and how these might be met;

(iii) the circumstances that led up to the making of an SGO in respect of a child subject to an SGO;

(iv) any special needs of a child subject to an SGO arising from the fact that—

(aa) the child has been looked after by a local authority;

(bb) the child has been habitually resident outside the British Islands; or

(cc) the special guardian is a relative of the child; and

(v) where the assessment relates to financial support, the requirements of regulation 7.

(b) interview the person whose needs are being assessed and, where that person is a child subject to an SGO, the special guardian; and

(c) where it appears to the authority that there may be a need for the provision of services for the person whose needs are being assessed by a Local Health Board, NHS Trust, Primary Care Trust or local education authority, consult that Board, Trust or authority.

(2) A local authority must ensure that an assessment of a person’s needs for special guardianship support services—

(a) is carried out by, or under the supervision of, an individual who has suitable qualifications, experience and skills for that purpose; and

(b) results in a written report of the assessment.