Adoption Support and Special Guardianship Fund (ASGF)
Every adoptive and special guardianship family has the right to request an assessment of their adoption support needs from the local authority's adoption service. In the first three years after the adoptionorder is granted, this responsibility lies with the local authority which placed the child; this may not be local to the family. After this, it becomes the responsibility of the local authority in which the adoptive family resides.
Parents will have to apply themselves; schools can provide support in doing so, and the therapies funded by the ASF can supplement or replace the therapeutic support that the school is currently funding. If the school is working with freelance therapists, they can be paid using ASF funds, provided they are Ofsted registered and approved.
Availability:
The ASF is available for young people aged 21 and below who:
- Are living with a family in England while waiting for adoption
- Have been adopted from LA Care in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI
- Have been adopted from overseas and live in England
- Are under a Care Arrangement Order (CAO) while a potential SG is being assessed
- Are subject to a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and were previously in care
Local Authorities are able to apply for the ASF before the Adoption Order has been made. This means that support that adoptive children received while in care can be continued without a break when they are adopted.
- The ASF can be used for 2 things: therapy, and specialist assessments. Including:
- Psychotherapy (or a talking therapy) for the child
- Family therapy to improve the relationship between the child and adoptive parents
- Therapeutic life story work, to help the young person understand/overcome past trauma
- Creative therapies (e.g. art, music, drams, or play therapy) for the child
- Therapeutic Parenting training for Special Guardians
- Therapeutic Short Breaks
The ASF will also support specialist assessments that will lead to a therapeutic support plan for the adoptive family. The assessment must be in depth, focus on trauma and attachment, and be carried out by a qualified clinician. Unless they are part of a broader assessment, assessments for single conditions like ASD or ADHD are not covered by the ASF. - It's for the child to improve their relationship with others, engagement with learning, behaviour, emotional management and confidence.
The Local Authority that placed the child with the family is responsible for this assessment for 3 years after the Adoption Order.After that, it is the responsibility of the Local Authority where they live (if they live in the same Local Authority, there is no change).
If the assessment shows that therapeutic support would be beneficial to the family, then the Local Authority will apply directly to the ASF, who will release the funding to the Local Authority directly.
As a school, you cannot directly apply to the ASF, you need to rely on the Local Authority's assessment. Who the parents will need to contact will vary between Local Authorities, and your Virtual School Head may be able to provide guidance on this?
Generally, it will be the Permanence Team or SGO Team, but adoptive parents without a social worker will need to go through the duty line who will allocate a case coordinator. If the parents are unsure and have a social worker, they should be able to provide guidance on who to contact.
To apply on the Gov website:
Contact the ASF fund manager or your adoption support service adviser if you:
- need a new account
- need to register someone new on the system
- want to inform the ASF of any new staff or other changes
This is the link on the government website to apply once you have an account.
To be eligible for funding, local authorities and RAAs must apply to the ASF within 3 months of assessing a family's support needs.
You should make a funding application before therapy starts. The Gov will only consider retrospective applications in exceptional circumstances.
Maximum funding allocations for each child
Until the end of March 2025, the ASF will have 2 fair access limits:
- £2,500 per child per year for specialist assessment
- £5,000 per child per year for therapy
How families access ASF support
The local authority or RAA that places a child with a family is responsible for assessing that family's support needs for 3 years after the order is made. After 3 years, the responsibility lies with the local authority or RAA where the family lives, if they have moved. Families apply to the relevant local authority or RAA, which will assess their needs.
Local authorities and RAAs will:
- assess the family and consider if therapeutic support is needed
- decide on the type required and if it is eligible for payments from the ASF
- apply directly to the ASF
- purchase the support from their own list of suppliers when the ASF approves fundin
Adoption support fund team
Email asf@mottmac.c
Telephone: 01223 463 517
St Helens RAA - https://www.togetherforadoption.co.uk/Enquiry.aspx
Tel: 01942 487272
Key Questions and information to consider:
- Is the child within three years of being adopted?
To be eligible for funding, local authorities and RAAs must apply to the ASF within 3 months of assessing a family's support needs.
- Who was the local authority that placed the child?
LA is responsible for providing the assessment (Under 3 years of adoption LA who placed the child is responsible, after 3 years LA where the child lives is responsible)
- LA's can apply before the adoption order has been made but after that parents have to apply
- To apply you need a specialist assessment that will lead to a therapeutic support plan
To apply -ASF fund manager or your adoption support service adviser - I think this is Together for adoption - link to the website on the image opposite.
Tel: 01942 487272
- You should make a funding application before therapy starts.
Local authorities and RAAs will:
- assess the family and consider if therapeutic support is needed
- decide on the type required and if it is eligible for payments from the ASF
- apply directly to the ASF
- purchase the support from their own list of approved suppliers when the ASF approves funding
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