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What is a Supervision Order UK?

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What is a Supervision Order?

A supervision order is a court order that states that children’s services have to “advise, assist and befriend” a child for a certain amount of time. It means that a social worker will most likely have regular meetings with the child, as well as working closely with their family, to ensure that the child is living in a way that is safe for a child of their age. 


This allows the social worker to monitor the child and their quality of life without going as far as unnecessarily removing them from the home environment, and can be seen as a middle ground between a care order and no order being made at all.


It is found under Section 31 of the Children’s Act of 1989.


Who can apply for a Supervision Order?


Only a local authority (or occasionally the NSPCC) can apply for a Supervision Order. 


Does supervision order give local authority any parental responsibility?


No, a supervision  order does not give parental responsibility to the local authority.


When and Why will a Supervision Order be made?


Often, these orders are applied for/ordered by the court after a child has come out of care (and starts living with their parents/family again)   or if an application for a Care Order is made but not deemed necessary. Additionally, when Special Guardianship Orders are made, there may be a period of initial adjustment to the new arrangements where a Supervision Order is made.


The court will only make a supervision order if a “Threshold Criteria” is met, which we will talk about further later in the article. Essentially, having a threshold criteria ensures that these orders are only made when they are beneficial to the child.


What is the Threshold Criteria for a Supervision Order?


In order to justify making a supervision order, the local authority must prove to the court the following three things:

  • Things have happened which have already caused significant harm to a child

  • There is a serious risk that significant harm will be suffered in the future

  • The child is beyond parental control


The order will only be made if it is in the child’s best interests for their welfare.


How long do supervision orders last?

Supervision orders are usually made from 3- 12 Month periods, and can be initially made or a maximum of a year. However, they can be extended to last for a total period of 3 years. Before a Supervision Order reaches its “expiry date”, local authorities and social workers will have meetings to decide whether it should be extended or not.


Keep in mind that supervision orders will be automatically discharged once the child reaches age 18.


What does it mean to attach directions to the Supervision Order?


There may be directions attached to the supervision order. This essentially means that the social worker has to ensure certain criteria are occurring in a child’s life. Dependant on the directions, this could include:

  • Ensuring the child is living in a certain place - a direction like this may be made if the child has been returning or living somewhere or with someone that poses a risk to them

  • Ensuring the child is attending education - which is important for children with a history of absences, something that could affect a child’s welfare

  • Ensuring a child is attending medical appointments - These directions are often important if a child has a mental health issue, or a history of self-harming and must attend health appointments as a result.


Can I appeal against a supervision order?


Though it is possible to appeal against a supervision order, within 21 days of the order being made, it is generally inadvisable. As one of the objectives of a Supervision Order is for the local authority to work closely with the parents, it tends to be a better idea to work with social services to address and overcome any concerns they may have over the child’s welfare and (if this is successful)  to then apply to get the order discharged early.


Can I apply to discharge a Supervision Order early?


Yes, applications for the early discharge of a supervision order can be made. Please read more on discharging supervision orders in our article here.


Are children under supervision orders classed as looked after?


 No, children under supervision orders are not “looked after children”, as they are being supervised in their own home and parental responsibility is not with the local authority.


Note: This article is not meant as legal advice and must not be treated as legal advice.










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