Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/8/notes
Timestamp: 2018-11-20 23:05:18
Document Index: 719403099

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art.\n41', 'art 5', 'art 2', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 7', 'art 6', 'art 8', 'art 10', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 13', 'art 14', 'art 1', 'art 15', 'art 16', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 9', 'art 6', 'art 12', 'art 13', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 3', 'art 9', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6']

3.The Act makes provision in relation to aspects of children’s services so as to:
Reflect in domestic law the role of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in influencing the design and delivery of policies and services by placing duties on the Scottish Ministers and the wider public sector, and strengthening the powers of the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland to enable investigations to be conducted in relation to matters concerning individual children and young people;
Improve the way services work to support children, young people and families by: ensuring there is a single planning approach for children who need additional support from services; creating a single point of contact around every child or young person; ensuring coordinated planning and delivery of services with a focus on outcomes, and providing a holistic and shared understanding of a child’s or young person’s wellbeing;
Strengthen the role of early years support in children’s and families’ lives by:
Increasing the amount and flexibility of free early learning and childcare from 475 hours a year to a minimum of 600 hours for 3 and 4 year olds; 2 year olds who are, or have been at any time since turning 2, looked after, subject to a kinship care order, or with a parent appointed guardian; as well enabling further expansion through secondary legislation with the intention to expand to 2 year olds from workless or job-seeking households in the first instance (by August 2014);
Introducing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to consultation and planning on all Early Learning and Childcare, day care and out of school care which local authorities have duties or powers to secure.
Ensure better permanence planning for looked after children by: extending corporate parenting across the public sector; clarifying eligibility of care leavers who are entitled to corporate parenting and aftercare support; extending support to young people leaving care for longer (up to and including the age of 25); entitling 16 year olds in foster, kinship or residential care the right to stay in care until they are 21 years old; supporting families and the parenting role of kinship carers through new legal entitlements; and putting Scotland’s National Adoption Register on a statutory footing;
Strengthen existing legislation on school closures under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”), adding to the requirements education authorities are subject to when taking forward a school closure proposal, particularly when proposing to close a rural school. A new process is also put in place for school closure proposals called in by Scottish Ministers which are to be referred to the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels for determination by a Panel;
Strengthen existing legislation that affects children and young people by creating a new right to appeal a local authority decision to place a child in secure accommodation, and by making procedural and technical changes in the areas of children’s hearings support arrangements; and
Amend the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (“the 1980 Act”) to enable the Scottish Ministers to impose a duty on education authorities to provide certain pupils (prescribed by regulations) with school lunches free of charge; as well as giving education authorities the power to provide school lunches free of charge to pupils who satisfy such conditions as the authority think fit.
Part 1 – Rights of Children
Section 1 – Duties of Scottish Ministers in relation to the rights of children
4.Section 1 places duties on the Scottish Ministers in relation to the rights of children as set out in the UNCRC and its First and Second Optional Protocols.
5.Subsection (1)(a) places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to keep under consideration whether there are any steps which they could take to give better or further effect to the UNCRC requirements. In effect, this means a requirement on the Scottish Ministers to keep under review their approach to implementation of the UNCRC in the exercise of their functions. Subsection (1)(b) requires the Scottish Ministers to take steps which they believe to be appropriate in consequence of that consideration. Subsection (2) provides that when complying with their duty under subsection 1(a) the Scottish Ministers must take such account as they consider appropriate of any relevant views of children of which they are aware. There is no obligation on Scottish Ministers to actively obtain these views.
6.Subsection (3) places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to promote public awareness and understanding of the rights of children. The term “rights of children” has a different definition to the term “UNCRC requirements” for these purposes. An interpretation of both terms is included at section 4. This provision reflects the purpose behind Article 42 of the UNCRC and introduces into Scots law a new domestic requirement on the Scottish Ministers to raise awareness and understanding of the UNCRC amongst children, those individuals working with children and members of the public. This could involve, for example, targeted work within schools, the development of information materials, the preparation of guidance for professionals and the provision of support to other organisations who have a role in promoting children’s rights in Scotland.
7.Subsection (4) requires the Scottish Ministers to lay a report before the Scottish Parliament every 3 years detailing the steps they have taken in the 3 year period just ended to give better or further effect to the UNCRC requirements and to promote public awareness and understanding of the rights of children. The report must also include details of the steps that the Scottish Ministers intend to take in the current 3 year period in pursuance of those same aims. Subsection (5) places a duty on Scottish Ministers to take appropriate steps to obtain the views of children on what their plans for the 3 year period now starting should be.
8.Subsection (6) defines what is meant by “3 year period”. This is the period of 3 years beginning with the day the section comes into force and each period of 3 years thereafter.
9.Subsection (7) requires the Scottish Ministers to publish the report they have laid before the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable.
Part 2 – Commissioner for Children and Young People In Scotland
Section 5 – Investigations by the Commissioner
12.Section 7 of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) provides for the Commissioner to undertake an investigation into whether, by what means and to what extent, a service provider has regard to the rights, interests and views of children and young people in making decisions or taking actions that affect those children and young people. Any such investigation must focus on a matter of particular significance to children and young people generally or to particular groups of children and young people, but not to individual children.
13. Subsections (1) and (2) amend sections 7(1) and 7(2) of the 2003 Act in order to allow for the Commissioner to undertake two distinct types of investigation: a “general investigation” which is consistent with the Commissioner’s original investigatory power under section 7 of the 2003 Act; and an “individual investigation” focusing on the extent to which a service provider has had regard to the rights, views and interests of an individual child or young person. This individual investigation is new. The term “service provider” is defined in the 2003 Act and means any person or organisation providing a service to children and young people. This includes the private, public and voluntary sector. Thus any individual who, or organisation or company which, provides services to children or young people can be investigated by the Commissioner. For example, organisations which give advice, provide guidance or provide goods could be investigated. The service in question does not need to be provided exclusively to children or young people. Parents carrying out their parental responsibilities are not service providers. However, the local authorities to whom parental responsibilities have been transferred are treated as service providers.
14.Section 7(2) of the 2003 Act as amended provides that the Commissioner can only carry out a general investigation if the evidence and information collected demonstrates that there is an issue that is significant for children and young people generally or specific groups of children and young people.
15.New section 7(3) of the 2003 Act makes clear that the Commissioner may only undertake either a general or individual investigation if they are satisfied that it would not duplicate the work that is the function of another person. There are a number of bodies already tasked with considering complaints and responding to concerns raised by members of the public in Scotland including the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (the Care Inspectorate) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Each has a particular function and where it is recognised that a complaint falls within the remit of one of these bodies or any other complaint handling body, the Commissioner should not pursue the matter.
16.Section 5(2)(b) removes section 7(3)(b) of the 2003 Act. This is the provision that currently prevents the Commissioner from undertaking investigations in relation to individual children.
17.Subsection (2)(c) amends section 7 of the 2003 Act to enable the Commissioner to resolve a matter which could properly form the basis of an individual investigation without the need for a formal investigation. Such a step might be taken by the Commissioner where it is felt that an issue can be addressed satisfactorily without having to exhaust the investigatory process.
18.Subsection (3)(a) replaces section 8(1)(b) of the 2003 Act, removing the requirement for the Commissioner to publish notice of any investigation and terms of reference. Instead, it requires the Commissioner to give notice of an investigation to those individuals who are likely to be affected by it. The change reflects the fact that it will not always be appropriate for details of a planned investigation to be made widely available, particularly where the investigation focuses on sensitive matters relating to an individual child. Subsections (3)(b) and (c) provide for individual investigations to be held in private whilst the presumption is that general investigations will be held in public unless the Commissioner is satisfied that there are grounds for taking evidence in private, as is currently provided for under section 8(2) of the 2003 Act.
19.Subsection (4)(a) amends section 11(1) of the 2003 Act, removing the need for all investigation reports to be laid before the Scottish Parliament. Instead, section 11(1) will require that the Commissioner prepares a report in relation to each investigation. In order to finalise the report, the Commissioner will share its content for consideration and comment with all those persons named within the report or identifiable from it. Should the report be amended as a consequence of this process, a revised version will be made available to all of the above persons.
20.Subsection (4)(c) adds new subsections to section 11 to require the Commissioner to lay before the Scottish Parliament any finalised report relating to a general investigation. The Commissioner will have the power, but not an obligation, to lay before the Scottish Parliament a report relating to an individual investigation.
Section 6 – Requirement to respond to Commissioner’s recommendations
21.Subsection (2) amends section 11 of the 2003 Act, providing the Commissioner with a power to require a response from a service provider to any recommendations made as part of a report linked to either a general investigation or an individual investigation and to identify a time by which that response must be received. Where a report includes a requirement to respond, a copy of the report must also be shared with the service provider on whom the requirement is imposed.
22.Subsection (3) adds a new section 14AA to the 2003 Act. This section sets out the arrangements for publishing a service provider’s response to any recommendations made by the Commissioner. It requires the Commissioner to publish any response made by a service provider in respect of recommendations following a general investigation unless the Commissioner considers publication to be inappropriate. The Commissioner may publish a response to recommendations following an individual investigation. Any published material should not, so far as reasonable and practicable, name or identify any child referred to in it.
23.Where a service provider fails to respond to a requirement, the Commissioner may take steps to publicise this failure.
Section 7 – Introductory
24.Subsections (1) and (2) are interpretation subsections for this Part. Subsection (1) defines the terms “children’s service” and “related service” and who are “other service providers” and “relevant health boards” for the purposes of Part 3. Subsection (2) defines the persons who may provide a “children’s service” or a “related service” as being local authorities, relevant health boards, any other service provider and the Scottish Ministers (but only in relation to a service provided by them in exercise of their functions under the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989) i.e. when they are providing children’s or related services through the medium of the Scottish Prison Service.
25.Subsections (3) and (4) provide that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, specify the services which are to be included within, or excluded from, the definition of children’s services or related services for the purposes of this Part. They may also specify matters in relation to those services. Before making such an order the Scottish Ministers must consult with each health board, local authority and where the service is provided by another service provider, that person.
26.Subsection (5) provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, modify the definition of “other service provider” in subsection (1) by adding a person, removing an entry or varying an entry.
27.This Part confers certain functions on “a local authority and the relevant health board”. Subsection (6) provides that those are joint functions (i.e. functions that are to be exercised by those persons together).
Section 8 – Requirement to prepare children’s services plan
28.Subsection (1) provides that each local authority and the relevant health board must jointly prepare a Children’s Services Plan for the area of the local authority, in respect of each 3 year period.
29.Subsection (2) defines “3 year period” as that beginning with such date after the coming into force of this section as the Scottish Ministers specify, by order, and each subsequent period of 3 years. It defines “children’s services plan” as a document setting out their plans for the provision of children’s services and related services over that 3 year period.
Section 9 – Aims of children’s services plan
30.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that a children’s services plan should be prepared with a view to achieving the aims of providing children’s services in the area in a way which: best safeguards, supports or promotes the wellbeing of children; ensures that any action to meet needs is taken at the earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, action is taken to prevent needs arising; is most integrated from the point of view of the recipients; and constitutes the best use of available resources. “Most integrated” would be where service providers co-operate with each other to ensure that service provision is planned and delivered in a way which best meets the needs of children and families. Also, related services in the area are to be provided in the way which safeguards, supports or promotes the wellbeing of children, so far as this is consistent with the objects and proper delivery of the service concerned.
Section 10 – Children’s services plan: process
31.Subsection (1) provides that in preparing a children’s services plan, the local authority and relevant health board must give the other service providers and the Scottish Ministers an effective opportunity to participate in or contribute to the preparation of the plan. The local authority and relevant health board must also consult with organisations falling within subsection (2) (which represent the interests of persons who use or are likely to use any children’s service or related service in the area; or provide a service in the area which, if it were provided by the local authority, health board, other service provider or the Scottish Ministers, would be a children’s service or related service), such social landlords as appear to provide housing in the area of the local authority and other such persons as the Scottish Ministers may, by direction, specify. “Social landlords” has the meaning given by section 165 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010.
32.Subsection (4) provides that a direction under subsection (1)(b)(iii) may be revised or revoked.
33.Subsections (5) and (6) require the other service providers and the Scottish Ministers to participate in, or contribute to, the preparation of the children’s services plan, and the bodies to be consulted within subsection (1)(b) are to meet any reasonable request of the local authority or health board in participating in, or contributing to, the preparation of the children’s services plan. Subsection (7) provides that, as soon as reasonably practicable after the plan has been prepared, the persons who prepared it must send a copy to the Scottish Ministers and each of the other service providers, and publish it (in such a manner as considered appropriate).
34.Subsection (8) provides that, where the Scottish Ministers or any of the other service providers disagree with any aspect of a plan which relates to a service provided by them, they must prepare and publish a notice detailing the matters in relation to which they disagree and a statement of their reasons for disagreeing.
Section 11 – Children’s services plan: review
35.Subsection (1) provides that local authorities and the relevant health board in an area must jointly keep the children’s services plan under review and as a consequence of that review may prepare a revised plan.
36.Subsection (2) provides that sections 9, 10 and 11(1) apply to a revised children’s services plan as they apply to a children’s services plan. This means that revised plans must be prepared with a view to securing the aims listed in section 9, must be prepared following the process set out in section 10 and that the revised plan itself must be kept under review and may also be revised in accordance with section 11(1).
Section 13 – Reporting on children’s services plan
38.Subsection (1) provides that as soon as is practicable at the end of each year, the local authority and relevant health board must publish, in such manner as they consider appropriate, a joint report on how the provision of children’s services and related services in that area during that period have been provided in accordance with the children’s services plan and the extent to which the aims specified in section 9(2) have been achieved, and such outcomes in relation to the wellbeing of the children in the area as the Scottish Ministers may, by order, prescribe.
39.Subsection (2) defines “1 year period” as the period of a year beginning on the date on which the children’s services plan for the area has begun, in accordance with section 8(1), and each period of a year thereafter.
Section 14 – Assistance in relation to children’s services planning
40.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that any of the other service providers, the Scottish Ministers and persons mentioned in section 10(1)(b) must comply with any reasonable request made of them to provide the local authority or relevant health board with information, advice or assistance, for the purposes of carrying out their functions under this Part.
41.Subsection (3) states that subsection (1) does not apply where the person considers the provision of information, advice or assistance would be incompatible with any duties of that person or unduly prejudices the carrying out of any functions of the person.
Section 15 – Guidance in relation to children’s services planning
42.Subsections (1) and (2) state that local authorities and the relevant health board and each of the other service providers must have regard to any guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers about how to exercise the functions conferred by this Part (other than the function of complying with section 12).
43.Subsection (3) states that before guidance is issued or revised, the Scottish Ministers have to consult with any person to which the guidance relates and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
Section 16 – Directions in relation to children’s services planning
44.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that local authorities, the relevant health board and the other service providers must comply with any direction issued by the Scottish Ministers about the carrying out of the functions conferred by this Part (other than the function of complying with section 12).
45.Subsection (3) provides that, before issuing, revising or revoking a direction, the Scottish Ministers must consult any person to which it relates and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
Section 17 – Children’s services plan: default powers of Scottish Ministers
46.This section applies where the Scottish Ministers consider that local authorities and relevant health boards are either not carrying out one of their functions conferred on them by this Part (other than the function of complying with section 12) or, in carrying out such a function, are not complying with their duty to have regard to guidance issued under section 15(1).
47.Subsection (2) provides a power for the Scottish Ministers to issue directions stating that the function is to be carried out in a particular way or that the function is to be carried out instead by such of the persons mentioned in subsection (3) as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
48.Subsection (3) explains that persons referred to in subsection (2)(b) are the local authority, the relevant health board or another local authority or health board. Subsection (4) states that a direction under subsection (2)(b) may include such provision as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate as to the making by a local authority or relevant health board in an area, which is not to be carrying out the function, of payment to a person who is to carry out the function by virtue of the direction.
49.Subsection (5) states that before issuing, revising or revoking a direction under subsection (2) the Scottish Ministers must consult with the local authority and relevant health board whose failure is to be, or is, the subject of the direction, and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
50.Subsection (6) requires that any direction given under subsection (2) must be complied with by the person to whom it is addressed.
Part 5 – Child’s plan
Section 33 – Child’s plan: requirement
78.Subsections (1) to (5) provide that a child requires a child’s plan where the responsible authority (as determined under sections 36 and 37) considers that the child has a wellbeing need and that need is not capable of being met, or fully met, by taking action other than targeted intervention, and the need is capable of being met, at least to some extent, by one or more targeted interventions. A child has a wellbeing need if the child’s wellbeing is being, or is at risk of being, adversely affected by any matter. “Targeted intervention” means the provision of a service, by a health board or local authority or a grant aided or independent school, provided by a relevant authority (either directly or through a third party) which is directed at meeting the needs of children whose needs cannot be met, or fully met, by the services which are generally provided to all children by that body.
79.Subsections (6) and (7) provide that in deciding whether a child requires a child’s plan, the responsible authority is, so far as reasonably practicable, to ascertain and have regard to the views of the child, their parent(s), any persons as the Scottish Ministers may by order specify, and any other persons as it considers appropriate. In having regard to the views of the child, the responsible authority is to take account their age and maturity. The responsible authority must also consult the child’s named person where that individual is not employed by them.
80.Subsections (8) and (9) provide that if a child already has a plan, or if the child is a member of any of the regular forces, then subsection (1) does not apply. Where a child already has a plan, section 39 would apply, meaning that the question would then become one of plan review. “Regular forces” has the meaning given by section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.
Section 34 – Content of a child’s plan
81.Subsection (1) provides that a child’s plan must include a statement of: the child’s wellbeing need; any targeted intervention(s) which requires to be provided in relation to the child to address the wellbeing need; details of the relevant authority which is tasked with providing any targeted intervention; details of how the intervention is to be provided; and the outcome which the intervention is intended to achieve. A child’s plan may contain a targeted intervention only where the relevant authority tasked with delivering the intervention agrees to its inclusion. If the relevant authority is not in agreement and is not leading on the preparation of the plan, it must provide the person preparing the plan with its reasons for not agreeing to provide an intervention.
82.Subsection (4) provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, make provision as to any other information which is, or is not, to be contained in child’s plans and the form of those plans.
Section 35 – Preparation of a child’s plan
83.Subsections (1) and (3) have the effect that where a child requires a child’s plan, the responsible authority should prepare the plan unless the responsible authority and a relevant authority agree that it would be more appropriate for the relevant authority to prepare the plan. Subsection (2) provides that where required a plan should always be prepared as soon as is reasonably practicable. Subsection (5) creates an exception for where there are no targeted interventions to be included because a relevant authority has not agreed to them in the terms of section 34(2).
84.Subsection (4) provides that where a relevant authority declines to give its agreement to prepare a plan, the relevant authority must provide a statement of its reasons for declining.
85.Subsection (6) provides that in preparing a child’s plan, an authority must consult the child’s named person where that individual is not employed by the authority. Furthermore, the authority must, so far as reasonably practicable, ascertain and have regard to the views of the child, their parent(s), any other persons as specified by order by the Scottish Ministers and any other persons as it considers appropriate. In having regard to the views of the child, the authority is to take account of the child’s age and maturity. Subsections (8) and (9) provide that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, make further provision as to the preparation of child’s plans, including provisions requiring or permitting a copy of the plan to be given to a particular person or persons within a particular description, in the circumstances described in the order or where the authority considers it appropriate.
Section 36 – Responsible authority: general
86.Subsection (1)(a) provides that for the purposes of this Part the responsible authority for a pre-school child is the health board for the area where the child lives. Subsection (1)(b) provides that the responsible authority for a child who is not a pre-school child is the local authority for the area where the child lives. Subsection (2) provides that subsection (1) is subject to special cases outlined in section 37.
87.Subsection (3) defines “pre-school child” as a child who has not started primary school and, if the child is of school age, has not started school because the education authority has consented to this being delayed.
88.Subsection (4) provides that for the purposes of this section, the reference to school age is to be construed by reference to the school commencement dates fixed by the relevant education authority; the references to attendance at primary school do not include attendance at nursery classes based in a primary school; and the references to relevant education authority are to the education authority for the area where the child resides.
Section 37 – Responsible authority: special cases
89.As noted above, section 37 makes provision about who the responsible authority is in relation to special cases. Subsection (1) provides that where a pre-school child resides in the area of a health board, by virtue of a placement by another health board or local authority, the health board for the area in which the child resides immediately before that placement is the responsible authority in relation to the child. “Pre-school child” has the meaning given by section 36(3).
90.Subsection (2) provides that where the child is at a public school managed by a local authority other than the one for the area in which the child lives, that other authority is the responsible authority in relation to the child.
91.Subsection (3) provides that where the child is a pupil at a grant-aided or independent school, the directing authority of that school is the responsible authority in relation to that child.
92.Subsection (4) provides that subsection (3) does not apply where the child is a pupil at a grant aided or independent school by virtue of a placement by a local authority.
93.Subsection (5) provides that where a child’s residence is displaced by virtue of their falling within any of the categories set out in subsection (6), the local authority for the area in which they would normally reside is the responsible authority in relation to the child. Subsection (6) specifies these categories as: where, in pursuance of a local authority’s duties under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, a child is a pupil at a grant-aided or independent school and resides in accommodation provided for the purpose of attending that school; where the child is placed in a residential establishment by virtue of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995; where the child resides at a residential establishment by virtue of an order under the Children’s Hearing (Scotland) Act 2011; or where the child is detained in residential accommodation in pursuance of an order under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.
94.Subsection (7) provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order (subject to affirmative procedure), modify this section so as to make further or different provision as to the circumstances in which section 36(1) does not apply in relation to a child.
Section 38 – Delivery of a child’s plan
95.This section requires that a relevant authority which is to provide a targeted intervention (either directly or through a third party) in terms of a child’s plan is to provide it, so far as reasonably practicable, in accordance with the plan. This does not apply where the responsible authority considers that to do so would adversely affect the wellbeing of the child (subsection (2)).
Section 39 – Child’s plan: management
96.Subsection (1) provides that the managing authority of a child’s plan must keep under review: whether the wellbeing need of the child stated in the plan is still accurate; whether the targeted intervention(s) or manner of provision of those interventions is still appropriate; whether the outcome of the plan has been achieved; and whether the management of the plan should transfer to another authority. In reviewing a child’s plan, subsections (2), (3) and (4) state that the managing authority is to consult each relevant authority which is providing a targeted intervention contained in the plan (either directly or through a third party), the responsible authority (where that authority is neither the managing authority nor providing a targeted intervention) and the child’s named person where that individual is not employed by the managing authority. The managing authority must also, so far as is reasonably practicable, ascertain and have regard to the views of the child, their parents, such other persons as the Scottish Ministers may specify by order, and any other person that the managing authority considers appropriate. In having regard to the child’s views, the managing authority is to take account of their age and maturity.
97.In consequence of this review, the managing authority may, under subsection (5)(a) amend the plan so as to revise the wellbeing need of the child, any targeted intervention(s), or manner of the provision of targeted intervention(s) which require to be provided, or the outcome which the plan is intended to achieve. The managing authority may also transfer the management of the plan to a relevant authority or end the plan (subsections (5)(b) and (c)).
98.Subsection (6) provides that the Scottish Ministers may make, by order, provision about: the management of the child’s plan, including when and how a child’s plan is to be reviewed in accordance with subsection (1); who is to be the managing authority of the plan; when and to whom the management of the plan is to or may be transferred under subsection (5)(b); when and how a new targeted intervention may be included in a child’s plan; and the keeping, disclosure and destruction of child’s plans.
99.Subsection (7) provides that the managing authority of a child’s plan is the authority which prepared it, or where the management of the plan has been transferred, the person to whom it was transferred. This is subject to any different provision made by order as mentioned above.
Section 41 – Guidance on child’s plans
104.Subsection (1) and (2) provide that relevant authorities and listed authorities must have regard to any guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers about the exercise of functions under Part 5 (other than the function of complying with section 38). Before issuing or revising guidance, the Scottish Ministers must consult. any person to which it relates, and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
Section 42 – Directions in relation to child’s plans
105.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that relevant authorities and listed authorities must comply with any direction issued by the Scottish Ministers about the exercise of the functions conferred by Part 5 (other than the function of complying with section 38). Before issuing, revising or revoking a direction, the Scottish Ministers must consult any person to which it relates, and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
Section 43 – Complaints in relation to Part 5
106.This section provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, make provision about the making, consideration and determination of complaints concerning the exercise of functions conferred by or under Part 5. Subsection (2) details the matters which may be included in any such order. Subsection (3) provides that any order made under subsection (1) may modify any enactment.
Section 45– Interpretation of Part 5
108.This is an interpretation section for this Part. It includes the definition of “directing authority”. When used generally, this means the managers of each grant-aided school and the proprietor of each independent school. When used in relation to a grant-aided school, it means the managers of the school, and in relation to an independent school, it means the proprietor of the school. It also defines “relevant authority” as any health board, local authority or directing authority.
Part 7 – Power to Provide School Education for Pre-School Children
Section 54 - Duty to consult and plan in relation to power to provide school education for pre-school children
128.Section 54 inserts subsections (2B), (2C) and 2(D) into section 1 of the the 1980 Act. Section 1(1C) of the 1980 Act gives power to education authorities to provide school education for pre-school children (i.e. early learning and childcare) in addition to the mandatory provision required in terms of section 1(1A) of the 1980 Act as amended by Part 6 of this Act.
129.Subsection (2B) requires education authorities to consult parents of pre-school children in their area at least once every two years about whether and if so how they should provide such education in exercise of their power under section 1(1C) of the 1980 Act and, having had regard to those views, prepare and publish plans in relation to that. Subsection (2C) enables the Scottish Ministers by order to vary the regularity within which such consultation and planning should happen and such an order is subject to negative procedure in terms of subsection (2D).
Part 8 – Day Care and Out of School Care
Section 55 - Duty to consult and plan in relation to day care and out of school care
130.Section 55 inserts new subsections (1A), (1B), (3A), (3B), (3C) and (3D) into section 27 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”). Section 27(1) of the 1995 Act requires local authorities to provide day care for pre-school children who are in need and gives local authorities power to provide day care for pre-school children who are not in need. Section 27(3) of the 1995 Act requires local authorities to provide out of school care for school aged children who are in need and gives local authorities power to provide out of school care for school aged children who are not in need.
131.Subsections (1A) and (3A) requires local authorities at least once every 2 years to consult such persons who are representative of parents of pre-school and school aged children in need about how they should provide day care and out of school care for such children; and, having had regard to the views expressed, prepare and publish plans in relation to their duty to provide day care to pre-school children in need and out of school care to school aged children in need.
132.Subsections (1B) and (3B) requires local authorities at least once every 2 years to consult such persons who are representative of parents of pre-school children and school aged children about whether and if so how they should provide day care and out of school care; and, having had regard to the views expressed, prepare and publish plans in relation to their powers to provide day care to pre-school children who are not in need and out of school care to school aged children who are not in need.
133.Subsection (3C) enables the Scottish Ministers by order to vary the regularity within which such consultation and planning in relation to day care and out of school care provided under section 27 of the 1995 Act should happen and such an order is subject to negative procedure in terms of subsection (3D).
Part 10 – Aftercare
Section 66 – Provision of aftercare to young people
159.Subsection (2) of this section amends section 29 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) which places certain duties on, and gives certain powers to, local authorities in relation to the provision of aftercare to young people that were at one stage looked after. Subsection (3) of this section amends section 30 of the 1995 Act which gives local authorities the power to provide financial assistance to a similar category of young people for the purpose of meeting expenses connected with their education and training.
160.Subsection (2)(a) amends section 29(1) of the 1995 Act to provide that a local authority shall, unless they are satisfied that their welfare does not require it, advise, guide and assist any person in their area who is at least sixteen but not nineteen years of age and who either was (on his sixteenth birthday or at any subsequent time) but is no longer looked after by the local authority; or is of such other description of person formerly but no longer looked after by a local authority as the Scottish Ministers may specify by order. Subsection (2)(b) inserts a new subsection (1A) into section 29 to provide that such orders will be subject to the affirmative procedure. Section 29(1) previously placed local authorities under a duty to provide aftercare support to those persons in their area who were over school age but not yet nineteen years of age who, at the time they ceased to be of school age or at any subsequent time, were but are no longer, looked after.
161.Subsection (2)(c) amends section 29(2) to provide that a person who is at least nineteen and who is otherwise a person as described in section 29(1) (as amended) may apply to their local authority for advice, assistance and support up to the age of twenty-six. This provision increases the upper age limit for aftercare support from twenty-one up to the age to twenty-six.
162.Subsection (2)(f) inserts new subsections (5A) and (5B) into section 29. New subsection (5A) provides that, after carrying out an assessment under section 29(5) in pursuance of an application made by a person under section 29(2), the local authority must, if satisfied that the person has eligible needs and that these cannot be met other than by taking action under this subsection, provide the person with such advice, guidance and assistance as it considers necessary for the purposes of meeting those needs. The local authority may otherwise provide such advice, guidance and assistance as it considers appropriate having regard to the person’s welfare. New subsection (5B) provides that a local authority can continue to provide advice, guidance and assistance after a person reaches the age of twenty-six, but they are not required to do so.
163.Subsection (2)(h) inserts new subsections (8) and (9) into section 29 to provide that the Scottish Ministers may, by order subject to affirmative procedure, specify types of care, attention and support that constitute “eligible needs” for the purposes of new subsection (5A)(a). It also inserts new subsection (10) into section 29 to provide that if a local authority becomes aware that a person who is being provided with advice, guidance or assistance by them under this section has died, the authority must as soon as reasonably practicable notify the Scottish Ministers and Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland.
164.Subsection (3)(a) amends section 30(2) of the 1995 Act to alter the definition of who is a “relevant person” for the purposes of a local authority’s power in section 30(1) to provide such persons with financial assistance towards education or training. As amended, a person is a relevant person if he is at least sixteen years of age but not yet twenty-six years of age (increased from twenty-one) and either (was on his sixteenth birthday or at any subsequent time) but is no longer looked after by the local authority; or is of such other description of person formerly but no longer looked after by a local authority as the Scottish Ministers may specify by order. Subsection (3)(a) also inserts a new subsection (2A) into section 30 to provide that such orders will be subject to the affirmative procedure. Subsection (3)(b) repeals subsections (3) and (4) of section 30 of the 1995 Act as they are now obsolete.
Part 11 – Continuing Care
Section 67 – Continuing Care: looked after children
165.Subsection (1) of section 67 inserts a new section 26A after section 26 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. This new section details the provision of continuing care to those who cease to be looked after children. Subsection (4) of new section 26A defines “continuing care” as meaning the same accommodation and other assistance as was being provided for the person by the local authority immediately before they ceased being looked after.
166.Subsection (1) of new section 26A provides that this section only applies where an eligible person ceases to be looked after by a local authority. Subsection (2) defines an “eligible person” as a person who is at least sixteen years of age and is not yet such higher age as may be specified. By virtue of new section 26A(12), “specified” means specified by order made by the Scottish Ministers which will be subject to affirmative procedure (see new subsection (11)(b)).
167.Subsection (3) of new section 26A provides that, subject to subsection (5), the local authority must provide the person with continuing care. Subsection (6) provides that this duty lasts, subject to subsection (7), until the expiry of such period as may be specified by order made by Scottish Ministers (subject to affirmative procedure by virtue of subsection (11)(b)).
168.Subsection (5) of new section 26A provides that the duty to provide continuing care does not apply if the accommodation the person was in immediately before ceasing to be looked after was secure accommodation; was a care placement and the carer has indicated to the authority that they are unable or unwilling to continue to provide the placement; or the local authority considers that providing the care would significantly adversely affect the welfare of the person.
169.Subsection (7) of new section 26A provides that the duty to provide continuing care ceases if: the person leaves the accommodation of the person’s own volition; the accommodation ceases to be available; or the local authority considers that continuing to provide the care would significantly adversely affect the welfare of the person. Subsection (8) provides that the situations in which accommodation ceases to be available include: in the case of a care placement, where the carer indicates to the authority that the carer is unable or unwilling to continue to provide the placement; in the case of a residential establishment provided by the local authority, where the authority closes the establishment; or in the case of a residential establishment provided under arrangements made by the local authority, where the arrangements come to an end.
170.Subsection (9) of new section 26A provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order: make provision about when or how a local authority is to consider whether providing or continuing to provide the care would significantly adversely affect the person’s welfare; modify subsection (5) so as to add, remove or vary a situation in which the duty to provide continuing care does not apply; or modify subsection (7) or (8) so as to add, remove or vary a situation in which the duty to provide continuing care ceases.
171.Subsection (10) of new section 26A provides that, if a local authority becomes aware that a person who is being provided with continuing care has died, the local authority must as soon as reasonably practicable notify the Scottish Ministers and Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland.
172.Subsection (11) provides that an order made under this section may make different provision for different purposes and is subject to the affirmative procedure. Before making an order under this section, the Scottish Ministers must consult each local authority and such other persons as they consider appropriate.
173.Subsection (2) of section 67 amends section 29 of the 1995 Act by adding a new subsection (2A) which provides that subsections (1) and (2) of section 29 do not apply to a person during any period when they are being provided with continuing care under new section 26A. This means that a person receiving continuing care under new section 26A cannot also receive aftercare support under section 29 of the 1995 Act at the same time. However, if the duty to provide continuing care to that person ceases for one of the reasons set out in new section 26A(7) of the 1995 Act that person will then be able to apply for aftercare support under section 29 of the 1995 Act as amended by section 60 of the Act.
Part 12 – Services in Relation to Children at Risk of Becoming Looked After, etc.
Section 69 – Relevant services: further provision
179.Section 69(1) provides that the Scottish Ministers may make, by order, provision about: when or how relevant services specified in an order under section 68(1) are to be provided; when or how a local authority is to consider whether a child falls within paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 68(3) (a child at risk of becoming looked after or falling within such other description as the Scottish Ministers specify by order); when or how a local authority is to review whether a child continues to fall within paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 68(3), and such other matters about the provision of relevant services specified in an order under section 68(1) as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
180.Subsection (2) provides that an order under subsection (1)(d) may include provision about circumstances in which relevant services specified in an order under section 68(1) may be provided subject to conditions (including conditions as to payment), and the consequences of such conditions not being met.
Part 13 – Support for Kinship Care
Section 71 – Assistance in relation to kinship care orders
181.Subsections (1) and (2) of section 71 provide that local authorities must make arrangements to ensure that kinship care assistance, which is assistance of such description as specified by the Scottish Ministers by order, is made available to those persons, living in its area, specified in subsection (3). Those persons specified in subsection (3) are: a person applying for, or considering applying for, a kinship care order in relation to an eligible child who has not attained the age of 16 years; an eligible child who has not attained the age of 16 years who is the subject of a kinship care order; a person in whose favour a kinship care order in relation to an eligible child who has not attained the age of 16 years subsists; a child who is 16 years old where, immediately before attaining the age of 16, the child was the subject of a kinship care order and where the child is still eligible; a person who is a guardian by virtue of an appointment under section 7 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 of an eligible child who has not attained the age of 16 years (but this is subject to subsection (4) which provides that this does not include a parent who is a guardian of an eligible child), and an eligible child who has a guardian by virtue of an appointment under section 7 of the 1995 Act.
182.Subsection (5) defines an “eligible child” as a child who the local authority considers to be at risk of becoming looked after, or who falls within such other description as the Scottish Ministers may by order specify.
Section 72 – Orders which are kinship care orders
183.A kinship care order is not a new, or separate, form of court order. “Kinship care order” is a label used in the Act to describe certain forms of existing court order granted in certain circumstances. Subsection (1) of section 72 explains that for the purposes of section 71, a “kinship care order” is an order under section 11(1) of the 1995 Act which gives a qualifying person the right to have the child living with that person or to otherwise regulate the child’s residence; a residence order which has the effect of the child living with or predominately living with a qualifying person; or an order under section 11(1) of the 1995 Act appointing a qualifying person as a guardian of a child.
184.Subsection (2) provides that a “qualifying person” means a person who, at the time the order is made, is related to a child, is a friend or acquaintance of someone related to a child or who has another relationship to, or connection with, a child, as specified by order by the Scottish Ministers. An acquaintance is someone who is known slightly to the relative, where the relationship does not necessarily have the same depth or intimacy as a friendship, for example a neighbour. It will be for the court to decide on a case by case basis whether to grant the orders referred to in section 72(1) in the usual way for the particular order concerned; it will not be for the court to determine whether the order so granted constitutes a “kinship care order”.
185.Subsection (3) provides that a parent is not a “qualifying person” for the purposes of subsection (1). In subsection (2) where it refers to a person who is related to a child, subsection (4) provides that this includes someone married to or in a civil partnership with a person who is related to the child, or a person who is related to the child by half blood.
Section 73 – Kinship care assistance: further provision
186.Subsection (1) of section 73 provides that the kinship care assistance which the Scottish Ministers may specify in an order under section 71(1) includes: the provision of counselling, advice or information about any matter; financial support (or support in kind) of any description; and any service provided by a local authority on a subsidised basis.
187.Subsection (2) provides that the assistance specified by such an order may include assistance which a person was entitled to from, or being provided with by, a local authority, immediately prior to a person becoming entitled to assistance under section 71(1). This allows for a person to continue to receive assistance (which is of a description of assistance specified by Ministers by order under section 71(1)) which they received from a local authority prior to their becoming eligible.
188.Subsection (3) provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by order, make provision about: when or how kinship care assistance is to be provided; when or how a local authority is to consider whether a child is within paragraph (a) or (b) of section 71(5) (at risk of becoming looked after or falling within such other description as the Scottish Ministers specify by order); when or how a local authority is to review whether a child continues to be within paragraph (a) or (b) of section 71(5); and such other matters about the provision of kinship care assistance specified in an order under section 71(1) as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
189.Subsection (4) provides that an order under subsection (3)(d) may include provision about circumstances in which a local authority may provide kinship care assistance specified in an order under section 71(2) subject to conditions (including conditions as to payment for the assistance or the repayment of financial support) and consequences of such conditions not being met (including the recovery of any financial support provided).
Part 14 – Adoption Register
Section 75 – Scotland’s Adoption Register
190.This section amends the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 by inserting a new Chapter 1A into Part 1.
Section 13A – Scotland’s Adoption Register
191.Subsection (1) provides that the Scottish Ministers must make arrangements for the establishment and maintenance of a register to be known as Scotland’s Adoption Register (“the Register”) for the purposes of facilitating adoption.
192.Subsection (2) provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by regulations, prescribe information relating to adoption which is, or types of information relating to adoption which are, to be included in the Register. This may include information relating to: children who adoption agencies consider should be placed for adoption; persons considered by adoption agencies as suitable to have a child placed with them for adoption; matters relating to such children or persons which arise after information about them is included in the Register; children outwith Scotland who may be suitable for adoption; or prospective adopters outwith Scotland. It provides that the Scottish Ministers may, by regulations, provide for how information is to be retained in the Register and make such further provision in relation to the Register as they consider appropriate.
193.Subsection (3) provides that the Register is not to be open to public inspection or search. The information on the Register cannot be accessed or searched by anyone other than the Scottish Ministers, or the Registration organisation on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.
194.Subsection (4) provides that information is to be kept in the Register in any form the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
Section 13C – Supply of information for the Register
197.Subsection (1) provides that an adoption agency must provide the Scottish Ministers with such information as may be prescribed in regulations made under section 13A(2) about children who it considers ought to be placed for adoption or persons who were included in the Register as such children; and persons who it considers as suitable to have a child placed with them for adoption or persons who were included in the Register as such persons. Subsection (2) provides that regulations made under section 13A(2) may: provide that information is to be provided to a registration organisation in pursuance of subsection (1) instead of to the Scottish Ministers; provide for how and by when that information is to be provided; prescribe circumstances in which an adoption agency, despite the requirement to provide information in subsection (1) is not to disclose information of the type prescribed for the purposes of that subsection.
Section 13E – Fees and other payments
202.This section provides that regulations made under section 13A(2) may prescribe: a fee which is to be paid by an adoption agency when providing information in pursuance of section 13C(1); a fee which is to be paid to the Scottish Ministers or a registration organisation in respect of a disclosure of information made in pursuance of section 13D(2), (3)(c) or (4); and such other fees to be paid by adoption agencies, or payments to be made by them, in relation to the Register as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
Section 13F – Use of an organisation as agency for payments
203.Subsection (1) provides that the Scottish Ministers may by regulations authorise a registration organisation or any other person to act as agent for the payment or receipt of sums payable by adoption agencies to other adoption agencies and may require adoption agencies to pay or receive such sums through the organisation.
204.Subsection (2) provides that a registration organisation or other person authorised under subsection (1) is to perform the functions exercisable under subsection (1) in accordance with any directions given by the Scottish Ministers.
Part 15 - School Closure Proposals, etc
Section 77 – Restriction on closure proposals
206.Section 77 inserts a new section 2A (restriction on closure proposals) after section 2 of the 2010 Act. Section 2A(3) provides that, following a decision not to implement a closure proposal, an education authority would not be able to publish a proposal paper under section 4(4) of the 2010 Act for the same school within 5 years (beginning with the day on which the decision not to implement a closure proposal is made) unless there had been a significant change in the school’s circumstances.
207.Subsection (2) of section 2A makes it clear what is meant by “a decision not to implement a closure proposal”, which is a decision taken by an education authority not to implement the proposal after it has published a consultation report on the proposal, or a decision by a School Closure Review Panel to refuse consent to the proposal.
Section 78 – Financial implications of closure proposals
208.Section 78 amends section 4 of the 2010 Act (proposal paper), adding a new subsection (2A) which requires education authorities, as part of the proposal paper prepared under that section, to provide information about the financial implications of a proposal, where the proposal paper relates to a school closure. This will ensure that school closure consultations prepared by education authorities contain financial information. Further detail on the type and level of financial information required to be provided by education authorities in their proposal paper can be set out in statutory guidance issued under section 19 of the 2010 Act.
Section 79 – Correction of proposal paper
209.Section 79(2) amends section 5(2) of the 2010 Act (correction of paper) by inserting new paragraph (aa) which requires an education authority to inform a person who notifies it of an alleged omission of relevant information or an alleged inaccuracy in a proposal paper, of its determination under paragraph (a) of section 5(2) (whether the authority considers that relevant information has been omitted or there has in fact been an inaccuracy) and the reasons for that determination. It amends section 5(2)(b) to require the authority to inform the notifier as to the action (if any), it is taking under new subsection (4) and of the reasons why it is, or is not, taking such action. It also inserts a new paragraph (c) into section 5(2) to require the authority to invite the notifier to make representations to the authority if the notifier disagrees with the authority’s determination under paragraph (a) or its decision as to whether to take action under subsection (4).
210.Section 79(3) inserts new subsections (2A) and (2B) into section 5 to provide that where the notifier makes any such representations, the authority may make a fresh determination or a fresh decision as to whether to take action under new subsection (4), and to require the authority to inform the notifier if it takes either of those steps.
211.Section 79(4) substitutes new subsections (3) to (6) of section 5 which provide that where an authority has been notified of an alleged omission or inaccuracy, and the authority determines that there has in its opinion been an omission or that there has in fact been an inaccuracy, where that omission or inaccuracy relates to a material consideration relevant to the education authority’s decision as to implementation of the proposal, it must take the action mentioned in subsection (5)(a) or (b). Where the omission or inaccuracy does not relate to such a material consideration, the authority may take the action mentioned in subsection (5)(a) or (b) or take no further action (except by virtue of section 10(3) of the 2010 Act which requires an authority to include information in the consultation report as to any omissions, alleged omissions or inaccuracies or alleged inaccuracies in the proposal paper).
212.The actions mentioned in subsections (5)(a) and (b) are, in (a) for the authority to publish a corrected proposal paper to give revised notice in accordance with section 6, and to send a copy of the corrected paper to HMIE, or alternatively in (b) for the authority to issue a notice to the relevant consultees and HMIE, to provide the omitted information or, as the case may be, correct the inaccuracy, and if the authority considers it appropriate, to extend the consultation period by such period as is reasonable by reference to the significance of the information provided or, as the case may be, the nature of the correction.
213.New subsection (6) provides that where an authority issues a notice mentioned in subsection (5)(b) after the end of the consultation period, the notice may specify such further period during which representations may be made on the proposal as is reasonable by reference to the significance of the information provided or, as the case may be, the nature of the correction, and any such further period is to be treated as part of the consultation period for the purposes of sections 8, 9 and 10.
214.Section 79(5) makes minor modifications to section 10 of the 2010 Act (content of the report) to require the authority to include details of any alleged omission or inaccuracy in its consultation report, a statement of action taken in respect of an alleged omission or inaccuracy, or, if no action has been taken, a statement of this fact and why. It also inserts a new paragraph (c) into section 10(3) to provide that the authority must also include information in relation to any representations made to the authority in pursuance of section 5(2)(c) (representations by the notifier of an alleged omission or inaccuracy if they disagree with the authority’s determination in relation to the alleged inaccuracy or omission) in the report.
Section 80 – Special provision for rural school closure proposals
215.Section 80 inserts a number of new sections into the 2010 Act (sections 11A, 12A and a substituted section 13) which impose additional requirements on education authorities in terms of the process to be followed for rural school closure proposals. It also makes consequential amendments to section 12 of the 2010 Act (Factors for rural school closure proposals).
216.Subsection (1) of section 80 inserts a new section 11A (Presumption against rural school closure) into the 2010 Act. Section 11A(1) provides that section 11A only applies to closure proposals for rural schools (which are those designated as such under section 14 of the 2010 Act). Section 11A(2) prevents an education authority from making a decision to implement a closure proposal unless it has complied with the additional requirements that apply to rural schools in sections 12, 12A and 13, and having so complied, unless it is also satisfied that such a closure proposal is the most appropriate response to the reasons for formulating the proposal (which it is required to identify under section 12A(2)(a)). Section 11A(3) requires the authority to publish on its website notice of its decision as to implementation of the proposal, and where it decides to implement the proposal (wholly or partly), the reasons why it is satisfied that such implementation is the most appropriate response to the reasons for formulating the proposal identified by the authority under section 12A(2)(a).
217.Subsection (2)(a) amends section 12 of the 2010 Act (Factors for rural school closure proposals). It repeals subsection (3)(a), which provided for “any viable alternatives to the closure proposal” to be one of the factors to which an education authority must have special regard in proposing a rural school closure (new sections 12A and 13 to the 2010 Act make new provision requiring education authorities to consider alternatives to the closure proposal).
218.Subsections (2)(b) and (c) amend section 12(4) and (5) to provide that for the purpose of sections 12A(2)(c)(ii) and 13(5)(b)(iii) and of sections 12A(2)(c)(iii) and 13(5)(b)(iii), the effect on the community and the effect caused by any different travelling arrangements of any reasonable alternatives to the closure proposal which an education authority identifies or which are identified by consultees in their written representations on a closure proposal, must be assessed by reference to the factors specified in section 12(4) and (5).
219.These sections (sections 12A(2)(c)(ii) and (iii) and section 13(5)(b)(ii) and (iii)) require an education authority to assess, both when formulating a closure proposal and when carrying out a review of the proposal under section 9(1) respectively, the likely effect on the community and the likely effect caused by any different travelling arrangements, in relation to the closure proposal and reasonable alternatives to the proposal identified before and during the consultation process.
220.Subsection (3) of section 80 inserts a new section 12A (Preliminary requirements in relation to rural school closure) into the 2010 Act. This new provision outlines preliminary steps that an education authority must take before it can publish a proposal paper for the closure of a rural school.
221.Section 12A(2) requires the education authority to identify its reasons for the closure proposal (12A(2)(a)) and consider whether there are any reasonable alternatives to the proposal which could respond to those reasons (12A(2)(b)). For the proposal and each and any alternatives identified, the education authority is required to assess the likely educational benefits, the likely effect on the local community and the likely effect of different travelling arrangements (12A(2)(c)). Section 12A(3) provides that reasonable alternatives to the closure proposal may be steps or actions that could be taken which would not result in the school or part of the school closing. However, they are not limited to this and could also include alternative steps or actions that could be taken which would result in the school or part of the school closing.
222.Section 12A(4) places a duty on the education authority not to publish a proposal paper unless, following the consideration required under section 12A(2), it considers that implementation of the proposal is the most appropriate response to the reasons for the proposal.
223.Subsection (4) of section 80 substitutes a new section 13 (additional consultation requirements) into the 2010 Act. The new section 13 imposes more comprehensive and additional requirements on education authorities in consulting on a rural school closure proposal.
224.Section 13(2)(a) to (f) lists the additional information or explanations an education authority must include in a proposal paper for the closure of a rural school, over and above the information specified in section 4 of the 2010 Act. This requires the education authority to inform consultees of the reasons why the proposal is being made, the steps the education authority has taken (if any) to address those reasons (and if no such steps have been taken, why not), and any reasonable alternatives to the closure proposal identified by the authority, and it requires the authority to explain to the consultees their assessment under section 12A(2)(c) of the educational benefit, the effect on the community and effect of different travelling arrangements that would result from the proposal and any alternatives identified, and to explain the reasons why the authority considered, in light of that assessment, that implementation of the proposal would be the most appropriate response to the reasons for the proposal.
225.Section 13(3) provides that for rural school closure proposals, the notice an education authority must give to relevant consultees under section 6(1) of the 2010 Act must additionally summarise the alternatives to the closure proposal identified in the proposal paper and state that written representations can be made on those alternatives and that written representations can suggest other alternatives.
226.Section 13(4) provides that references to written representations in sections 8(4)(c), 9(4) and 10(2)(a) of the 2010 Act also include written representations regarding the alternatives to the proposal set out in the consultation paper.
227.Section 13(5) imposes additional assessment requirements on an education authority in terms of the review it must carry out of the proposal under section 9(1) of the 2010 Act (the review which follows the authority’s receipt of HMIE’s report after public consultation on the proposal). It is required, for rural school closure proposals, that the authority must carry out a further assessment in relation to the educational benefit, community effect and effect on travelling arrangements of the proposal and reasonable alternatives set out in the proposal paper following the receipt of the HMIE report, and that it must also carry out an assessment of any reasonable alternatives suggested by consultees in their written representations (section 13(5)(a) and (b)).
228.Section 13(6) provides that the consultation report the authority prepares under section 9(2) of the 2010 Act must additionally explain the assessments it makes under section 13(5)(a) and (b) and how these differ (if at all) from the authority’s assessment carried out before consultation (under section 12A(2)(c)). It must also explain whether and, if so, the reasons why the authority considers that implementation of the proposal (wholly or partly) would be the most appropriate response to the reasons for the proposal.
229.Subsection (5) of section 80 amends section 1 of the 2010 Act (overview of key requirements), inserting a new subsection (4A) which makes it clear that in the case of rural school closure proposals, the key requirements an education authority must comply with in formulating a closure proposal in relation to a rural school include complying with the preliminary and additional requirements set out in new sections 12A and 13.
Section 81 – Call-in of closure proposals
230.Section 81 amends the provisions in the 2010 Act regarding call-in and determination of school closure proposals. It inserts new sections 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D and schedule 2A into the 2010 Act which make new provision for a proposal which has been called-in by the Scottish Ministers under section 15 of the Act to be referred to the Convener of School Closure Review Panels for determination by a Panel. There is also detailed provision in relation to the appointment and role and functions of the Convener and the School Closure Review Panels.
231.Subsection (1)(a) amends section 15 of the 2010 Act to provide that when an authority notifies Ministers of its decision to implement a rural school closure proposal, it must give them a copy of the notice it publishes on its website under section 11A(3) (setting out why it is satisfied that implementation is the most appropriate response to the reasons for formulating the proposal). Subsection (1)(b) inserts a new subsection (2A) into section 15 which requires the authority, at the same time as it notifies Ministers of the decision under subsection (2)(a) to implement a closure proposal, to publish on its website notice of the fact that the Ministers have been so notified and of the opportunity for making representations to the Ministers in connection with subsection (4) of section 15, including the date on which the 3 week period referred to in that subsection is to end.
232.Subsection (1)(c) amends section 15(3), 15(4) and 15(6) of the 2010 Act to amend the period for the Scottish Ministers to issue a call-in notice to the education authority. This is amended from 6 weeks to 8 weeks and has the effect of giving the Scottish Ministers an additional 2 weeks to consider whether to issue a call-in notice.
233.Subsection (1)(d) repeals section 15(5) of the 2010 Act, which provided that a call-in notice issued by the Scottish Ministers under section 15(3) has the effect of remitting the closure proposal to the Scottish Ministers. New section 17A to the 2010 Act, put in by subsection (4), makes new provision for closure proposals which have been called-in by the Scottish Ministers.
234.Subsection (2) repeals section 16 of the 2010 Act, which provided for the Scottish Ministers to determine closure proposals which had been called-in. Subsection (3)(a) makes a consequential repeal of section 17(3)(b) of the 2010 Act which refers to the Scottish Ministers’ consideration of the matter of consent under section 16(2).
235.Subsection (3)(b) adds a new subsection (3A) following section 17(3) of the 2010 Act. This places a duty on HMIE to provide the Scottish Ministers with any advice that they reasonably require in considering whether to issue a call-in notice. This advice is to concern the educational aspects of a closure proposal.
236.Subsection (4) inserts 4 new sections into the 2010 Act, sections 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D.
237.New section 17A(1) and (2) (Referral to the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels) of the 2010 Act provides that a school closure proposal which has been called-in by the Scottish Ministers must be referred to the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels. Section 17A(3) provides that the Convener has a period of 7 days to constitute a School Closure Review Panel which is to consider the case that has been referred to the Convener.
238.Section 17A(4) prevents an education authority from implementing a closure proposal which has been referred to the Convener unless the School Closure Review Panel reviewing the proposal grants consent to it and either the period during which that decision may be appealed to the sheriff has expired or an appeal has been abandoned or the sheriff has confirmed the Panel’s decision to consent to the proposal. Section 17A(5) puts a new schedule 2A into the 2010 Act which makes further provision about the Convener and School Closure Review Panels including provision for the appointment of the Convener and Panel members.
239.New section 17B (Review by Panel) of the 2010 Act provides for the review that a School Closure Review Panel is required to carry out when it is constituted under section 17A(3). Section 17B(1) requires the Panel to consider both: whether the education authority has failed to comply with the requirements imposed on the authority under the 2010 Act and whether the education authority has failed to take proper account of a material consideration relevant to its decision. These are the same issues which the Scottish Ministers are required to consider under section 17(2) of the 2010 Act in considering whether to call-in a closure proposal (although Ministers only have to consider if the authority may have failed to comply with the requirements imposed on the authority under the 2010 Act or to take proper account of a material consideration).
240.New sections 17B(2), (3) and (4) relate to providing information and advice that a School Closure Review Panel reasonably requires in conducting its review of closure proposal. Section 17B(2) places a duty on the education authority to provide information to the Panel. Section 17B(3) places a duty on HMIE to provide a Panel with advice that it reasonably requires in conducting its review of closure proposal. This advice is concerning the educational aspects of a closure proposal. Section 17B(4) provides a power for a School Closure Review Panel to request information or advice from any other person for the purpose of its review. This could include experts providing information or advice on issues that are relevant to the proposals, or those who made representations regarding the proposal.
241.New section 17B(5) provides a power for the Scottish Ministers to make provision in regulations as to the procedures to be followed by a School Closure Review Panel in carrying out a review under section 17B(1). This power, which is subject to the negative procedure, ensures that Ministers can specify procedures for the Panels to follow in carrying out their review of a school closure proposal once called-in by Ministers.
242.New section 17C(1) (Decision following review) sets out the decisions available to a School Closure Review Panel following a review of a school closure proposal. Section 17C(2) requires the Panel to give reasons for its decision. In addition to the options currently available to Ministers under section 16 of the 2010 Act (which is repealed by section 81(2)) - to consent, consent with conditions or refuse consent to a school closure proposal - the Panel has the option to refuse consent to the proposal and remit it back to the education authority to reconsider and make a fresh decision as to implementation (section 17C(1)(b)).
243.Section 17C(3) provides that in the case of remitting the proposal back to the authority, the Panel may specify which steps under the 2010 Act must be taken again before the authority can take a fresh decision on the proposal. The grounds on which a Panel may refuse consent to a proposal or to remit a proposal back to the education authority are set out in 17C(4). Section 17C(4) also provides that the Panel may refuse to consent to a proposal for either or both of the grounds or reasons set out in paragraphs (a) or (b), and this is irrespective of the grounds on which Ministers called in the proposal.
244.Sections 17C(5) and (6) provide time limits for a Panel to make its decision. A Panel is required to make a decision within 8 weeks of being constituted, unless it has issued a notice that a further period is required and, in such a case, this further period is to be no longer than 16 weeks in total from when the Panel was constituted.
245.Section 17C(8) provides that any conditions set by a Panel as part of its consent to a proposal are binding on an education authority.
246.New section 17D (Appeal against decision of the Panel) provides that a decision of a School Closure Review Panel may be appealed to the sheriff by the education authority or a relevant consultee in relation to the closure proposal. An appeal can only be made on a point of law, must be made by summary application and must be made within 14 days of the Panel’s decision. Section 17D(3) provides that the sheriff may confirm the Panel’s decision or quash the decision and refer the matter back to the Panel, and section 17D(4) provides that this decision by the sheriff is final and is not subject to further appeal.
247.Subsection (5) of section 81 inserts a new schedule 2A (School Closure Review Panels) into the 2010 Act.
248.Paragraph 1 of schedule 2A makes provision for the establishment of the office of the Convener of the School Closure Review Panels, for the appointment by the Scottish Ministers of a person to hold that office, and for the status of the office-holder. It also provides that the Convener may delegate his or her functions, and for Ministers to appoint a person to act as Convener if the office is vacant or the office holder is unable to perform their functions for whatever reason. Paragraph 1(9) provides a regulation making power that allows Ministers to make provision for or about eligibility for and disqualification from appointment, tenure and removal from office and about the payment of salary etc. to the Convener, and these regulations are subject to negative procedure.
249.Paragraph 2 makes provision for the appointment of persons eligible to serve as members of the School Closure Review Panel, for the appointment of those persons to individual Panels, for the Convener to make arrangements to train those persons appointed and for a regulation making power to allow Ministers to make provision about eligibility for and disqualification from appointment, tenure, removal from office, payment of expenses and fees etc. to Panel members.
250.Paragraph 3 allows Ministers to provide such property, staff and services to the Convener as they think necessary or expedient in connection with the exercise of the Convener’s functions (including the payment of grants to allow the Convener to employ staff etc.) and requires the Convener to provide a Panel with such staff and services the Convener thinks necessary or expedient in connection with the exercise of the Panel’s functions.
251.Paragraphs 4 and 5 allow Ministers to issue directions to the Convener as to the exercise of the Convener’s functions and require the Convener to prepare an annual report on the exercise of their functions and of the Panel’s functions during the year and for this to be submitted to Ministers.
252.Subsections (6), (7), (8) and (9) of section 81 make consequential and technical amendments to various other provisions of the 2010 Act, including requiring the Convener and School Closure Review Panels to have regard to guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.
253.Subsections (10), (11) and (12) of section 81 amend the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 to add the Convener to the list of authorities which are respectively subject to investigation by the Ombudsman, subject to Freedom of Information requests and whose appointments are subject to the Public Appointments Code of Practice.
Part 16 – Children’s Hearings
Section 82 – Safeguarders: exceptions to duty to prepare report on appointment
254.This section amends section 33 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) which deals with the functions of safeguarders. Section 33(1) of the 2011 Act requires any safeguarder appointed by a children’s hearing by virtue of section 30, on appointment, to prepare a report for the hearing. Following amendment, section 33 of the 2011 Act will provide that a report does not require to be prepared by a safeguarder if the children’s hearing is arranged under any of the following sections of the 2011 Act: section 45 (review by children’s hearing where child in place of safety), section 46 (review by children’s hearing where order prevents removal of child), section 50 (children’s hearing to provide advice to sheriff in relation to application), section 96 (children’s hearing to consider need for further interim compulsory supervision order), section 126 (review of contact direction), or section 158 (compulsory supervision order: suspension pending appeal).
Section 83 – Maximum period of child protection order
255.Section 83 amends section 54 of the 2011 Act (termination of child protection order after maximum of 8 working days). Following amendment, section 54 of the 2011 Act will provide that if, following the making of a child protection order under section 37 of the 2011 Act, a children’s hearing does not take place within the period of 8 working days beginning on the day after the day on which a child is removed under the child protection order to a place of safety or within the period of 8 working days beginning on the day after the day on which the order was made, the child protection order automatically terminates.
Section 84 – Power to determine that deeming of person as relevant person to end
256.Section 84 amends section 79 of the 2011 Act (referral of certain matters for pre-hearing determination) and adds a new section 81A into the 2011 Act. Following amendment, the 2011 Act will provide for a pre-hearing panel to determine whether an individual previously deemed for the purposes of the 2011 Act to be a “relevant person” in relation to a child should continue to be deemed a “relevant person” in relation to the child. The amendments at paragraph 12(2), (3) and (7) of schedule 5 are consequential on these substantive provisions. The amendment to section 160 of the 2011 Act at paragraph 12(8) of schedule 5 makes provision for appeal to the sheriff against a determination of the pre-hearing panel.
Section 85 – Grounds hearing: non-acceptance of facts supporting ground
257.Section 85 amends section 90 of the 2011 Act (grounds to be put to child and relevant person). Following amendment, section 90(1)(a) requires the chairing member of a children’s hearing arranged under section 69(2) or 95(2) of the 2011 Act (known as the “grounds hearing”) to explain to the child and each relevant person each ground for referral to the children’s hearing (known as a “section 67 ground”) as set out in the statement of grounds prepared by the Principal Reporter under section 89 of the 2011 Act and all the facts supporting each section 67 ground set out in the statement of grounds. Existing section 90(1)(b) requires the chairing member to ask the child and each relevant person whether they accept that each section 67 ground applies in relation to the child. New section 90(1A) requires the chairing member to ask the child and each relevant person whether, in relation to each section 67 ground that that person accepts, each of the supporting facts is also accepted. New section 90(1B) provides that where the child or relevant person does not accept all of the supporting facts in relation to a section 67 ground which they have accepted, the ground is taken, for the purposes of the 2011 Act, to be accepted only if the grounds hearing considers that the person has accepted sufficient of the supporting facts to support the conclusion that the ground applies in relation to the child and it is appropriate to proceed in relation to the ground on the basis only of those supporting facts which are accepted. New section 90(1C) provides that where a ground is taken to be accepted by virtue of section 90(1B), the grounds hearing is required to amend the statement of grounds to delete any supporting facts which are not accepted. The amendments at paragraph 12(4), (5), (6) and (9) of schedule 5 are consequential on these substantive amendments.
Section 86 – Failure of child to attend grounds hearing: power to make interim order
258.Section 86 amends section 95 of the 2011 Act (child fails to attend grounds hearing). Following amendment, new section 95(3) and (4) will give power to a children’s hearing arranged under section 69(2) or 95(2) (known as a “grounds hearing”) to make an interim compulsory supervision order (ICSO) where a child fails to attend that hearing and was not excused from attending the hearing and the hearing, as a result, has required the Principal Reporter to arrange another grounds hearing. New section 95(4) provides that this power is available if the hearing considers that the nature of the child’s circumstances is such that for their protection, guidance, treatment or control it is necessary that an ICSO be made as a matter of urgency. New section 95(5) provides that an ICSO made under section 95(4) may not include a requirement that the implementation authority arrange a specified medical or other examination of the child.
Section 88 – Area support teams: establishment
260.Section 88 amends paragraphs 12 and 13 of schedule 1 of the the 2011 Act. Schedule 1 of the 2011 Act makes further provision about the National Convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) and about CHS itself – such as provision relating to appointment and functions, etc. Paragraph 12 of the schedule provides for the establishment and membership of area support teams (ASTs) which are to carry out for their areas, the selection of children’s hearing members and paragraph 13 applies when the National Convener first establishes an AST under paragraph 12 and is a transitional provision dealing with the transfer of members from a Children’s Panel Advisory Committee to an AST. Paragraph 14 makes provision for the functions of ASTs.
261.Section 88(2)(a) provides that the National Convener must keep the designation of areas under paragraph 12(1) under review and that the National Convener may revoke or make a new designation at any time. The National Convener will be required to ensure, when revoking or making new designations, that each local authority will fall within a designated area under paragraph 12(1). Where a designation is revoked, this will have the effect of dissolving the area support team that was established as a consequence of the designation. New paragraph 12(3C) requires the National Convener to consult with the affected local authority before revoking or making a designation. This means that the National Convener must ensure that when exercising the power to make and revoke designations of ASTs, there will always be an AST in relation to each local authority area and therefore that there will not be a time when a local authority no longer has an AST as a result of a revocation.
262.New paragraph 12(3D) provides that in sub-paragraph 3C “affected local authority” means in the case of making a designation the local authority whose area falls with the area proposed to be designated and, in the case of a revocation of a designation, each constituent local authority for the area support team established as a consequence of the designation.
263.On making or revoking a designation under paragraph 12(1) and 12(3B), the National Convener must notify each affected constituent local authority.
264.Section 88(2)(b) amends paragraph 13 of schedule 1 to the 2011 Act so that paragraph 13 applies where the National Convener establishes an area support team under paragraph 12(1) and where the area of the area support team consists of or includes a new area.
265.Paragraph 13(b)(iv) amends paragraph 13(7) to provide that “new area” means an area which has never previously been the area (or part of the area) of an area support team.
266.Section 88(3) provides that an area support team established before this section comes into force continues in existence as if it were established under paragraph 12(1) as amended by this section.
Section 89 – Area support teams: administrative support by local authorities
267.This section amends paragraph 14 of schedule 1 to the 2011 Act to provide that each constituent local authority (of an area support team, as established by the National Convener in terms of schedule 1, paragraph 12 of the 2011 Act) must provide an area support team with such administrative support as the National Convener considers appropriate. “Administrative support” is defined as staff, property or other services which the National Convener considers are required to facilitate the carrying out by an area support team of its functions.
Section 98 – Modification of enactments
293.This section introduces schedule 5 which contains minor amendments to enactments and otherwise modifies enactments for the purposes of or in consequence of this Act.
Section 99 – Subordinate legislation
294.Subsection (1) provides that any power of the Scottish Ministers to make an order or regulations includes powers to make different provision for different purposes and such supplementary, incidental, consequential, transitional, transitory or saving provision as they consider appropriate.
295.Subsection (2) states that an order made under the following sections is subject to the affirmative procedure – sections 3(2), 7(5), 30(1), 31(2), 37(7), 43(1), 44(2), 47(2)(c)(ii), 47(4), 48(2), 51(2), 56(2), 57(2)(b), 58(2), 68(3)(b), 71(5)(b) and 96(6).
296.Subsection (3) provides that an order made under section 101 containing provisions which add to, replace or omit any part of the text of this or any other Act is subject to affirmative procedure.
297.Subsection (4) provides that other orders made under this Act, and any regulations made under this Act, are subject to negative procedure.
298.Subsection (5) provides that this section does not apply to an order made under section 102(3).
Section 100 – Guidance and directions
299.This section provides that any guidance or directions issued by the Scottish Ministers in exercise of their powers under the Act can be issued either generally or for particular purposes and different guidance or directions can be issued to different persons or otherwise for different purposes. Subsection (2) requires the Scottish Ministers to publish (in a manner they consider appropriate) any guidance or directions issued by them under the Act. Subsection (3) makes clear that the requirement to publish includes a requirement to publish any revised guidance and revised or revoked directions.
Section 101 – Ancillary provision
300.This section allows the Scottish Ministers, by order, to make such supplementary, incidental or consequential provision as they consider appropriate for the purposes of, or in connection with or for the purposes of giving full effect to, any provision made by, or by virtue of, this Act. Such an order may also make such transitional, transitory or savings provision as Scottish Ministers consider appropriate for the purposes of, or in connection with, the coming into force of any provision.
Section 102 – Commencement
301.This section provides for this Part (except for sections 96, 97 and 98) to come into force on the day after Royal Assent and for the other provisions of the Act to be commenced by order made by the Scottish Ministers. Such an order may include transitional, transitory or savings provision. Subsections (2) to (5) of section 47 come into force on the day after Royal Assent thereby enabling laying of secondary legislation on the definition of children eligible for early learning and childcare at the earliest possible opportunity.
Section 103 – Short title
302.This section states the short title of the Act as being the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
Schedule 1 – Authorities to which section 2 applies
303.Schedule 1 lists the authorities to which the duty in section 2 of the Act (duties of public authorities in relation to the UNCRC) applies. Schedule 1 is introduced by section 3. The persons included in this schedule are those persons who it is considered are likely to, in the course of their function, engage directly with children and young people, and as such should be taking steps to secure better or further effect, within the area of its responsibility, of the UNCRC requirements.
Schedule 2 – Relevant authorities
304.Schedule 2 lists relevant authorities for the purposes of Part 4 (Named Persons) of the Act. The persons included in this schedule are those persons who it is considered are likely to, in the course of their function, engage directly with children, families and adults.
Schedule 3 – Listed Authorities
305.Schedule 3 contains listed authorities for the purposes of Part 5, who must comply with any reasonable request made of them to provide a person exercising Child’s Plan functions under Part 5 with information, advice or assistance for that purpose. The persons included in this schedule are those persons who it is considered are likely to, in the course of their functions, engage directly with children, families and adults.
Schedule 4 – Corporate parents
306.Schedule 4 lists the persons who are “corporate parents” for the purposes of Part 9 (corporate parenting) of the Act and is introduced by section 56. The persons included in this schedule are those bodies who it is considered are likely to, in the course of exercising their functions, engage directly with looked after children.
Schedule 5 – Modification of enactments
307.Schedule 5 makes minor amendments to enactments and otherwise modifies enactments for the purposes of or in consequence of this Act. Schedule 5 is introduced by section 98.
308.Paragraph 1 amends the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (the 1968 Act). Section 5(1) of the 1968 Act provides that local authorities shall perform their functions under certain enactments under the general guidance of the Scottish Ministers. Further, section 5(1A) enables the Scottish Ministers to issue directions to local authorities (either individually or collectively) as to the manner in which they are to exercise their functions under the enactments mentioned in subsection (1B); and a local authority is required to comply with any direction made.
309.Paragraph 1(a)(i) and (ii) of schedule 5 amend section 5 of the 1968 Act so as to bring the provisions relating to early learning and childcare (Part 6), services in relation to children at risk of becoming looked after etc (Part 12) and support for kinship care (Part 13) within the ambit of section 5(1) of the 1968 Act; the effect will be that local authorities must perform their functions in relation to early learning and childcare in so far as they apply to children falling within section 47(3)(a) of the Act (that is looked after 2 year olds), and in relation to the provision of support to kinship carers and the provision of services to those eligible to receive it under the general guidance of the Scottish Ministers. Paragraph 1(b) amends section 5(1B) of the 1968 Act so as to include the provisions on early learning and childcare in so far as they relate to looked after 2 year olds within subsection (1B) of the 1968 Act; the effect being that the Scottish Ministers will be able to issue directions to local authorities as to the manner in which they exercise their functions in relation to early learning and childcare for looked after 2 year olds. Paragraph 1(c) inserts a definition of looked after children into section 5 of the 1968 Act.
310.Paragraph 2 amends the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (the 1980 Act) in consequence of the provisions on early learning and childcare in Part 6 of the Act. Paragraph 2(2)(a) amends section 1(1A) of the 1980 Act so as to provide that the duty to provide adequate and effective provision of school education conferred on education authorities under section 1(1) of the 1980 Act, in relation to children who are under school age, is to be exercisable only to the extent required by section 47(1). Under the current law, the duty to provide adequate and effective school education in relation to children who are under school age is exercisable only in respect of children described in an order made under subsection (1A) of section 1 of the 1980 Act.
311.Paragraph 2(2)(b) removes subsections (1B) and (4A) from section 1 of the 1980 Act; those provisions set out that an order made under subsection (1A) could set out the amount of school education which children described in the order are to be provided with (subsection (1B)) and that such an order was subject to negative procedure (subsection (4A)).
312.Section 1(5)(a)(i) of the 1980 Act defines school education in relation to pupils who are under school age. Paragraph 2(2)(c) of schedule 5 replaces that definition with the concept of early learning and childcare which has the meaning given in Part 6 of the Act (see the definition of “early learning and childcare” inserted into section 135 of the 1980 Act by paragraph 2(6)(a) of schedule 5).
313.Paragraph 2(6) amends section 135 of the 1980 Act which is an interpretation section. Paragraph 2(6)(a) inserts a definition of “early learning and childcare” which has the same meaning as in Part 6. Paragraph 2(6)(b) substitutes the definitions of “nursery school” and “nursery classes” and replaces the current definition (which gives them the same meaning in section 1(5)(a)(i) of the 1980 Act) with a definition which states that they are schools and classes which provide early learning and childcare.
314.Paragraphs 2(3) to (5) make a number of amendments to the 1980 Act in consequence of the changes made by section 93 (provision of school lunches) of this Act. Section 53A of the 1980 Act places a duty on an education authority to ensure that, through the promotion of school lunches, children who are entitled to free school lunches take up those lunches. Further, section 53A(2) requires an education authority to take reasonable steps to ensure that every pupil who is entitled to free school lunches, by virtue of section 53(3) (i.e. because they, or their parent, are in receipt of certain benefits), receives those school lunches. Paragraph 2(3) which substitutes “53” for 53(3) in section 53A(2) ensures that this duty also applies to free school lunches provided by virtue of section 95 of this Act.
315.Section 53B of the 1980 Act imposes a duty on education authorities to take reasonable steps to protect the identity of pupils receiving free school lunches. Paragraph 2(4)(a)(ii) and (c) which substitute “53” for 53(3) in both subsections (1) and (5)(b) of section 53B ensures that this duty applies to free school lunches provided by virtue of section 93 of this Act; that is by virtue of children being entitled because they are prescribed by regulations made by the Scottish Ministers; or by virtue of free school lunches being provided by an education authority under its power to provide food or drink (including school lunches) free of charge.
316.As section 93 means that free school lunches may be provided to more pupils than those who receive, or whose parents receive, certain benefits, there may be circumstances where the potential stigma associated with free school lunches will not arise, for example in the implementation of the policy to provide free school lunches to primary 1 to 3 children in Scotland. In such cases it will be neither necessary, nor possible, to protect the identity of pupils receiving free school lunches and therefore it would be inappropriate to impose that duty on education authorities. Therefore, paragraph 2(4)(a)(i) and (b) amend section 53B of the 1980 Act by inserting a new subsection (1A) to enable Ministers to prescribe, through regulations, circumstances when the duty to protect identity will not apply. Education authorities will not therefore need to take steps to protect the identity of pupils taking free school lunches when there is no risk of stigma and therefore no benefit to the pupils in doing so.
317.Paragraph 2(5) amends section 133 of the 1980 Act to provide that any regulations made under section 53(3)(c) (power of Ministers to prescribe children who are to be eligible for free school lunches) will be subject to affirmative procedure.
318.Paragraph 3 amends the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986. Specifically, it amends sections 28F(1)(b) to provide that children's legal aid is available in relation to the changes made by section 84 of this Act, and it amends section 37(2) of the 1986 Act to provide that affirmative procedure applies to the powers of Scottish Ministers under the new section 28LA of the 1986 Act (inserted by section 92 of this Act).
319.Paragraph 4 amends the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”). Paragraph 4(2) repeals section 19 (local authority plans for services for children) of the 1995 Act in consequence of the provisions in Part 3 of the Act relating to children’s services planning. Paragraph 4(3) amends section 20 (publication of information about services for children) of the 1995 Act to substitute a new subsection (2) which defines “relevant services” for the purposes of that section which means services provided by a local authority under or by virtue of Part II of the 1995 Act, the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, Part 9 or 10 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 or any of the enactments mentioned in section 5(1B)(a) to (n), (r) or (t) of the 1968 Act. A further connected amendment is made in paragraphs 5 and 9 of schedule 5 and is explained below.
320.Paragraph 4(4) amends section 44 of the 1995 Act to prevent a person publishing information which would identify a child, their address or school only in respect of proceedings before a sheriff on an application for an exclusion order under section 76(1) of the 1995 Act. This is connected to the amendment made in paragraph 12 of schedule 5 which is explained below.
321.Paragraph 5 makes minor drafting amendments to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.
322.Paragraph 6 repeals paragraph 11 of section 37 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996 in consequence of the repeal of section 38 of the Children & Young Persons Act 1963 which is achieved through section 94 of this Act.
323.Paragraph 7 amends the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) in consequence of the provisions on early learning and childcare in Part 6 of the Act. Section 34 of the 2000 Act contains a power for the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance to education authorities as respects the discharge of their functions under the 1980 Act and education authorities must in discharging those functions have regard to such guidance. Paragraph 7(a) and (b) of schedule 5 amend section 34 to enable guidance to be issued by the Scottish Ministers to local authorities about their functions in relation to the provision of early learning and childcare under Part 6 of the Act.
324.Paragraph 8 amends section 73(2)(a) of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 in consequence of the provision made at 60 of the Act relating to the provision of aftercare to young people. Section 73(2) is a power for the Scottish Ministers to make regulations to specify the manner in which assistance may be provided under subsections (1) and (2) of section 29 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. Section 73(2)(a) is amended so that this power may be exercised in relation to assistance provided under new subsections (5A)and (5B) which are inserted by section 60 of the Act.
325.Paragraph 9 amends the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 so as to make a change to the definition of “relevant services” consequential on the repeal of section 19 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 by paragraph 4(2) of schedule 5 explained above.
326.Paragraph 10 amends the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the 2004 Act) in consequence of the provisions on early learning and childcare in Part 6 of the Act. Paragraph 10(2), (3) and (4)(a) amends sections 1(3), 5(3)(a) and 29(1) of the 2004 Act respectively so as to replace the concept of "prescribed pre-school child" (as under current law such children are prescribed under an order section 1(1A) and (1C) of the 1980 Act) with the concept of "eligible pre-school child" as defined in section 43(2) of the Act. Paragraph 10(4)(b) of schedule 5 removes the definition of "prescribed pre-school child" in consequence of the other amendments made by paragraph 8. It should be noted that an “eligible pre-school child” for the purposes of the early learning and childcare provisions in Part 6 of the Act will fall squarely within the definition of “pre-school child” in the 2000 Act and other enactments which refer to that concept.
327.Paragraph 11 amends the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 to provide that any orders or regulations made under section 13A(2) or 13E(1) respectively, are not to be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament (affirmative procedure instruments).
328.Paragraph 12 amends sections 80(1), 81, 142 and 160 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 in consequence of the changes made by section 84 (power to determine that deeming of person as relevant person to end) of this Act. It also amends sections 94(3), 105, 106 and 202(1) of the 2011 Act in consequence of the changes made by section 85 (grounds hearing: non-acceptance of facts supporting ground) of this Act. Further, it amends schedule 6 (repeals) of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) to omit the repeal of section 44 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (prohibition of publication of proceedings at children’s hearing) from the list of repealed provisions in that Act. Section 44, whilst broadly replaced by provision made at section 182 of the 2011 Act, requires to be retained in relation to proceedings for exclusion orders under section 76(1) of the 1995 Act. Paragraph 4(4) of schedule 5 makes amendments to section 44 of the 1995 Act to limit its effect in this regard.
329.The following table sets out, for each Stage of the proceedings in the Scottish Parliament on the Bill for this Act, the dates on which the proceedings at that Stage took place, and the references to the official report of those proceedings. It also shows the dates on which Committee Reports and other papers relating to the Act were published, and references to those reports and other papers.
Bill as introduced – 17 April 2013 SP Bill 27 - Session 4 (2013)
14th meeting, 7 May 2013 Col 2348
19th meeting, 11 June 2013 In private
20th meeting, 25 June 2013 Col 2643 - 2669
21st meeting, 3 September 2013 Col 2680 - 2704
22nd meeting, 10 September 2013 Col 2714 - 2761
23rd meeting, 17 September 2013 Col 2769 - 2808
24th meeting, 24 September 2014 Col 2819 - 2863
25th meeting, 1 October 2014 Col 2882 - 2912
26th meeting, 8 October 2014 Col 2944 - 2976
28th meeting, 5 November 2014 In private
29th meeting, 12 November 2014 In private
Education and Culture Committee’s 11th Report, 2013 (Session 4): Stage 1 Report on the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Report
19th meeting, 19 June 2013 In private
22nd meeting, 18 September 2013 Col 2946 - 3008
24th meeting, 2 October 2013 In private
Finance Committee’s Report on the Financial Memorandum of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Report
23rd meeting, 10 September 2013 Col 1055 - 1057
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee’s 50th Report, 2013 (Session 4): Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill Report
(d) Local Government and Regeneration Committee
19th meeting, 12 June 2013 In private
22nd meeting, 4 September 2013 Col 2498 - 2536
24th meeting, 25 September 2013 In private
Stage 1 Debate – 21 November 2013 Col 24789 - 24837
31st Meeting, Tuesday 3 December 2013 Col 3049 -3098
33rd meeting, 17 December 2013 Col 3147 - 3216
1st meeting, 7 January 2014 Col 3223 - 3276
2nd meeting, 14 January 2014 Col 3283 - 3346
3rd meeting, 21 January 2014 Col 3553 - 3599
4th meeting, 28 January 2014 In private
Bill as amended at Stage 2, 21 January 2014 SP Bill 27A - Session 4 (2013)
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee’s 12th Report, 2014 (Session 4): Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill as amended at Stage 2 Report
5th meeting, 19 February 2014 Col 3659 - 3672
Stage 3 Debate – 19 February 2014 Col 27740 - 27942
Bill as passed - 20 February 2014 SP BIll 27B - Session 4 (2014)
27 March 2014 Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (asp 8)