Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

12(1)The National Convener must establish F1... a committee (to be known as an area support team) for each area that the National Convener designates for the purposes of this paragraph.S

(2)An area designated under sub-paragraph (1) is to consist of one or more local authority areas.

[F2(3)The National Convener—

(a)must keep the designation of areas under sub-paragraph (1) under review, and

(b)may at any time revoke a designation or make a new one.

(3A)In exercising the powers to make and revoke designations, the National Convener must ensure that at all times each local authority area falls within an area designated under sub-paragraph (1).

(3B)Revocation of a designation under sub-paragraph (1) has the effect of dissolving the area support team established in consequence of the designation.

(3C)Before deciding to make or revoke a designation under sub-paragraph (1), the National Convener must consult each affected local authority.

(3D)In sub-paragraph (3C), “affected local authority” means—

(a)in the case of making a designation, each local authority whose area falls within the area proposed to be designated,

(b)in the case of revoking a designation, each constituent authority for the area support team established in consequence of the designation.

(3E)On making or revoking a designation under sub-paragraph (1), the National Convener must notify each local authority which was consulted under sub-paragraph (3C) in relation to the decision to make or revoke the designation.]

(4)The National Convener must appoint as members of an area support team—

(a)one person nominated by each constituent authority (if the authority chooses to make a nomination),

(b)such other persons nominated by constituent authorities as the National Convener considers appropriate,

(c)a member of the Children's Panel who lives or works in the area of the area support team, and

(d)sufficient other persons so that the number of members nominated by a local authority is no more than one third of the total number of members.

(5)An area support team may not include the Principal Reporter or a member or employee of SCRA.

(6)An area support team may establish sub-committees consisting of persons who are members of the area support team.

(7)In this paragraph and paragraphs 13 and 14 “constituent authority”, in relation to an area support team (or a proposed area support team), means a local authority whose area falls within the area of the area support team.

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1Sch. 1 para. 12(1)-(3)(7) in force at 19.9.2012 by S.S.I. 2012/246, art. 2, Sch.

I2Sch. 1 para. 12(4)-(6) in force at 31.3.2013 by S.S.I. 2013/98, art. 2, Sch.