Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

21 Controlled activity relating to children

(1) A reference to a controlled activity relating to children must be construed in accordance with this section.

(2) An activity which falls within any of subsections (3) to (7) is a controlled activity to the extent that it is not a regulated activity relating to children.

(3) An activity falls within this subsection if—

(a) it consists in or is carried out in connection with any form of health care, treatment or therapy to which subsection (8) applies,

(b) it is carried out frequently by the same person or it is carried out by the same person on more than two days in any period of 30 days, and

(c) it gives the person an opportunity mentioned in subsection (9).

(4) An activity falls within this subsection if—

(a) it is carried out in a further education institution (within the meaning of section 140(3) of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32)),

(b) it is carried out frequently by the same person or it is carried out by the same person on more than two days in any period of 30 days,

(c) it is carried out by the person while engaging in any form of work (whether or not for gain),

(d) it is carried out for or in connection with the purposes of the institution, and

(e) it gives the person the opportunity mentioned in subsection (9)(a).

(5) An activity falls within this subsection if—

(a) it consists in making payments under section 17A of the Children Act 1989 (c. 41) or the provision of assistance either in connection with the making of such payments or securing the provision of services paid for out of them,

(b) it is carried out frequently by the same person or it is carried out by the same person on more than two days in any period of 30 days, and

(c) it gives the person the opportunity mentioned in subsection (9)(a).

(6) An activity falls within this subsection if it is carried out as mentioned in subsection (10) frequently and it gives a person carrying out the activity the opportunity to have access to—

(a) health, educational or social services records relating to children;

(b) information provided pursuant to section 117(1) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c. 21);

(c) in the case of a person carrying out an activity mentioned in subsection (10)(b), records of family proceedings (within the meaning of section 8(3) of the Children Act 1989) held by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service;

(d) in the case of a person carrying out an activity mentioned in subsection (10)(c), records of family proceedings (within the meaning of section 8(3) of the Children Act 1989) held by the National Assembly for Wales.

(7) An activity falls within this subsection if it consists in or involves on a regular basis the day to day management or supervision of a person carrying out an activity which falls within subsection (3), (4) or (6).

(8) This subsection applies to health care, treatment or therapy which is provided for a child—

(a) in pursuance of arrangements made by or under an enactment,

(b) in an establishment in relation to which a requirement to register arises under section 11 of the Care Standards Act 2000 (c. 14), or

(c) by an agency in relation to which such a requirement arises.

(9) The opportunities are—

(a) opportunity to have any form of contact with children;

(b) opportunity to have access to the health records of children.

(10) The activity is carried out—

(a) for, or on behalf of, a local authority (in the exercise of its educational or social services functions);

(b) for, or on behalf of, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service;

(c) for, or on behalf of, the National Assembly for Wales (in the exercise of its functions under Part 4 of the Children Act 2004 (c. 31) (Welsh family proceedings));

(d) for, or on behalf of, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority;

(e) for, or on behalf of, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England;

(f) for, or on behalf of, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales;

(g) for, or on behalf of, an establishment or agency in respect of which a requirement to register arises under section 11 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

(11) In this section—

• “educational records” includes individual child information within the meaning of—

  (a)

  section 99 of Childcare Act 2006 (c. 21),

  (b)

  that section as modified by section 100 of that Act, or

  (c)

  section 101 of that Act;

• “local authority”—

  (a)

  in relation to the education functions of a local authority, has the same meaning as in section 579(1) of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56);

  (b)

  in any other case, has the meaning given by section 1 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42);

• “social services functions” has the meaning given by section 1A of that Act;

• “social services records” means records obtained or held by a local authority in the exercise of its social services functions.

(12) The Secretary of State may, by order, amend subsections (2) to (11) (including by adding new subsections or omitting or varying any of the subsections or anything contained in them).