Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Duty to ensure visits to and advice etc. for children

127.  After Article 28A of the Children Order (as inserted by section 126) insert—

“Duty to ensure visits to and advice etc. for children

28B.— (1) This Article applies to a child looked after by an authority.

(2) The authority must—

(a) ensure that the child is visited by a representative of the authority (“a representative”);

(b) arrange for appropriate advice, support and assistance to be available to the child if the child seeks it from the authority.

(3) The duties imposed by paragraph (2)—

(a) are to be discharged in accordance with any regulations made for the purposes of this Article by the Department;

(b) are subject to any requirement imposed by or under a statutory provision applicable to the place in which the child is accommodated.

(4) Regulations under this Article for the purposes of paragraph (3)(a) may make provision about—

(a) the frequency of visits;

(b) circumstances in which the child must be visited by a representative; and

(c) the functions of a representative.

(5) In choosing a representative an authority must satisfy itself that the person chosen has the necessary skills and experience to perform the functions of a representative.”.