Part 2

Amendments of the Children Act 1989

Care plans
121
1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
After that section there is inserted—

Care orders: care plans
31A
1
Where an application is made on which a care order might be made with respect to a child, the appropriate local authority must, within such time as the court may direct, prepare a plan (“a care plan”) for the future care of the child.
2
While the application is pending, the authority must keep any care plan prepared by them under review and, if they are of the opinion some change is required, revise the plan, or make a new plan, accordingly.
3
A care plan must give any prescribed information and do so in the prescribed manner.
4
For the purposes of this section, the appropriate local authority, in relation to a child in respect of whom a care order might be made, is the local authority proposed to be designated in the order.
5
In section 31(3A) and this section, references to a care order do not include an interim care order.
6
A plan prepared, or treated as prepared, under this section is referred to in this Act as a “section 31A plan”.
3
If—
a
before subsection (2) comes into force, a care order has been made in respect of a child and a plan for the future care of the child has been prepared in connection with the making of the order by the local authority designated in the order, and
b
on the day on which that subsection comes into force the order is in force, or would be in force but for section 29(1) of this Act,
the plan is to have effect as if made under section 31A of the 1989 Act.
S. 121 in force at 7.12.2004 for specified purposes by S.I. 2004/3203, art. 2(1)(m)(xii)
S. 121 in force at 30.12.2005 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2005/2213, art. 2(k) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2005/2897, arts. 3-16)
S. 121(1) repealed (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 15(3), 139(6); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(d) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10)