http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/21/section/12/enactedChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026enKing's Printer of Acts of Parliament2026-05-07 Part 1 12 1 The Children Act 1989 is amended as follows. 2 After section 22I (inserted by section 5) insert— 22J 1 The Secretary of State may give directions requiring two or more local authorities to make regional co-operation arrangements. 2 “Regional co-operation arrangements” means arrangements— a for the local authorities to carry out their strategic accommodation functions jointly, b for the local authorities’ strategic accommodation functions to be carried out by one of the local authorities on behalf of the others, or c for a body corporate to support the local authorities in carrying out their strategic accommodation functions. 3 A local authority’s “strategic accommodation functions” are— a assessing current and future requirements for the accommodation of children being looked after by the local authority, b developing and publishing strategies for meeting those requirements, c commissioning the provision of accommodation for children being looked after by the local authority, d recruiting prospective local authority foster parents and supporting local authority foster parents, e developing, or facilitating the development of, new provision for the accommodation of children being looked after by the local authority, and f any other functions relating to a local authority’s duties under section 22A, 22C or 22G that are specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State. 4 Before making regulations under subsection (3)(f) the Secretary of State must consult— a local authorities, and b such other persons (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. 5 A direction under subsection (1) may— a specify which of the three kinds of regional co-operation arrangements the local authorities must make, or b specify more than one kind of regional co-operation arrangement (“the permitted arrangements”) and require the local authorities to determine which of the permitted arrangements to make. 6 A direction which requires or permits the local authorities to make regional co-operation arrangements of the kind in subsection (2)(b) may— a specify which local authority is to carry out the strategic accommodation functions, or b require the local authorities to determine which of them is to carry out the strategic accommodation functions. 7 A direction which requires or permits the local authorities to make regional co-operation arrangements of the kind in subsection (2)(c) may— a specify the kind of body corporate with which the arrangements may be made; b require a body corporate to be established for the purposes of the arrangements. 8 If a direction requires a body corporate to be established, it may— a specify which of the local authorities is to establish the body corporate, or b require the local authorities to determine which of them is to establish it. 9 The Secretary of State may give a direction requiring a local authority to terminate arrangements made in accordance with a direction under subsection (1). 10 A direction under this section may make different provision for different purposes. 3 In section 104 (regulations and orders)— a in subsection (2), after “(3AB),” insert “(3AC),”; b in subsection (3A), after “(3AB),” insert “(3AC),”; c after subsection (3AB) insert— 3AC Regulations fall within this subsection if they are regulations made in the exercise of the power conferred by section 22J(3)(f).