Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026

23 Corporate parenting responsibilities

(1) It is the duty of every relevant authority when exercising its functions—

(a) to be alert to matters which adversely affect, or might adversely affect, the wellbeing of looked-after children and relevant young people;

(b) to assess what services or support provided by the authority are or may be available for looked-after children and relevant young people;

(c) to seek to provide opportunities for looked-after children and relevant young people to participate in activities designed to promote their wellbeing or enhance their employment prospects;

(d) to take such action as the authority considers appropriate to help looked-after children and relevant young people—

(i) to make use of services, and access support, provided by the authority, and

(ii) to access opportunities provided by the authority in pursuance of paragraph (c).

(2) The duty imposed by subsection (1)—

(a) applies to a relevant authority only so far as compliance with the duty—

(i) is consistent with the proper exercise of its functions, and

(ii) is reasonably practicable, and

(b) does not apply as mentioned in section 24.

(3) “Relevant authority” means a person listed, or within a description listed, in Part 1 of Schedule 1.

(4) “Looked-after child” means a person aged under 18 who is—

(a) looked after by a local authority for the purposes of the Children Act 1989, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (anaw 4) or the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, or

(b) looked after by an authority for the purposes of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)).

(5) “Relevant young person” means a person who—

(a) is aged 16 or over but under 25, and

(b) was a looked-after child on their 16th birthday or at any subsequent time but is no longer a looked-after child.