The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Commencement No. 6) (Wales) Order 2011

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order is the sixth Commencement Order made by the Welsh Ministers under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23) (“the 2008 Act”) which brings specified provisions of the 2008 Act into force in relation to Wales.

Article 2(1) of this Order provides that 28 March 2011 is the appointed day for the coming into force in relation to Wales of the provisions of the Act listed below—

• article 2(1)(a) commences section 15 of the Act (duty of local authority to ensure visits to looked after children and others), in so far as it is not already in force; the Welsh Ministers may then require local authorities in Wales to ensure that a representative of the authority visits looked after children, and other children who may have formerly been looked after, in prescribed circumstances;

• article 2(1)(b) commences section 19 of the Act (support for accommodated children), which will extend the obligations of local authorities in Wales to provide support for accommodated children (who are defined by reference to sections 85 and 86 of the Children Act 1989);

• article 2(1)(c) commences section 29 of the Act (notification of matters relating to persons carrying on or managing children’s homes etc), in so far as it is not already in force, to insert a new section 30A into the Care Standards Act 2000. This places a duty on the Welsh Ministers to notify each local authority in England and Wales when certain enforcement action is taken under the Care Standards Act 2000;

• article 2(1)(d) commences section 42 of and Schedule 4 (repeals) to the Act in so far as they relate to—

  (i)

  the repeals in section 104 of the Children Act 1989, and

  (ii)

  the repeals in section 21 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

Article 2(2) of this Order provides that 1 September 2011 is the appointed day for the coming into force in relation to Wales of section 20 of the Act (in so far as it is not already in force). Governing bodies of maintained schools in Wales will be required to designate a member of staff as having responsibility for promoting the educational achievement of looked after children who are registered pupils at the school (maintained school and registered pupil are respectively defined by the Education Acts of 2002 and 1996).