Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

195 Targets for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

(1) Before section 10 of the Children Act 2004 (c. 31) insert—

“9A Targets for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

(1) The Secretary of State may, in accordance with regulations, set safeguarding targets for a children’s services authority in England.

(2) The regulations may, in particular—

(a) make provision about matters by reference to which safeguarding targets may, or must, be set;

(b) make provision about periods to which safeguarding targets may, or must, relate;

(c) make provision about the procedure for setting safeguarding targets;

(d) specify requirements with which a children’s services authority in England must comply in connection with the setting of safeguarding targets.

(3) In exercising their functions, a children’s services authority in England must act in the manner best calculated to secure that any safeguarding targets set under this section (so far as relating to the area of the authority) are met.

(4) “Safeguarding targets”, in relation to a children’s services authority in England, are targets for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the authority’s area.”

(2) In section 66 of that Act (regulations and orders)—

(a) in subsection (4) after “containing” insert “the first regulations under section 9A or”;

(b) in subsection (5)(a) for “to which subsection (3) does not apply” substitute “to which neither of subsections (3) and (4) applies”.

(3) In Schedule 1 to the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42) (social services functions) in the entry relating to the Children Act 2004—

(a) in the first column, after “Sections” insert “9A,”;

(b) in the second column, after “to” insert “targets for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and to”.

196 Local Safeguarding Children Boards: lay members

(1) Part 2 of the Children Act 2004 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 13 (establishment of LSCBs) after subsection (5) insert—

“(5A) A children’s services authority in England must take reasonable steps to ensure that the Local Safeguarding Children Board established by them also includes two persons who appear to the authority to be representative of persons living in the authority’s area.

(5B) An authority may pay remuneration, allowances and expenses to persons who are included by virtue of subsection (5A) in a Local Safeguarding Children Board established by them.”

(3) In section 14 (functions and procedures of LSCBs) in subsection (1)(a) after “the Board” insert “by virtue of section 13(2), (4) or (5)”.

197 Local Safeguarding Children Boards: annual reports

After section 14 of the Children Act 2004 (c. 31) insert—

“14A LSCBs: annual reports

(1) At least once in every 12 month period, a Local Safeguarding Children Board established under section 13 must prepare and publish a report about safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in its local area.

(2) The Board must submit a copy of the report to the local Children’s Trust Board.

(3) For the purposes of this section—

(a) the local area of a Local Safeguarding Children Board is the area of the children’s services authority that established the Board;

(b) the local Children’s Trust Board, in relation to a Local Safeguarding Children Board, is the Children’s Trust Board established for the Board’s local area.”