Equality Act 2010

[F1 6A [F2 (1) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations provide for— E+W

(a) a disabled child in a local authority area in Wales to have a person to make representations on behalf of the disabled child with a view to avoiding or resolving disagreements about contraventions of Chapter 1 of Part 6; and

(b) a relevant person (within the meaning of paragraph 3A) to have another person to exercise the relevant person's rights under that paragraph on the relevant person's behalf.

(2) A person exercising rights or making representations on behalf of a disabled child or a relevant person under sub-paragraph (1) is referred to in this Schedule as a “case friend”.

(3) A case friend must—

(a) make representations and exercise rights fairly and competently;

(b) have no interest adverse to that of the disabled child or relevant person;

(c) ensure that all steps and decisions taken by the case friend are for the benefit of the disabled child or relevant person and take account of the disabled child or relevant person's views.

(4) Regulations made under this paragraph may (among other things)—

(a) confer functions on the Welsh Tribunal;

(b) make provision about procedures in relation to case friends;

(c) make provision about the appointment and removal of case friends;

(d) specify the circumstances in which a person may or may not act as a case friend;

(e) specify the circumstances in which a relevant person (within the meaning of paragraph 3A) must have a case friend;

(f) specify further requirements in respect of the conduct of case friends.

(5) In this paragraph and in paragraphs 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E, “local authority” has the meaning given in section 89(10).

(6) In this paragraph and in paragraphs 6B, 6C and 6D—

• “disabled child” means any disabled person who is a pupil (or a prospective pupil) of—

  (a)

  a maintained school or maintained nursery school,

  (b)

  a pupil referral unit,

  (c)

  an independent school, or

  (d)

  a special school not maintained by a local authority;

• “proprietor” has the meaning given in section 89(4);

• “school” has the meanings given in section 89(5).

(7) In sub-paragraph (6)—

• “independent school” has the meaning given in section 89(8);

• “maintained school” has the meaning given in section 20(7) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;

• “maintained nursery school” has the meaning given in section 22(9) of the

• School Standards and Framework Act 1998

• “pupil” has the meanings given in section 89(3);

• “pupil referral unit” has the meaning given in section 19 [F3 or 19A] of the Education Act 1996; and

• “special school” has the meaning given in section 89(9).]]

[F2 (1) This paragraph applies to a child not over compulsory school age who⁠—

(a) has the right to make a claim under paragraph 3A, and

(b) lacks the capacity to understand what it means to exercise that right.

(2) The Education Tribunal for Wales may by order—

(a) appoint a person to be a case friend for a child to whom this section applies, or

(b) remove the person from being a case friend for the child,

on the application of any person or on its own initiative, subject to provision in regulations under sub-paragraph (7).

(3) A case friend appointed for a child under this paragraph may—

(a) represent and support the child, and

(b) take decisions and act on behalf of the child,

in respect of matters arising under or by virtue of this Schedule, subject to provision in regulations under sub-paragraph (7).

(4) Where a person is appointed to be a case friend by order of the Tribunal under this paragraph, the right of a child to make a claim under paragraph 3A is to be exercised by the case friend on behalf of the child.

(5) A case friend appointed under this paragraph must—

(a) act fairly and competently,

(b) not have any interest adverse to that of the child,

(c) ensure that all steps and decisions taken by the case friend are for the benefit of the child, and

(d) take account of the child's views, so far as possible.

(6) In deciding whether to appoint a person to be a case friend, or to remove a person from being a case friend, the Tribunal must have regard, in particular, to whether the person is likely to comply (in the case of appointment) or has complied (in the case of removal) with the duty in sub-paragraph (5).

(7) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make further provision about case friends, including (among other things) provision—

(a) conferring functions on the Education Tribunal for Wales;

(b) conferring functions on case friends;

(c) for procedures in relation to case friends;

(d) specifying the circumstances in which a person may or may not act as a case friend;

(e) specifying the circumstances in which a child must have a case friend;

(f) specifying requirements in respect of the conduct of case friends;

(g) applying any enactment with or without modifications for the purpose of enabling a case friend to make decisions or act on behalf of a child in respect of matters arising under or by virtue of this Schedule.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 17 para. 6A and cross-heading inserted (E.W.) (10.2.2012) by Education (Wales) Measure 2009 (nawm 5), s. 12(2) (as substituted (6.7.2011) by The Right of a Child to Make a Disability Discrimination Claim (Schools) (Wales) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/1651), art. 6); S.I. 2012/320, art. 2(e)

F2 Sch. 17 para. 6A substituted (2.11.2020 for specified purposes) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), s. 100(3), Sch. 1 para. 19(5)(g); S.I. 2020/1182, reg. 3(1)(n)

F3 Words in Sch. 17 para. 6A(7) inserted (W.) (30.4.2021) by Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (2021 asc 4), s. 84(1),Sch. 2 para. 64 (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2022/111, regs. 1, 3)