Part 1Adoption

Chapter 2The Adoption Service

The Adoption Service

I1I2I38 Adoption support agencies

1

In this Act, “adoption support agency” means an undertaking the purpose of which, or one of the purposes of which, is the provision of adoption support services; but an undertaking is not an adoption support agency—

a

merely because it provides information in connection with adoption other than for the purpose mentioned in section 98(1), or

b

if it is excepted by virtue of subsection (2).

“Undertaking” has the same meaning as in the Care Standards Act 2000 (c. 14).

2

The following are excepted—

a

a registered adoption society, whether or not the society is registered in respect of the provision of adoption support services,

b

a local authority,

F2c

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4ca

the National Health Service Commissioning Board,

d

a Special Health Authority F5... F6, clinical commissioning group (in Wales, a Health Authority or Local Health Board) F1, NHS trust or NHS foundation trust,

e

the Registrar General,

f

any person, or description of persons, excepted by regulations.

3

In section 4 of the Care Standards Act 2000 (basic definitions)—

a

after subsection (7) there is inserted—

7A

“Adoption support agency” has the meaning given by section 8 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

b

in subsection (9)(a) (construction of references to descriptions of agencies), for “or a voluntary adoption agency” there is substituted “ a voluntary adoption agency or an adoption support agency ”.

F34

In this section “local authority” includes any body that is a local authority as defined in section 579(1) of the Education Act 1996 (in addition to the bodies mentioned in the definition in section 144(1)).