163Arrangements to promote co-operation: children
(1)Section 25 of the Children Act 2004 (co-operation to improve well-being: Wales) is amended as follows.
(2)After subsection (1) insert—
“(1A)Each local authority in Wales must also make arrangements to promote co-operation between officers of the authority who exercise its functions.”
(3)For subsection (2) substitute—
“(2)The arrangements under subsections (1) and (1A) are to be made with a view to—
(a)improving the well-being of children within the authority’s area, in particular those with needs for care and support;
(b)improving the quality of care and support for children provided in the authority’s area (including the outcomes that are achieved from such provision);
(c)protecting children who are experiencing, or are at risk of, abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm (within the meaning of the Children Act 1989).”
(4)In subsection (4)—
(a)after paragraph (a) insert—
“(aa)any other local authority in Wales with which the authority agrees that it would be appropriate to co-operate under this section;”;
(b)in paragraph (f) for “Assembly” substitute “Welsh Ministers” and for “it is” substitute “they are”;
(c)after paragraph (f) insert—
“(g)such a person, or a person of such description, as regulations made by the Welsh Ministers may specify.”
(5)After subsection (4) insert—
“(4A)Regulations under subsection (4)(g) may not specify a Minister of the Crown or the governor of a prison or secure training centre (or, in the case of a contracted out prison or secure training centre, its director) unless the Secretary of State consents.”
(6)In subsections (8) and (9) for “Assembly” substitute “Welsh Ministers”.
(7)After subsection (10) insert—
“(11)In this section—
“care and support” means—
(a)care;
(b)support;
(c)both care and support;
“well-being” means well-being in relation to any of the following—
(a)physical and mental health and emotional well-being;
(b)protection from abuse and neglect;
(c)education, training and recreation;
(d)domestic, family and personal relationships;
(e)contribution made to society;
(f)securing rights and entitlements;
(g)social and economic well-being;
(h)suitability of living accommodation;
(i)physical, intellectual, emotional, social and behavioural development;
and it includes “welfare” as that word is interpreted for the purposes of the Children Act 1989.”
(8)In consequence of the amendment made by subsection (4)(b), in section 66 of the Children Act 2004 (regulations and orders), in subsection (7), after “section” insert “25 or”.