26.Subsection (1) places a duty on local authorities to provide adoption support services in a way that takes account of other services that they provide in carrying out functions which they have under any of the enactments mentioned in section 5(1B) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, in particular those relating to children. All local authority functions that relate to children should be coordinated in order to provide a cohesive service in the context of adoption support services.
27.Under subsection (2) a local authority may carry out its obligation to provide or continue to provide an adoption service by entering into arrangements with a “registered adoption service” for the provision of the service on its behalf. By subsection (3), a “registered adoption service” means an adoption service within the meaning given by section 2(11)(b) of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, which is registered under that Act.