Looked after children
Local authorities have a wide range of duties to children they look after and to those leaving their care. The Act sets out a framework of corporate parenting principles that overlay these existing responsibilities towards looked after children and those leaving care to make clear what it means for the authority as a whole to act as a good parent. It also requires local authorities to publish their offer of support to young people leaving their care, and removes the requirement for certain care leavers to be in education and training in order to obtain support from a personal adviser and get other help from the local authority. This is part of a wider programme of work to support care leavers.
	The Act amends the current considerations of the court when making decisions about the long-term placement of children. The considerations now include such provisions of the child’s Care Plan which assess the child’s current and future needs, including any current and future needs resulting from the impact of any harm that the child suffered (or was likely to have suffered); and in adoption decisions, considerations now include the child’s relationship with any prospective adopter. The Act also extends the existing duties of local authorities and schools to promote the educational attainment of children so that these duties also cover children who have been adopted or placed in other long-term arrangements. This is part of a wider programme of reform for adoption.
	The Act also closes a gap in the existing legislation, establishing a statutory basis whereby English and Welsh local authorities may place looked after children in secure accommodation in Scotland.