Consultation on court orders

The Department for Education are consulting on changes to the statutory guidance on the Children Act 1989.

The guidance relates to public and private family law orders and is being updated in light of the Children and Families Bill 2014.    

The Children Act 1989 guidance and Regulations: Volume 1-court orders was first published in 1991 and last updated in 2008. It is being revised to reflect upcoming legislative changes as a result of the Children and Families Bill and changes in practice following the Family Justice Review.

In 2011, the Family Justice Review, Chaired by Sir David Norgrove found that the Family Justice system was characterised by delays and variable effectiveness across the different agencies. The legislative changes in the Children and Families Bill directly tackle these concerns, and to help make sure that the work of local authorities and the courts is aligned, the Department is producing a revised version of Volume 1.    

Revising the statutory guidance will ensure that practitioners understand the new provisions in the Children and Families Bill and supporting secondary legislation and have accurate guidance on how to carry out their legal responsibilities. This will help the successful implementation of the family justice measures in the Bill. Current guidance is no longer accurate and needs to be updated.

Consultation responses can be completed online at: www.education.gov.uk/consultations

or by emailing courtorders.consultation@education.gsi.gov.uk

or by downloading a response form which should be completed and sent to: Patrick Towgood, Department for Education, Level 1, Sanctuary Buildings, 16-20 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BT

Consultation closes 26 March 2014.

For more information visit the Department for Education website.