Research and returns of information CA 1989 s. 83
CA 1989 s.83: Secretary of State and local authorities may research children's social care; must transmit data; annual abstract; review training.
The Secretary of State may conduct, or assist other persons in conducting, research into any matter connected with— his functions, or the functions of local authorities, under the enactments mentioned in subsection (9); the functions of— the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel; safeguarding partners (within the meaning given by section 16E(3) of the Children Act 2004) in relation to local authority areas in England; child death review partners (within the meaning given by section 16Q(2) of the Children Act 2004) in relation to local authority areas in England; the adoption of children; or the accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital . Any local authority may conduct, or assist other persons in conducting, research into any matter connected with— their functions under the enactments mentioned in subsection (9); . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the adoption of children; or the accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital . Every local authority shall, at such times and in such form as the Secretary of State may direct, transmit to him such particulars as he may require with respect to— the performance by the local authority of all or any of their functions— under the enactments mentioned in subsection (9); or in connection with the accommodation of children in a care home or independent hospital ; and the children in relation to whom the authority have exercised those functions.; ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Every voluntary organisation shall, at such times and in such form as the Secretary of State may direct, transmit to him such particulars as he may require with respect to children accommodated by them or on their behalf. Particulars required to be transmitted under subsection (3) or (4) may include particulars relating to and identifying individual children. The Secretary of State may direct an officer of the family court to transmit— to such person as may be specified in the direction; and at such times and in such form as he may direct, such particulars as he may require with respect to proceedings of the court which relate to children. The Secretary of State shall in each year lay before Parliament a consolidated and classified abstract of the information transmitted to him under subsections (3) to (5). The Secretary of State may institute research designed to provide information on which requests for information under this section may be based. The Secretary of State shall keep under review the adequacy of the provision of child care training and for that purpose shall receive and consider any information from or representations made by— the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work; such representatives of local authorities as appear to him to be appropriate; or such other persons or organisations as appear to him to be appropriate, concerning the provision of such training. The enactments are— this Act; the Children and Young Persons Acts 1933 to 1969; section 116 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (so far as it relates to children looked after by local authorities); Part 1 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002; the Children Act 2004; the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
This section gives the Secretary of State and local authorities the power to carry out or fund research into children's social care matters, including the work of safeguarding partners, adoption, and children in care homes. It also requires local authorities and voluntary organisations to send the Secretary of State information about children they deal with, on request and in the form he directs, even including details that identify individual children. The Secretary of State must publish a yearly summary of that information and must keep the quality of child care training under review, taking advice from the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work and other relevant bodies.
When it applies
- A local authority wants to study the long-term outcomes of children who have been in care to improve its services.
- The Secretary of State commissions research on the effectiveness of child death review partners in England.
- A voluntary organisation receives a directive from the Secretary of State to send him a list of names and ages of all children they are currently accommodating.
- An officer of the family court is ordered by the Secretary of State to transmit records from proceedings that involve children.
- The Secretary of State prepares and lays before Parliament an annual abstract summarising all the data received from local authorities and voluntary organisations.
What this section does not say
- It does not authorise local authorities or the Secretary of State to investigate individual complaints or allegations of harm to a child (that is covered by sections 80 and 81).
- It does not set national minimum standards for children’s homes or boarding schools (those are under sections 87C and 79W).
- It does not give a local authority power to demand information from a private individual or a parent – only from voluntary organisations and the family court.
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This page reproduces the text of CA 1989 s. 83 in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.