Children’s Services Co Operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

The Children’s Service Co-operation Act (the Act) received Royal Assent in December 2015. The aim of the Act is to improve co-operation amongst Departments and Agencies and places a duty on Children’s Authorities, as defined by the Act, to co-operate where appropriate as they deliver services aimed at improving the well-being of children and young people.

The Act requires the Executive to develop and adopt a strategy which sets the strategic direction with a view to achieving improvements in the well-being of children and young people in NI.

The Act is structured as follows;

• Well-being of children and young persons – a “purpose clause” used to define what is meant by well-being and what is intended by the Act.
• Co-operation to improve well-being – a duty on the NI Executive to make arrangements for co-operation to improve well-being.
• Children and young persons strategy – a duty on the NI Executive to bring forward a strategy to outline the priority outcomes for children’s well being.
• Sharing of resources and pooling of funds – an enabling power to allow Departments and Agencies to pool resources (should they choose) to deliver children’s services.
• Report on the operation of this Act – a duty on the NI Executive to report on the delivery of the strategy and how the lives of children and young people have improved. The first report on the operation of the Children's Services Cooperation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 covering the period June 2020 - June 2022, is published on the Department of Education website. The second report on the operation of the Children's Services Cooperation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 covering the period June 2022 - June 2025, is published on the Department of Education website.
• Programme for Government – a requirement that the Programme for Government (PfG) consider issues raised in the report on the operation of this Act.
• Guidance – a clause which details that the Executive Office may bring forward guidance on the implementation of this Act.
• Regulations relating to clause 4 – a clause which gives the Department of Finance the power to introduce regulations which would outline how Departments should act in the pooling of budgets.

The Children’s Services Co-Operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 can be accessed on the legislation website at Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

Guidance on the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 has been issued to children’s authorities and can be accessed on the Department of Education website at Guidance on the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015