Section 22J Accommodation of looked after children: regional co-operation arrangementsF1

for the local authorities to carry out their strategic accommodation functions jointly,

for the local authorities’ strategic accommodation functions to be carried out by one of the local authorities on behalf of the others, or

for a body corporate to support the local authorities in carrying out their strategic accommodation functions.

assessing current and future requirements for the accommodation of children being looked after by the local authority,

developing and publishing strategies for meeting those requirements,

commissioning the provision of accommodation for children being looked after by the local authority,

recruiting prospective local authority foster parents and supporting local authority foster parents,

developing, or facilitating the development of, new provision for the accommodation of children being looked after by the local authority, and

any other functions relating to a local authority’s duties under section 22A, 22C or 22G that are specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

local authorities, and

such other persons (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

specify which of the three kinds of regional co-operation arrangements the local authorities must make, or

specify more than one kind of regional co-operation arrangement (“the permitted arrangements”) and require the local authorities to determine which of the permitted arrangements to make.

specify which local authority is to carry out the strategic accommodation functions, or

require the local authorities to determine which of them is to carry out the strategic accommodation functions.

specify the kind of body corporate with which the arrangements may be made;

require a body corporate to be established for the purposes of the arrangements.

specify which of the local authorities is to establish the body corporate, or

require the local authorities to determine which of them is to establish it.