{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989/section-26A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989/section-26A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1989/41",
  "legislation_title": "Children Act 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-1989",
  "path": "section/26A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "26A",
  "heading": "Advocacy services",
  "text": "(1) Every local authority shall make arrangements for the provision of assistance to—\n(a) persons who make or intend to make representations under section 24D; and\n(b) children who make or intend to make representations under section 26.\n(2) The assistance provided under the arrangements shall include assistance by way of representation.\n( 2A ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) The arrangements—\n(a) shall secure that a person may not provide assistance if he is a person who is prevented from doing so by regulations made by the Secretary of State; and\n(b) shall comply with any other provision made by the regulations in relation to the arrangements.\n(4) The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring local authorities to monitor the steps that they have taken with a view to ensuring that they comply with regulations made for the purposes of subsection (3).\n(5) Every local authority shall give such publicity to their arrangements for the provision of assistance under this section as they consider appropriate.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 25A, 25B and cross-heading inserted (1.9.2009 for certain purposes for E., 26.4.2010 for certain purposes for W., and and 1.4.2011 otherwise for E.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), ss. 10(1), 44; S.I. 2009/2273, art. 2(2)(c); S.I. 2010/1329, art. 2(c); S.I. 2010/2981, art. 4(c) (with art. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 26A inserted (30.1.2004 for certain purposes and otherwise 1.4.2004) by 2002 c. 38, ss. 119, 148 (with Sch. 4 paras. 6-8); S.I. 2003/3079, art. 2(3)(4)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 26A(2A) omitted (6.4.2016) by virtue of The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 92(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 26A(3)(a) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 92(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 26A(4) substituted (6.4.2016) by The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/413), regs. 2(1), 92(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/26A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T07:28:21.051680+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}