{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-2004/section-16J",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-2004/section-16J.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/31",
  "legislation_title": "Children Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/children-act-2004",
  "path": "section/16J",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "16J",
  "heading": "Combining safeguarding partner areas and delegating functions",
  "text": "(1) The safeguarding partners for two or more local authority areas in England may agree that their areas are to be treated as a single area for the purposes of sections 16E to 16I and subsections (3) to (5) of this section.\n(2) References in sections 16E to 16I and in subsections (3) to (5) of this section to a local authority area are to be read in accordance with any agreement under subsection (1).\n(3) Where a local authority is a safeguarding partner for the same local authority area as another local authority (as a result of an agreement under subsection (1)), the authorities may arrange for one of them to carry out functions under sections 16E to 16I on behalf of the other.\n(4) Where an integrated care board is a safeguarding partner for the same local authority area as another integrated care board, the boards may arrange for one of them to carry out functions under sections 16E to 16I on behalf of the other.\n(5) Where a chief officer of police is a safeguarding partner for the same area as another chief officer of police, the officers may arrange for one of them to carry out functions under sections 16E to 16I on behalf of the other.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 16J inserted (29.6.2018) by Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), ss. 21, 70(2); S.I. 2018/497, reg. 3(j)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 16J(4) substituted (1.7.2022) by Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), s. 186(6), Sch. 4 para. 77; S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/21",
      "affecting_title": "Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/21",
      "affecting_title": "Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/21",
      "affecting_title": "Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/section/16J",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:16:56.383931+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."
}