# Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act 2026, Section 16: Guidance on family group decision-making services

Extent: S

(1) The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 is amended as follows.
(2) After section 69B, insert—
“Guidance on family group decision-making services
69C (1) The Scottish Ministers must issue guidance on family group decision-making services in Scotland.
(2) A local authority must, when securing the provision of family group decision-making services in its area, have regard to any guidance published under this section.
(3) Guidance under this section must—
(a) set out—
(i) the purpose of family group decision-making,
(ii) the principles that underpin it,
(iii) the expectations for how it is to be applied in practice,
(b) include information on—
(i) the factors that a local authority should, whether or not a request for family group decision-making services has been made, consider in determining whether to offer family group decision-making services (such as, where appropriate, the views of the child),
(ii) how family group decision-making services may interact and be used in conjunction with other services provided in respect of children and families, as part of taking a holistic approach to the provision of support,
(iii) how family group decision-making services support early intervention, family participation in decision-making, and the fulfilment of children’s rights,
(iv) any measures that the Scottish Ministers consider should be taken to support the availability and quality of family group decision-making services.
(4) Before issuing or revising guidance, the Scottish Ministers must consult—
(a) each local authority,
(b) other providers of family group decision-making services,
(c) the Principal Reporter,
(d) the National Convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland, and
(e) such other persons as they consider appropriate.”.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2026/16/section/16 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/children-care-care-experience-and-services-planning-scotland-act-2026/section-16
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.