Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000

12 Principal functions of the Service

(1) In respect of family proceedings in which the welfare of children is or may be in question, it is a function of the Service to—

(a) safeguard and promote the welfare of the children,

(b) give advice to any court about any application made to it in such proceedings,

(c) make provision for the children to be represented in such proceedings,

(d) provide information, advice and other support for the children and their families.

(2) The Service must also make provision for the performance of any functions conferred on officers of the Service by virtue of this Act or any other enactment (whether or not they are exercisable for the purposes of the functions conferred on the Service by subsection (1)).

(3) Regulations may provide for grants to be paid by the Service to any person for the purpose of furthering the performance of any of the Service’s functions.

(4) The regulations may provide for the grants to be paid on conditions, including conditions—

(a) regulating the purposes for which the grant or any part of it may be used,

(b) requiring repayment to the Service in specified circumstances.

(5) In this section, “family proceedings” has the same meaning as in the [1984 c. 42.] Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 and also includes any other proceedings which are family proceedings for the purposes of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989, but—

(a) references to family proceedings include (where the context allows) family proceedings which are proposed or have been concluded, and

(b) for the purposes of paragraph (a), where a supervision order (within the meaning of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989) is made in family proceedings, the proceedings are not to be treated as concluded until the order has ceased to have effect.