Where children from the same family are split between two different local authority areas, can one local authority deal with the care planning for all of the children? Where a full care order has been granted to a local authority, can that order be transferred by the court to another local authority?

Pursuant to section 31 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), the court may make an order placing the child with respect to whom the application is made in the care of a designated local authority, or putting them under the supervision of a designated local authority.

The local authority designated in a care order must be either:

1. •

   the authority within whose area the child is ordinarily resident, or

2. •

   where the child does not reside in the area of a local authority, the authority within whose area any circumstances arose in consequence of which the order is being made

In determining the ‘ordinary residence’ of a child, the court shall disregard any period in which a child lives in any