The College for Social Work (TCSW) has called on the government to halt its consultation on delegating childrens services powers to third parties. Under the Children and Young Peoples Act, local authorities can discharge certain functions relating to children in care and care leavers through a contract with a third party provider. According to the consultation, which has now closed, the plans would enable all social services functions related to children, apart from independent reviewing officer duties and adoption agency functions unless the other party to the arrangement is a registered adoption society, to be contracted to a third party.