About The Buckinghamshire Family Information Service (BFIS)

BFIS offers free, impartial information to families with children aged 0 to 19 years (or up to 25 years with a special educational need or disability), young people and professionals.  We are the principal service for information to parents/carers for the Local Authority (LA), Buckinghamshire Council

BFIS is an early help service, supporting families with finding childcare, the Local Offer for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, local support services, family centres, money and benefits, local activities and things to do, and Youthspace for young people.

Our Statutory Duties

Local authorities are bound by statute. Their functions are set out in Acts of Parliament and many of these functions have associated legal duties. 'Statutory' means duties and functions that a council must perform, provide or do. Councils rely on their different teams and services to deliver specific duties, and together, meet all their statutory duties. Find out more on statutory duties placed on local government

The Buckinghamshire Family Information Service delivers these statutory duties for Buckinghamshire Council:

  • CHILDREN ACT 1989 - SCHEDULE 2
  • CHILDCARE ACT 2006 - SECTION 6
  • CHILDCARE ACT 2006 - SECTION 12
  • CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACT 2014 and SEND CODE OF PRACTICE 2014
  • THE CHILDCARE ACT 2016 - SECTION 5 and SECTION 12

Here is more information on each of these duties and what they require us to do.

  

CHILDREN ACT 1989 - SCHEDULE 2

To keep a database of disabled children to help with planning and monitoring services Schedule 2 - Children Act 1989

Our disabled children's register is called PinPoint. This voluntary database captures information about children and young people aged 0 to 19 years with special educational needs and disabilities who live in Buckinghamshire (or are the responsibility of Buckinghamshire Council). The information such as types of disabilities, ages and locations, helps the council to plan, monitor and develop appropriate facilities and services for disabled children and their families.

CHILDCARE ACT 2006 - SECTION 6

The BFIS system enables the Early Years Commissioning Team to fulfil Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 which placed duties on all local authorities to secure sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0 to 14 years (or up to 25 years for disabled children). Local authorities are required to report annually to Members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare and make this available to parents.

CHILDCARE ACT 2006 - SECTION 12

To provide Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) to parents and prospective parents with children from 0 to 19 years or up to 25 years with a disability Section 12 - Childcare Act 2006. The information must be of a prescribed description and relates to any of the following:

  • Information about childcare Section 12 (2) (a) and from 1 September 2017, to publish this information electronically and update it at a minimum termly on 1 January, 1 April and 1 September.

  • Information about other services, facilities or publications which may be of benefit to parents, prospective parents, children and young people.

   

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACT 2014 and SEND CODE OF PRACTICE 2014

To publish in one place the education, health, social care and voluntary and community sector provision for children and young people with special education needs and disability. This is the Local Offer.

Clause 30, Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of  Practice 2015  

THE CHILDCARE ACT 2016 - SECTION 5 and SECTION 12

The Childcare Act 2016 Section 5 placed an additional information duty to publish information about childcare and related matters under Section 12, Subsection 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 (sub-sections 6a, 6b and 6c)

What We Do
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We provide information on a range of topics relating to family life including:

How We Do It
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We provide information via:

  • In person when we attend local events, sessions, parent groups and professional meetings.