Children Act 1989, section 11A

... Activity directions

Part II Orders With Respect To Children In Family Proceedings

[F79 (1)Subsection (2) applies in proceedings in which the court is considering whether to make provision about one or more of the matters mentioned in subsection (1A) by making—

(a)a child arrangements order with respect to the child concerned, or

(b)an order varying or discharging a child arrangements order with respect to the child concerned.

(1A)The matters mentioned in this subsection are—

(a)with whom a child is to live,

(b)when a child is to live with any person,

(c)with whom a child is to spend time or otherwise have contact, and

(d)when a child is to spend time or otherwise have contact with any person.

(2)The court may make an activity direction in connection with the provision that the court is considering whether to make.

(2A)Subsection (2B) applies in proceedings in which subsection (2) does not apply and in which the court is considering—

(a)whether a person has failed to comply with a provision of a child arrangements order, or

(b)what steps to take in consequence of a person's failure to comply with a provision of a child arrangements order.

(2B)The court may make an activity direction in connection with that provision of the child arrangements order.

(3)An activity direction is a direction requiring an individual who is a party to the proceedings concerned to take part in an activity that would, in the court's opinion, help to establish, maintain or improve the involvement in the life of the child concerned of—

(a)that individual, or

(b)another individual who is a party to the proceedings.F79]

(4)The direction is to specify the activity and the person providing the activity.

(5)The activities that may be so required include, in particular—

(a)programmes, classes and counselling or guidance sessions of a kind that—

(i)may assist a person as regards establishing, maintaining or improving [F80 involvement in a child's lifeF80] ;

(ii)may, by addressing a person's violent behaviour, enable or facilitate [F81 involvement in a child's lifeF81] ;

(b)sessions in which information or advice is given as regards making or operating arrangements for [F82 involvement in a child's lifeF82] , including making arrangements by means of mediation.

(6)No individual may be required by [F83 anF83] activity direction—

(a)to undergo medical or psychiatric examination, assessment or treatment;

(b)to take part in mediation.

(7)A court may not on the same occasion—

(a)make [F84 an activity direction under subsection (2) F84] , and

(b)dispose finally of the proceedings as they relate to [F85 the matters mentioned in subsection (1A) in connection with which the activity direction is madeF85] .

(8)[F86 Each of subsections (2) and (2B)F86] has effect subject to the restrictions in sections 11B and 11E.

(9)In considering whether to make [F87 anF87] activity direction, the welfare of the child concerned is to be the court's paramount consideration.F78]

[F88 (7A)A court may not on the same occasion—

(a)make an activity direction under subsection (2B), and

(b)dispose finally of the proceedings as they relate to failure to comply with the provision in connection with which the activity direction is made.F88]

Definitions used in section 11A 5

the court

(7) For the purposes of this Act “the court” means the High Court or the family court .

Defined in s.92(7) · see it in the full Act
child arrangements order

"child arrangements order " means an order regulating arrangements relating to any of the following—

(a)

with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and

(b)

when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person;

Defined in s.8(1) · see it in the full Act

“child arrangements order” has the meaning given by section 8(1);

Defined in s.105(1) · see it in the full Act
child

16 (1) In this Schedule “child” includes, in any case where an application is made under paragraph 2 or 6 in relation to a person who has reached the age of eighteen, that person.

Defined in Sch.1 para.16(1) · see it in the full Act

“child” means, subject to paragraph 16 of Schedule 1, a person under the age of eighteen;

Defined in s.105(1) · see it in the full Act
the order

(a) an order under paragraph 1(2)(a) or (b) for the making or securing of periodical payments in favour of more than one child (“the order") is in force;

Defined in Sch.1 para.6(9) · see it in the full Act
activity direction

“activity direction” has the meaning given by section 11A;

Defined in s.105(1) · see it in the full Act

Cases considering section 11A 4

M (Children) (Rev 1)

[2017] EWCA Civ 891 · 29 June 2017Limits

The judgment interpreted section 11A as authorising activity directions requiring parties to participate in specified activities, not as authorising CAFCASS or a local authority to provide supervised contact. (see paras [43]-[45]) The judgment applied section 11A(3) to identify the parties’ participation in activities as the primary target of an activity direction. (see paras [43]-[45]) The judgment treated section 11A(4) as requiring the direction to specify the activity and its provider, without conferring a power to compel the provider to supervise contact. (see paras [43]-[45]) The judgment used the examples in section 11A(5), including programmes, classes, counselling and guidance, to distinguish those activities from supervised contact. (see para [45]) The judgment noted that the child’s welfare is paramount when considering an activity direction, but held that this provision did not supply a power to require supervised contact. (see paras [16], [44]-[45])

B v N (Domestic Abuse and Unsupervised Contact), Re

[2026] EWHC 2362 (Fam) · 14 September 2026

Confirms the court’s power to direct activities designed to establish, maintain or improve a parent’s involvement in the child’s life; this supported the DAPP direction (see paras [54]-[56]).

K (Children), Re

[2016] EWCA Civ 99 · 19 February 2016

The judgment referred to section 11 A as the statutory basis for an Activity Direction mentioned in Practice Direction 12J; it did not separately construe the section (see para [43]).

What each judgment says about section 11A is in the case-law panel in the full Act.

Amendments and notes

12 notes from legislation.gov.uk

Amendments

  1. F78S. 11A inserted (7.11.2008) by Children and Adoption Act 2006 (c. 20), ss. 1, 17; S.I. 2008/2870, art. 2(1)
  2. F77Word in s. 11A(9) omitted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(9); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  3. F79Ss. 11A(1)(1A)(2)(2A)(2B)(3) substituted for ss. 11A(1)-(3) (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(2); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  4. F80Words in s. 11A(5)(a)(i) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  5. F81Words in s. 11A(5)(a)(ii) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  6. F82Words in s. 11A(5)(b) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  7. F83Word in s. 11A(6) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(4); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  8. F84Words in s. 11A(7)(a) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(5)(a); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  9. F85Words in s. 11A(7)(b) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(5)(b); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  10. F86Words in s. 11A(8) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(7); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  11. F87Word in s. 11A(9) substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(8); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.
  12. F88S. 11A(7A) inserted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 7(6); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10) this amendment is subject to savings and/or transitional provisions, see the commentary.