The Voluntary Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

PART IGENERAL

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Voluntary Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and shall come into operation on the 29^th October 2010.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Order” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003;

“agency” means a voluntary adoption agency;

“complaints procedure” shall be constructed in accordance with regulation 12 (1);

“manager” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 7 (1) (a);

“organisation” means a body corporate;

“registered provider” means in relation to an agency, a person who is registered under Part III of the Order as the person carrying on the agency;

“RQIA” means the Health and Social Care Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority(1);

“responsible individual” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 6 (2);

“statement of purpose” means the written statement compiled in accordance with regulation 4 (1).

(2) In these Regulations, references to employing a person include employing a person whether or not for payment, and whether under a contract of service or a contract for services, and allowing a person to work as a volunteer, and references to an employee or to a person being employed shall be construed accordingly.

Application for registration under Part III of the Order

3.  No application for registration under Part III of the Order shall be made in respect of an agency which is an unincorporated body.

Statement of Purpose

4.—(1) The registered provider and the manager shall compile in relation to the agency a written statement (in these regulations referred to as “the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

(2) The registered provider and the manager shall provide a copy of the statement of purpose to the RQIA.

(3) The registered provider and the manager shall make a copy of the statement of purpose available, upon request, for inspection by—

(a)any person working for the purposes of the agency;

(b)children who may be adopted, their parents and guardians;

(c)persons wishing to adopt a child;

(d)adopted persons, their parents, natural parents and former guardians;

(e)any HSC Trust ;

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), the registered provider and the manager shall ensure that the agency is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

(5) Nothing in paragraph (4) shall require or authorise the registered provider or the manager to contravene, or not to comply with—

(a)any other provision of these Regulations;

(b)any conditions for the time being in force in relation to the registration of the registered provider under Part III of the Order.

Review of statement of purpose

5.  The registered provider and the manager shall keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and notify the RQIA of any such revision within 28 days.