The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Inspection

130.—(1) Any person authorised to do so by an authority may at any reasonable time enter—

(a) any domestic premises within the authority’s area on which child minding is at any time carried on; or

(b) any premises within the authority’s area on which day care for children under the age of twelve is at any time provided.

(2) Where an authority has reasonable cause to believe that a child is being looked after on any premises within the authority’s area in contravention of this Part, any person authorised to do so by the authority may enter those premises at any reasonable time.

(3) Any person entering premises under this Article may inspect—

(a) the premises;

(b) any children being looked after on the premises;

(c) the arrangements made for their welfare; and

(d) any records relating to them which are kept for the purposes of this Part.

(4) Every authority shall secure that the premises mentioned in paragraph (1) are inspected at least once every year.

(5) Where—

(a) a person is registered under Article 118; and

(b) an annual inspection of the premises in question is to be carried out under this Article,

the authority shall serve on that person a notice informing him that the inspection is to be carried out.

(6) Any person inspecting any records under this Article—

(a) shall be entitled at any reasonable time to have access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is, or has been, in use in connection with the records in question; and

(b) may require—

(i) the person by whom or on whose behalf the computer is or has been so used; or

(ii) any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material,

to afford him such reasonable assistance as he may require.

(7) A person exercising any power conferred by this Article shall, if so required, produce some duly authenticated document showing his authority to do so.