Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022

Management, etc., of agencies

10.—(1) In relation to adoption agencies, regulations under section 9 may make provision as to—

(a) the persons who are fit to work for them for the purposes of their functions relating to adoption;

(b) the fitness of premises;

(c) the management and control of their operations;

(d) the number of persons, or persons of any particular type, working for the purposes of those functions;

(e) the management and training of persons working for the purposes of those functions;

(f) the keeping of information.

(2) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (1)(a) may, in particular, make provision for prohibiting persons from working in prescribed positions unless they are registered in, or in a particular part of, the register maintained under section 3 of the Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001.

(3) In relation to appropriate voluntary organisations, regulations under section 9 may—

(a) make provision as to the persons who are fit to manage an appropriate voluntary organisation, including provision prohibiting persons from doing so unless they are registered as mentioned in subsection (2);

(b) impose requirements as to the financial position of an appropriate voluntary organisation;

(c) make provision requiring the appointment of a manager;

(d) make provision for securing the welfare of children placed by the appropriate voluntary organisation, including provision as to the promotion and protection of their health.

(4) Regulations under section 9 may make provision as to the conduct of appropriate voluntary organisations, and may in particular make provision—

(a) as to the facilities and services to be provided by an appropriate voluntary organisation;

(b) as to the keeping of accounts;

(c) as to the notification to the RQIA of events occurring in premises used for the purposes of an appropriate voluntary organisation;

(d) as to the giving of notice to the RQIA of periods during which the manager of an appropriate voluntary organisation proposes to be absent, and specifying the information to be given in such a notice;

(e) as to the making of adequate arrangements for the running of an appropriate voluntary organisation during a period when its manager is absent;

(f) as to the giving of notice to the RQIA of any intended change in the identity of the manager;

(g) as to the giving of notice to the RQIA of changes in the ownership of an appropriate voluntary organisation or the identity of its officers;

(h) requiring the payment of a prescribed fee to the RQIA in respect of any notification required to be made by virtue of paragraph (g);

(i) requiring arrangements to be made for dealing with complaints made by or on behalf of those seeking, or receiving, any of the services provided by an appropriate voluntary organisation and requiring the appropriate voluntary organisation or manager to take steps for publicising the arrangements.