xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"

Register

10.—(1) An authority shall, in respect of every child placed in its area (by the authority and any other responsible authority) and every child placed by the authority outside its area, enter into a register to be kept for the purpose—

(a)the particulars specified in paragraph (3); and

(b)such of the particulars specified in paragraph (4) as may be appropriate.

(2) A voluntary organisation and a person carrying on a registered children’s home shall, in respect of every child placed by them, enter into a register to be kept for the purpose—

(a)the particulars specified in paragraph (3); and

(b)such of the particulars specified in paragraph (4) as may be appropriate.

(3) The particulars to be entered into the register in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) are—

(a)the name, sex and date of birth of the child;

(b)the name and address of the person with whom the child is placed and, if different, of those of the child’s parent or other person not being a parent of his who has parental responsibility for him;

(c)in the case of a child placed on behalf of an authority by a voluntary organisation or in a registered children’s home, the name of the authority;

(d)whether the child’s name is entered on any authority register indicating that the child is at risk of being abused;

(e)whether the child’s name is entered on the register maintained under paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the Order (register of disabled children);

(f)the date on which each placement of the child began and terminated and the reason for each termination;

(g)in a care case, the name of the authority in whose care the child is; and

(h)the legal provisions under which the child is being looked after or cared for.

(4) The additional particulars to be entered in the register in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) are—

(a)in the case of a child placed by an authority in respect of whom arrangements have been made for the area authority to carry out functions pursuant to regulation 12, a note that the arrangements were made and the name of the other authority with whom they were made; and

(b)in the case of a child who has been placed, in respect of whom arrangements have been made for supervision of the placement to be carried out on behalf of a responsible authority (otherwise than pursuant to regulation 12), a note that the arrangements were made and the name of the person with whom the arrangements were made.

(5) Entries in registers kept in accordance with this regulation shall be retained until the child to whom the entry relates attains the age of 23 or, if the child dies before attaining 23, the period of 5 years beginning with the date of his death.

(6) The requirements of paragraph (1) may be complied with either by retaining the original register, or a copy of it, or by keeping all of the information from such a register in some other accessible form (such as by means of a computer).

(7) A responsible authority shall secure the safekeeping of registers kept in accordance with this regulation and shall take all necessary steps to ensure that information contained in them is treated as confidential, subject only to—

(a)any statutory provision under which access to such registers or information may be obtained or given; or

(b)any court order under which access to such registers or information may be obtained or given.