156.Section 26 requires the Commission to give written notice to applicants or registered persons where it proposes to do any of the following:
to grant an application for registration which is subject to conditions that have not been agreed with the applicant (this excludes a registered manager condition required under section 13(1));
to refuse an application for registration;
to cancel a registration (except where the registered person has applied for cancellation of registration under section 19, or the Commission has applied for an order to urgently cancel a registration under section 30, or the Commission has cancelled a registered manager’s registration in accordance with the conditions set out in section 17(2));
to suspend a registration (except where the Commission has urgently suspended a registration under section 31);
to amend the conditions of registration (except where the Commission has urgently removed or varied a condition or imposed an additional one under section 31);
to refuse an application by a provider or manager of regulated activities made under section 19(1) to vary or remove a condition, cancel their registration, or cancel or vary a period of suspension.
157.The written notice must set out the reasons for the proposal (subsection (6)). For example, in the case of a person applying to register for the first time, the notice of proposal must explain why the Commission takes the view that the person does not meet the relevant requirements or why particular conditions are thought to be necessary. Section 26 does not apply where the Commission decides to grant an application for registration unconditionally. Neither does it apply where the registration is subject only to a registered manager condition under section 13(1) or where the Commission and the service provider have already agreed the conditions (this must be by way of a written agreement). These situations are covered by section 28.
158.Section 27 sets out that a notice of proposal under section 26 must state that the person has 28 days to make written representations to the Commission if they wish to dispute the Commission’s proposal. This ensures that the person has an opportunity to make their point known. The Commission cannot make a decision until it has either received written representations, or it has received written confirmation that the person does not intend to make representations, or the 28-day period has elapsed.