Duties of services-providers to respond to reports and recommendations by local involvement networks
5.—(1) Subject to regulation 6, this regulation applies where a local involvement network has, in the carrying-on of section 221 activities pursuant to arrangements made under section 221(1) of the Act, made a report or recommendation to a services-provider.
(2) Where a report or recommendation (whether an original or a copy) is received for the first time by a relevant services-provider that services-provider must within 20 working days beginning with the date of receipt of that report or recommendation—
(a)acknowledge receipt to the referrer; and
(b)provide an explanation to the referrer of any action it intends to take in respect of the report or recommendation or an explanation of why it does not intend to take any action in respect of that report or recommendation.
(3) Where a report or recommendation (whether an original or a copy) is received by a services-provider, other than a relevant services-provider, for the first time that services-provider must within 20 working days beginning with the date of receipt of that report or recommendation—
(a)acknowledge receipt to the referrer;
(b)provide a copy of the report or recommendation to any other services-provider which appears to it to be a relevant services-provider; and
(c)inform the referrer if no other services-provider appears to it to be a relevant services-provider.
(4) A relevant services-provider is a services-provider who was responsible for commissioning any of the care services to which the report or recommendation relates.
(5) This paragraph applies where the relevant services-providers in respect of a report or recommendation agree that one of those services-providers may act on their behalf in relation to a report or recommendation made by a local involvement network in accordance with paragraph (1).
(6) Where paragraph (5) applies—
(a)the duty in paragraph (2)(b) does not apply; and
(b)the services-provider acting on behalf of the relevant services-providers must, within 20 working days of the latest date on which the report or recommendation was received by one of those services-providers, provide to the referrer—
(i)an explanation of any action any of the relevant services-providers intends to take in respect of the report or recommendation; or
(ii)an explanation of why none of the relevant services-providers intends to take any action in respect of that report or recommendation.
(7) If a relevant services-provider receives a report or recommendation from a local involvement network it must send a copy of the report or recommendation to any other relevant services-provider which appears to it not to have received that report or recommendation, or a copy of it.
(8) If a relevant services-provider receives a copy of a report or recommendation from a services-provider it must send a copy to any other relevant services-provider which appears to it not to have received a copy of that report or recommendation.
(9) In this regulation “the referrer” means the local involvement network who made the report or recommendation.
(10) Where a services-provider is required to acknowledge receipt, provide an explanation or inform the referrer, that services-provider must do so in writing.