(1)The Commission may at any time give notice (in this Act referred to as an “improvement notice”) to the person for the time being providing a service registered under this Act that, unless within such reasonable period as may be specified in the notice, there is a significant improvement, of such nature as may be so specified, in the provision of that service, it intends—
(a)in a case other than that mentioned in paragraph (b) below, to make a proposal under section 12 of this Act; or
(b)in the case of a local authority providing an adoption service mentioned in subsection (11)(a) of section 2 of this Act, a fostering service mentioned in subsection (14)(a) or (c) of that section or any other care service registered under Part 2 of this Act, to make a report to the Scottish Ministers under section 41 of this Act.
(2)Where notice under subsection (1)(a) above is given to a person other than a local authority, the Commission shall send forthwith a copy of that notice to the local authority within whose area the service is provided.
(3)This section is without prejudice to section 18 of this Act.