The Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

PART II NORTHERN IRELAND HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES REGULATION AND IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

The Regulation and Improvement Authority

3.—(1) There shall be a body corporate to be known as the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services Regulation and Improvement Authority (in this Order referred to as “the Regulation and Improvement Authority”).

(2) Schedule 1 (which makes further provision relating to the Regulation and Improvement Authority) shall have effect.

General duties in relation to provision of services

4.—(1) In this Part “services” means services provided by—

(a) persons registered under Part III; and

(b) Health and Social Services Boards, HSS trusts and special agencies.

(2) The Regulation and Improvement Authority shall have the general duties of—

(a) keeping the Department informed about the provision of services and in particular about their availability and their quality; and

(b) encouraging improvement in the quality of services.

Advice and information about services

5.—(1) When asked to do so by the Department, the Regulation and Improvement Authority shall give the Department advice, reports or information on such matters relating to the provision of services or the exercise of its functions as may be specified in the Department’s request.

(2) The Regulation and Improvement Authority may at any time give advice to the Department on—

(a) any changes which the Regulation and Improvement Authority thinks should be made in the standards set out in statements under Article 38;

(b) any other matter connected with the provision of services.

Regulations and directions

6.—(1) The Department may by regulations make provision—

(a) as to the times at which, the cases in which, the manner in which, the persons in relation to whom or the matters with respect to which, any functions of the Regulation and Improvement Authority are to be exercised;

(b) as to the matters to be considered or taken into account in connection with the exercise of any functions of the Regulation and Improvement Authority;

(c) as to the persons to whom any advice, information or reports are to be given or made;

(d) as to the publication of reports and summaries of reports;

(e) as to the recovery from prescribed persons of amounts in respect of the expenditure incurred by the Regulation and Improvement Authority in the exercise of its functions;

(f) for or in connection with the exercise of functions of the Regulation and Improvement Authority in conjunction with the exercise of functions of other persons;

(g) conferring additional functions on the Regulation and Improvement Authority.

(2) The Department may give directions to the Regulation and Improvement Authority with respect to the exercise of its functions and the Regulation and Improvement Authority must comply with them.

Annual report

7.—(1) As soon as possible after the end of each financial year, the Regulation and Improvement Authority shall make a report to the Department—

(a) on the way in which the Regulation and Improvement Authority has exercised its functions during that year; and

(b) on what it has found in relation to services during that year.

(2) In paragraph (1) “financial year” has the meaning given by paragraph 12(6) of Schedule 1.