The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

Vulnerable adults

3.—(1) A person is a vulnerable adult if he has attained the age of 18 and—

(a) he is in residential accommodation,

(b) he is in sheltered housing,

(c) he receives domiciliary care,

(d) he receives any form of health care,

(e) he is detained in lawful custody,

(f) he is by virtue of an order of a court under supervision by a probation officer,

(g) he receives a welfare service of a prescribed description,

(h) he receives any service or participates in any activity provided specifically for persons who fall within paragraph (9),

(i) payments are made to him (or to another on his behalf) in pursuance of arrangements under section 8 of the Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 6), or

(j) he requires assistance in the conduct of his own affairs.

(2) Residential accommodation is accommodation provided for a person—

(a) in connection with any care or nursing he requires, or

(b) who is or has been a pupil attending a residential special school.

(3) A residential special school is a school which provides residential accommodation for its pupils and which is—

(a) a special school within the meaning of Article 3(5) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (NI 1);

(b) an independent school which is approved by the Department of Education in accordance with Article 26 of that Order; or

(c) an institution of further education which provides accommodation for children.

(4) Domiciliary care is care of any description or assistance falling within paragraph (5) whether provided continuously or not which a person receives in a place where he is, for the time being, living.

(5) Assistance falls within this paragraph if it is (to any extent) provided to a person by reason of—

(a) his age;

(b) his health;

(c) any disability he has.

(6) Health care includes treatment, therapy or palliative care of any description.

(7) A person is in lawful custody if he is—

(a) detained in a prison, remand centre or young offenders centre;

(b) a detained person (within the meaning of Part 8 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (c. 33)) who is detained in a removal centre or short-term holding facility (within the meaning of that Part) or in pursuance of escort arrangements made under section 156 of that Act.

(8) The reference to a welfare service must be construed in accordance with Article 20(5).

(9) A person falls within this paragraph if—

(a) he has particular needs because of his age;

(b) he has any form of disability;

(c) he has a physical or mental problem of such description as is prescribed;

(d) she is an expectant or nursing mother in receipt of care under Article 8 of the 1972 Order;

(e) he is a person of a prescribed description not falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d).

(10) A person requires assistance in the conduct of his own affairs if—

(a) an enduring power of attorney (within the meaning of the Enduring Powers of Attorney (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 (NI 16) in respect of him is registered in accordance with that Order or an application is made under that Order for the registration of an enduring power of attorney in respect of him;

(b) an order under Article 99 or 101 of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (NI 4) has been made by the High Court in relation to him or his property or affairs, or such an order has been applied for;

(c) a representative is or is to be appointed to receive payments on his behalf in pursuance of regulations made under the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8).

(11) The Secretary of State may by order provide that a person specified in the order or of a description so specified who falls within paragraph (1) is not to be treated as a vulnerable adult.