The Placement of Children with Parents etc. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Notification of placements

8.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), an authority shall, so far as is practicable, give notice to all the persons whose wishes and feelings have been sought in relation to the decision to place the child pursuant to Article 26(2) of the Order (persons to be consulted concerning authority decisions) and to those persons specified in paragraph (4) of—

(a) the placement decision; and

(b) details of where the child is to be placed.

(2) Where the child is placed with a person other than a parent, the authority’s notice under paragraph (1) to the persons referred to in that paragraph shall contain—

(a) the name and address of the person with whom the child is placed;

(b) particulars of arrangements for contact with the child; and

(c) any other particulars relating to the care and welfare of the child which it appears to the authority ought to be supplied.

(3) An authority shall not be required to give notice under paragraph (1) in the case of a person whose whereabouts are unknown to the authority, or cannot be readily ascertained, or in any case where the authority determines that to give such notice would not be in accordance with its duty under Article 26(1) of the Order.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the persons specified are—

(a) the education and library board for the area in which the child is living;

(b) the child’s medical practitioner;

(c) the area authority;

(d) any person who has been caring for the child immediately before the placement; and

(e) where there was a residence order in force with respect to the child immediately before the care order was made, the person in whose favour the residence order was made.