Care Standards Act 2000

4 Other basic definitions. E+W

(1) This section has effect for the purposes of this Act.

(2) “Residential family centre” means, subject to subsection (6), any establishment at which—

(a) accommodation is provided for children and their parents;

(b) the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed; and

(c) the parents are given such advice, guidance or counselling as is considered necessary.

• In this subsection “parent”, in relation to a child, includes any person who is looking after him.

(3) “Domiciliary care agency” means, subject to subsection (6), an undertaking which consists of or includes arranging the provision of personal care in their own homes for persons who by reason of illness, infirmity or disability are unable to provide it for themselves without assistance.

(4) “Fostering agency” means, subject to subsection (6)—

(a) an undertaking which consists of or includes discharging functions of local authorities in connection with the placing of children with foster parents; or

(b) a voluntary organisation which places children with foster parents under section 59(1) of the 1989 Act.

(5) “Nurses agency” means, subject to subsection (6), an employment agency or employment business, being (in either case) a business which consists of or includes supplying, or providing services for the purpose of supplying, registered nurses [F1 or registered midwives].

(6) The definitions in subsections (2) to (5) do not include any description of establishment, undertaking or organisation excepted from those definitions by regulations.

(7) “Voluntary adoption agency” means an adoption society within the meaning of the [F2 the Adoption and Children Act 2002] which is a voluntary organisation within the meaning of that Act.

[F3 (7A) “Adoption support agency” has the meaning given by section 8 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.]

(8) Below in this Act—

(a) any reference to a description of establishment is a reference to a children’s home [F4 , a children’s home providing accommodation for the purpose of restricting liberty,] an independent hospital, an independent hospital in which treatment or nursing (or both) are provided for persons liable to be detained under the M1 Mental Health Act 1983, an independent clinic, a care home or a residential family centre;

(b) a reference to any establishment is a reference to an establishment of any of those descriptions.

(9) Below in this Act—

(a) any reference to a description of agency is a reference to an independent medical agency, a domiciliary care agency, a nurses agency, a fostering agency [F5 a voluntary adoption agency or an adoption support agency];

(b) a reference to any agency is a reference to an agency of any of those descriptions.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 4(5) substituted (1.8.2004) by The Health Act 1999 (Consequential Amendments) (Nursing and Midwifery) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1771), art. 3, Sch. para. 2(a)

F2 Words in s. 4(7) substituted (30.12.2005) by Adoption and Children Act 2002 (c. 38), ss. 139, 148, Sch. 3 para. 104 (with Sch. 4 paras. 6-8); S.I 2005/2213, {art. 2}

F3 S. 4(7A) inserted (7.12.2004 for E. for certain purposes and 30.12.2005 otherwise) by Adoption and Children Act 2002 (c. 38), ss. 8(3)(a), 148 (with Sch. 4 paras. 1, 6-8); S.I. 2004/3203, art. 2; S.I 2005/2213, {art. 3}; S.I. 2005/3112, art. 2

F4 Words in s. 4(8)(a) inserted (1.4.2006 for W. and otherwise prosp.) by Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (c. 43), ss. 107(1), 199; S.I. 2005/3285, art. 2(2)

F5 Words in s. 4(9)(a) substituted (7.12.2004 for E. for certain purposes and 30.12.2005 otherwise) by Adoption and Children Act 2002 (c. 38), ss. 8(3)(a), 148 (with Sch. 4 paras. 1, 6-8); S.I. 2004/3203, art. 2; S.I 2005/2213, {art. 3}; S.I. 2005/3112, art. 2

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 wholly in force at 30.4.2003; s. 4 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 122; s. 4 in force for W. at 1.7.2001 by S.I. 2001/2190, art. 2, Sch. Table; s. 4 in force for E. for certain purposes at 20.11.2001 by S.I. 2001/3852, arts. 1(4), 3(2)(3)(a)(i) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 and with transitional provisions in Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2001/4150, 2002/1493, 2002/1790, 2002/2001, 2002/3210); s. 4 in force for E. for certain purposes at 1.1.2002 by S.I. 2001/3852, arts. 1(4), 3(2)(4)(a)(i)(ii)(5) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 and with transitional provisions in Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2001/4150, 2002/1493, 2002/1790, 2002/2001, 2002/3210); s. 4(4) in force for E. and s. 4(1)(6)(8)(9) in force for E. for certain purposes at 1.4.2002 by S.I. 2001/3852, arts. 1(4), 3(2)(7)(b) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 and with transitional provisions in Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2001/4150, 2002/1493, 2002/1790, 2002/2001, 2002/3210); s. 4(1)(9) in force for E. for certain purposes, s. 4(2)(3)(5) in force for E. and s. 4(6)(8) in force for E. in so far as not already in force at 1.4.2003 by S.I. 2001/3852, arts. 1(4), 3(2)(8)(a) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 and with transitional provisions in Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2001/4150, 2002/1493, 2002/1790, 2002/2001, 2002/3210); s. 4(7)(9) in force for E. for certain purposes at 25.2.2003 and otherwise in force for E. at 30.4.2003 by S.I. 2003/365, art. 3(1)(3)-(5) (subject to Sch.)

Marginal Citations

M1 1983 c. 20.