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

The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 (NI 22)

In Article 2(2) (interpretation) after the definition of “adoption rules” insert the following definition—

““appropriate voluntary organisation” means a voluntary organisation which is an adoption society in respect of which a person is registered under Part III of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003;”.

In Article 3 (The Adoption Service)—

(a) in paragraph (1) for “registered adoption societies” substitute “appropriate voluntary organisations”;

(b) in paragraph (3) for “a registered adoption society” substitute “an appropriate voluntary organisation”.

In Article 5(2) (power of Department to make directions where registration of adoption society is cancelled or expires), for the words from the beginning to “expires” substitute “Where, by virtue of the cancellation of the registration of any person under Part III of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, a body has ceased to be an appropriate voluntary organisation”.

In Article 8 (inactive or defunct adoption societies)—

(a) in paragraph (1) for the words from “registered” to “Article 5,” substitute “body which is or has been an appropriate voluntary organisation”; and

(b) for “society” in each place where it occurs substitute “organisation”.

In Article 10 (regulation of adoption agencies) after paragraph (1) insert the following paragraph—

“(1A) Regulations under paragraph (1) may in particular make, in relation to an appropriate voluntary organisation any provision which regulations under Article 23(2) or (7) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 may make in relation to a fostering agency (within the meaning of that Order).”.

• In Article 11 (restriction on arranging adoptions and placing children)—

  (a)

  in paragraph (2) for the words from “registered under Article 4” substitute “an appropriate voluntary organisation”;

  (b)

  in paragraph (3)(a) for “which is not an adoption agency” substitute

  “which is not—

  (i) a Board or HSS trust; or

  (ii) a voluntary adoption agency within the meaning of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 in respect of which he is registered;”.

In Article 23 (enquiries to be made of Board etc.)—

(a) for “a registered adoption society” substitute “an appropriate voluntary organisation”;

(b) for “the society” in both places where it occurs substitute “the organisation”.

In Article 33(2)(a)(ii) (meaning of “protected child”), for “children’s home or voluntary home” substitute “children’s home in respect of which a person is registered under Part III of the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003”.

In Article 54(3)(d)(i) (disclosure of birth records of adopted children), for “registered under Article 4” substitute “being an appropriate voluntary organisation”.