1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Arrangements for Placement of Children (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 4th November 1996.
(2) In these Regulations—
“the Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;
“area authority” means, in relation to a child who is or is to be placed, the authority in whose area the child is or is to be placed, where the child is looked after by a different authority;
“care case” means a case in which the child is in the care of an authority(1);
“guardian ad litem” means a guardian ad litem appointed pursuant to Article 60 of the Order or under rules made under Article 66 of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987(2);
“health services” has the meaning assigned to it by Article 2(2) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(3);
“placement”, subject to regulation 13, means—
the provision of accommodation and maintenance by an authority for any child whom it is looking after by any of the means specified in Article 27(2)(a), (b), (c), (d) or (f) of the Order (accommodation and maintenance for children looked after by an authority);
the provision of accommodation for a child by a voluntary organisation by any of the means specified in Article 75(1)(a), (b), (c), (d) or (f) of the Order (provision of accommodation for children by voluntary organisations); and
the provision of accommodation for a child in a registered children’s home;
“responsible authority” means—
in relation to a placement by an authority (including one in which the child is accommodated and maintained in a voluntary home or a registered children’s home), the authority which places the child;
in relation to a placement by a voluntary organisation of a child who is not looked after by an authority, the voluntary organisation which places the child; and
in relation to a placement in a registered children’s home of a child who is neither looked after by an authority nor accommodated in such a home by a voluntary organisation, the person carrying on the home.
(3) Any notice required under these Regulations is to be given in writing and may be sent by ordinary post.
See the definition of “care order” in Article 2(2) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and paragraphs 11, 12 and 30 of Schedule 8 to that Order
S.I. 1987/2203 (N.I. 22); paragraph 166 of Schedule 9 to the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 substituted a new Article 66 with effect from 19th February 1996
S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14)