The Foster Placement (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Part IV Authority visits to children placed by Voluntary Organisations

Circumstances necessitating visits by authorities

15.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), every authority shall arrange for one of its officers to visit every child who is accommodated with a foster parent within its area by or on behalf of a voluntary organisation in any of the following circumstances and within the periods specified—

(a) within 28 days of the placement with the foster parent;

(b) where the voluntary organisation which made the placement with the foster parent makes representations to the authority that there are circumstances relating to the child which require a visit, within 14 days of the receipt of the representations;

(c) where the authority is informed that the welfare of the child may not be being safeguarded or promoted, as soon as is reasonably practicable but in any event within 7 days of being informed; or

(d) where the authority is satisfied, following a visit to a child under this regulation in respect of a placement with a foster parent, that the child’s welfare is being safeguarded and promoted, at intervals of not more than 6 months.

(2) This regulation shall not apply to children in respect of whom an authority has made arrangements under regulation 8.

Requirements in respect of visits

16.  Every authority shall make arrangements to ensure that in respect of any visit made pursuant to regulation 15, an officer of the authority—

(a) sees the child during the course of the visit, unless he considers it unnecessary to do so or the child is not in fact with the foster parents at the time of the visit;

(b) if the child is not with the foster parents at the time of the visit, makes arrangements to see the child as soon as is reasonably practicable;

(c) takes steps to discover whether the voluntary organisation which placed the child has made suitable arrangements to perform its duties under these Regulations and those under Article 76 of the Order.