Part IV

Social care workers

Preliminary

Interpretation.
55
1
This section has effect for the purposes of this Part.
2
“
Social care worker
” means a person (other than a person excepted by regulations) who—
a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b
is employed at a children's home in England, a care home in England or a residential family centre in England,
c
manages a home or centre of a kind mentioned in paragraph (b),
d
is employed for the purposes of a domiciliary care agency, a fostering agency, a voluntary adoption agency or an adoption support agency, in so far as the agency provides services to persons in England,
e
manages an agency of the kind mentioned in paragraph (d), or
f
is supplied by a domiciliary care agency to provide personal care in their own homes for persons in England who by reason of illness, infirmity or disability are unable to provide it for themselves without assistance.
3
Regulations may provide that persons of any of the following descriptions shall be treated as social care workers—
a
a person engaged in work for the purposes of a local authority in England's social services functions;
b
a person engaged in work in England comprising the provision of services similar to services which may or must be provided by a local authority in England in the exercise of its social services functions;
c
a person engaged in the provision of personal care for any person in England;
d
a person who is employed in an undertaking (other than an establishment or agency) which consists of or includes supplying, or providing services for the purpose of supplying, persons to provide personal care to persons in England;
e
a person who manages an undertaking of the kind mentioned in paragraph (d);
f
a person who is employed in connection with the discharge of the functions of the Secretary of State under section 80 of the 1989 Act (inspection of children's homes
etc.
);
g
a person who is employed as a member of staff of the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills who inspects premises under—
i
section 87 of the 1989 Act (welfare of children accommodated in independent schools and colleges),
ii
section 31 of this Act (inspection of establishments and agencies by persons authorised by registration authority), or
iii
section 139 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (inspection by Chief Inspector);
h
a person who is employed as a member of staff of the Care Quality Commission who, under Part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, inspects premises used for or in connection with the provision of social care (within the meaning of that Part);
i
a person who manages employees mentioned in paragraph (g) or (h);
j
a person employed in a day centre in England;
k. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
“Day centre” means a place where nursing or personal care (but not accommodation) is provided wholly or mainly for persons mentioned in section 3(2).
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S. 55 partly in force; s. 55 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 122; s. 55 in force for W. at 1.4.2001 by S.I. 2000/2992, art. 2(2), Sch. 2; s. 55 in force for E. for certain purposes at 7.5.2001 by S.I. 2001/1536, arts. 1(3), 2(2)(b); s. 55 in force for E. for certain purposes at 25.3.2002 by S.I. 2002/1245, arts. 1(3), 2(1)(d); s. 55(1)(2)(a)(4) in force for E. for certain purposes at 7.3.2003 by S.I. 2003/933, art. 2; s. 55(3)(g) in force for E. for certain purposes at 1.3.2004 by S.I. 2004/484, art. 2
S. 55(2)(3) substituted for s. 55(2)-(4A) (3.4.2017) by Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 2), s. 188(1), Sch. 3 para. 42(a) (as amended by S.I. 2016/1030, regs. 1, 144(3) (with reg. 155)); S.I. 2017/309, art. 2(j) (with arts. 3, 4, Sch.)
S. 55(6)(7)(8) omitted (3.4.2017) by virtue of Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 2), s. 188(1), Sch. 3 para. 42(b); S.I. 2017/309, art. 2(j) (with arts. 3, 4, Sch.)
S. 55(2)(a) omitted (2.12.2019) by virtue of Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), s. 70(2), Sch. 5 para. 8(2) (with Sch. 5 para. 8(3)); S.I. 2019/1436, reg. 2(s)
S. 55(3)(k) omitted (2.12.2019) by virtue of Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16), s. 70(2), Sch. 5 para. 8(4); S.I. 2019/1436, reg. 2(s)