Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

6 Supervision of establishments providing accommodation for persons and inspection of records etc.

(1) Any duly authorised officer of the Secretary of State may enter any of the following places for the purpose of making such examinations into the state and management of the place, and the condition and treatment of the persons in it, as he thinks necessary and for the purpose of inspecting any records or registers required to be kept therein by virtue of this Act, that is to say—

(a) any residential or other establishment provided by a local authority or a voluntary organisation or other person for the purposes of this Act;

(b) any place where there is being maintained—

(i) a foster child within the meaning of the [1958 c. 65.] Children Act 1958,

(ii) a protected child within the meaning of Part IV of the [1958 c. 5 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2).] Adoption Act 1958 ;

(c) any place where any person is for the time being boarded out by a local authority or a voluntary organisation;

(d) any place registrable under the [1948 c. 53.] Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act 1948 or the home of any person so registrable.

(2) Any such officer as aforesaid may at all reasonable times enter the offices of a local authority or of a voluntary organisation for the purpose of inspecting any records or registers relating to any establishment or place mentioned in the foregoing subsection or relating to any persons to whom the authority or organisation has made available advice, guidance or assistance in pursuance of this Act, or who may require such advice, guidance or assistance, and may carry out that inspection.

(3) The power conferred by subsection (1) of this section may be exercised in respect of any place which an officer has reasonable cause to believe to be used as an establishment in respect of which the person carrying on the establishment is registrable under Part IV of this Act.

(4) An officer who proposes to exercise any power of entry or inspection conferred by this section shall, if so required, produce a duly authenticated document showing his authority to exercise the power.

(5) Any person who obstructs the exercise of any such power as aforesaid shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds in the case of a first offence and fifty pounds in any other case.