Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

“Social care worker”, etc. N.I.

2.—(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) engages in relevant social work (referred to in this Part as a “social worker”);

(b) is employed at—

(i) a children's home;

(ii) a residential care home;

(iii) a nursing home;

(iv) a day care setting;

(v) a residential family centre;

(c) manages an establishment of a description mentioned in paragraph (b); or

(d) is supplied by a domiciliary care agency to provide personal care in their own homes for persons 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 the [F1 social care] functions of [F2 the Regional Board or an] [F3 HSC trust];

(b) a person engaged in the provision of personal care for any person;

(c) a person who manages, or is employed in, an undertaking which consists of or includes supplying, or providing services for the purpose of supplying, persons to provide personal care;

(d) a person engaged in the provision of services which are similar to services which may or must be provided by [F4 the Regional Board] or [F5 HSC trusts] in the exercise of their [F1 social care] functions;

(e) a person employed in connection with the discharge of functions of the Department under Article 149 of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (NI 2) (inspection of children's homes etc.);

(f) a person participating in a course approved by the Council under section 10 for persons wishing to become social workers.

(4) “Relevant social work” means social work which is required in connection with any health, education, probation or [F1 social care] provided by any person.

[F6 [F7 (5) “The General Systems Regulations” means the European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/2059).]

(6) “Relevant European State” means an EEA State or Switzerland.

(7) “Exempt person” means—

(a) a national of a relevant European State other than the United Kingdom,

(b) a national of the United Kingdom who is seeking to engage in relevant social work by virtue of an enforceable Community right, or

(c) a person who is not a national of a relevant European State but who is, by virtue of an enforceable Community right, entitled to be treated, as regards the right to engage in relevant social work, no less favourably than a national of a relevant European State;

and in this subsection, “national”, in relation to a relevant European State, means the same as in the Community Treaties, but does not include a person who by virtue of Article 2 of Protocol No. 3 (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) to the Treaty of Accession is not to benefit from Community provisions relating to the free movement of persons and services.]

F1 Words in Act substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), ss. 32, 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(1)(a) (with Sch. 6 para. 1(2)(3)); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 2(3)(a) substituted (13.5.2016) by Health and Personal Social Services (Amendment) Act (NorthernIreland) 2016 (c. 23), ss. 6(2)(a), 8

F3 Words in Act substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), ss. 32, 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(1)(d) (with Sch. 6 para. 1(3)); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2

F4 Words in s. 2(3)(d) substituted (13.5.2016) by Health and Personal Social Services (Amendment) Act (NorthernIreland) 2016 (c. 23), ss. 6(2)(b), 8

F5 Words in Act substituted (1.4.2009) by virtue of Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), ss. 32, 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(1)(d) (with Sch. 6 para. 1(3)); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2

F6 S. 2(5) substituted (18.11.2016) by The European Qualifications (Health and Social Care Professions) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1030), regs. 1, 112(2) (with reg. 155)

F7 S. 2(5)-(7) inserted (3.12.2007) by European Qualifications (Health and Social Care Professions) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/3101), regs. 1(2), 244