The Residential Family Centres Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

PART V MANAGEMENT

Review of quality of care

27.—(1) The registered person shall introduce and ensure systems are maintained for reviewing at appropriate intervals the quality of care and other service provision in or for the purposes of the family residential centre and that any such review is undertaken no less than annually.

(2) The registered person shall supply to the Regulation and Improvement Authority a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purpose of paragraph (1) and make a copy of the report available to residents.

(3) The system referred to in paragraph (1) shall provide for consultation with residents and their representatives.

Financial position

28.—(1) The registered provider shall carry on the residential family centre in such a manner as is likely to ensure that the centre will be financially viable for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose.

(2) The registered person shall, if the Regulation and Improvement Authority so requests, provide such information and documents to the Regulation and Improvement Authority as it may require for the purpose of considering the financial viability of the centre, including—

(a) the annual accounts of the centre certified by an accountant;

(b) a reference from a bank expressing an opinion as to the registered provider’s financial standing;

(c) information as to the financing and financial resources of the residential family centre;

(d) where the registered person is a company, information as to any of its associated companies;

(e) a certificate of insurance for the registered provider in respect of liability which may be incurred by him in relation to the residential family centre in respect of death, injury, public liability, damage or other loss.

(3) The registered person shall—

(a) ensure that adequate accounts are maintained in respect of the residential family centre and kept up to date;

(b) ensure that the accounts give details of the running costs of the residential family centre, including rent, payments under a mortgage and expenditure on food, heating and salaries and wages of staff; and

(c) supply a copy of the accounts to the Regulation and Improvement Authority at its request.

(4) In this regulation a company is an associated company of another if one of them has control of the other or both are under the control of the same person.

Visits by registered provider

29.—(1) Where the registered provider is an individual, but who does not manage the residential family centre himself, he shall visit the residential family centre in accordance with this regulation.

(2) Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

(a) the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

(b) another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or

(c) an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

(3) Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall take place at least once a month or as agreed with the Regulation and Improvement Authority and shall be unannounced.

(4) The person carrying out the visit shall—

(a) interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and their representatives and persons working at the centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard provided in the residential family centre;

(b) inspect the premises of the residential family centre, its record of events and records of any complaints; and

(c) prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre.

(5) The registered provider shall maintain a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph 4(c) in the centre and make it available on request to—

(a) the Regulation and Improvement Authority;

(b) the registered manager;

(c) the resident or their representative; and

(d) an officer of the HSS trust in the area of which the residential family centre is situated.

(6) In the case of a visit under paragraph (2)—

(a) where the registered provider is an organisation, to each of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation; and

(b) where the registered provider is a partnership, to each of the partners.