Children’s Homes Regulations 1991

PART VIII — Local Authority Visits

Circumstances necessitating visits by Local Authorities

32.  Every local authority shall arrange for one of their officers to visit every child who is accommodated within their area in a registered children’s home or in a voluntary home in any of the following circumstances and within the periods specified—

(a) where they are informed that a child not in the care of, nor looked after by, any local authority has been placed in such accommodation, within 28 days of being so informed;

(b) where the voluntary organisation or the person carrying on a registered children’s home providing such accommodation makes representations to the local authority that there are circumstances relating to the child which require a visit, within 14 days of receipt of those representations;

(c) when they are informed that the welfare of a child may not be being safeguarded or promoted, within 7 days of being so informed.

Further visits

33.—(1) After a visit (“the first visit”) has been made under regulation 32, the local authority shall arrange for such further visits to the child by one of their officers as appear to them to be necessary, (whether in the light of a change of circumstances or not), and shall in any event arrange for the further visits provided for by paragraphs (2) to (3).

(2) Where the local authority are satisfied following the first visit that the child’s welfare is being safeguarded and promoted they shall arrange for a further visit by one of their officers where the first visit was made in the circumstances specified in regulation 32(a), within 6 months of the first visit.

(3) Where the local authority are not satisfied following the first visit that the child’s welfare is being safeguarded and promoted but have decided that the child should continue to reside in the same accommodation, they shall arrange for a further visit by one of their officers within 28 days of the first visit.

Requirements for visits

34.—(1) Every local authority shall ensure that in the course of visits to which regulations 32 and 33 refer an officer of the authority—

(a) sees the child alone (unless exceptionally he considers it unnecessary);

(b) reads all relevant case papers and records concerning the child kept by the voluntary organisation or the person carrying on the registered children’s home, and signs and dates them to indicate that he has seen them;

(c) makes a written report of his visit which shall be copied to the voluntary organisation or person carrying on the registered children’s home.

(2) The voluntary organisation or the person carrying on the home shall provide suitable accommodation for a visit made under regulation 32 or regulation 33.