Child Care Act, 1991

Provision of residential care by health boards.

38.—(1) A health board shall make arrangements with the registered proprietors of children's residential centres or with other suitable persons to ensure the provision of an adequate number of residential places for children in its care.

(2) A health board may, with the approval of the Minister, provide and maintain a residential centre or other premises for the provision of residential care for children in care.

(3) The Minister shall make regulations with respect to the conduct of homes or other premises provided by health boards under this section and for securing the welfare of children maintained therein.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3), regulations under this section may—

(a) prescribe requirements as to the maintenance, care and welfare of children while being maintained in centres,

(b) prescribe requirements as to the numbers, qualifications and availability of members of the staffs of centres,

(c) prescribe requirements as to the design, maintenance, repair, cleaning and cleanliness, ventilation, heating and lighting of centres,

(d) prescribe requirements as to the accommodation (including the amount of space in bedrooms, the washing facilities and the sanitary conveniences) provided in centres,

(e) prescribe requirements as to the food provided for children while being maintained in centres,

(f) prescribe requirements as to the records to be kept in centres and for the examination and copying of any such records or of extracts therefrom by officers of the Minister.