Statutory Rule 1996 No. 443

      Contact with Children Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

      © Crown Copyright 1996

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STATUTORY RULES OF NORTHERN IRELAND

1996 No. 443

CHILDREN

Contact with Children Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Made 23rd September 1996
Coming into operation 4th November 1996


    The Department of Health and Social Services, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 53(8) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995[1] and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:
    Citation, commencement and interpretation
        1.—(1)  These Regulations may be cited as the Contact with Children Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 4th November 1996.

        (2)  In these Regulations, any reference to a numbered Article is to the Article of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 bearing that number.

        (3)  Any notice required under these Regulations is to be given in writing and may be sent by ordinary post.
    Authority refusal of contact with child
        2.    Where an authority has decided under Article 53(6) to refuse contact with a child that would otherwise be required by virtue of Article 53(1) or an order under Article 53, the authority shall, as soon as the decision has been made, notify the following persons of those parts of the information specified in the Schedule as the authority considers those persons need to know—

      (a)  the child, if he is of sufficient understanding;

      (b)  the child's parents;

      (c)  any guardian of his;

      (d)  where there was a residence order in force with respect to the child immediately before the care order was made, the person in whose favour the residence order was made;

      (e)  where immediately before the care order was made, a person had care of the child by virtue of an order made in the exercise of the High Court's inherent jurisdiction with respect to children, that person; and

      (f)  any other person whose wishes and feelings the authority considers to be relevant.
    Departure from terms of court order on contact under Article 53
        3.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (2), an authority may depart from the terms of any order under Article 53 (parental contact etc. with children in care) by agreement between the authority and the person in relation to whom the order is made.

        (2)  An agreement under paragraph (1) is subject to the agreement of the child where he is of sufficient understanding.

        (3)  Within 7 days of an agreement under paragraph (1), notification shall be sent to the persons specified in regulation 2 containing those parts of the information specified in the Schedule as the authority considers those persons need to know.
    Notification of variation or suspension of contact arrangements
        4.    Where an authority varies or suspends any arrangements made (otherwise than under an order made under Article 53) with a view to affording any person contact with a child in the care of that authority, notification shall be sent to those persons specified in regulation 2 containing those parts of the information specified in the Schedule as the authority considers those persons need to know, as soon as the decision is made to vary or suspend the arrangements.


Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services on
23rd September 1996.

L.S.
P. A. Conliffe

Assistant Secretary





Notes:

[1] S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2) back

 

Explanatory Note


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