Regulation 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

These Regulations may be cited as the Children’s Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 4th November 1996.

In these Regulations—

• “the Order” means the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

• “children’s home” means a home provided under Part VII of the Order, a voluntary home or a registered children’s home;

• “Fire Authority” means the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland;

• “guardian ad litem” means a guardian ad litem appointed pursuant to Article 60 of the Order or rules made under Article 66 of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987^f1;

• “medicinal product” means anything in respect of which a product licence under the Medicines Act 1968^f2 is required;

• “person in charge” means in relation to a children’s home, the person appointed as the person in charge of it by the responsible authority;

• “registered dental practitioner” means a person registered in the dentists register under the Dentists Act 1984^f3;

• “registration authority” means, in the case of a voluntary home or a registered children’s home, the Health and Social Services Board in whose area the home is, or is to be, situated;

• “responsible authority” means—

  1. (a)

     in the case of a home provided under Part VII of the Order, the authority by whom it is provided;

  2. (b)

     in the case of a voluntary home, the voluntary organisation by whom it is provided; and

  3. (c)

     in the case of a registered children’s home, the person carrying it on.