Regulation 2 Interpretation

In these Regulations—

• “the 1989 Act” means the Children Act 1989;

• “the 2000 Act” means the Care Standards Act 2000;

• F1“adoption agency” has the meaning given in section 2(1) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002;

• “approval” means approval as a foster parent in accordance with regulation 27 and references to a person being approved are to be construed accordingly;

• “area authority”, in relation to a child, means the local authority M1 in whose area the child is placed, or is to be placed, where that authority is not the responsible authority;

• “care plan” means the plan for the future care of a child prepared in accordance with Part 2 of the Care Planning Regulations;

• “the Care Planning Regulations” means the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 M2;

• “Chief Inspector” means Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills M3;

• “child protection enquiries” has the meaning given in regulation 12(5);

• “children's guide” has the meaning given in regulation 3(3);

• F2...

• “early years provider” has the meaning given in section 96 of the Childcare Act 2006 M4;

• “foster care agreement” has the meaning given in regulation 27(5)(b);

• “foster parent” means a person who—

  1. (i)

     is approved as a foster parent under these Regulations, and

  2. (ii)

     except in regulations 25 to 30, includes a person with whom a child is placed under regulation 24 of the Care Planning Regulations (temporary approval of a relative, friend or other person connected with the child) F3or regulation 25A of those Regulations (temporary approval of prospective adopter as foster parent);

• “fostering agency” has the meaning given in section 4(4) of the 2000 Act M5;

• “fostering panel” means a panel constituted in accordance with regulation 23;

• “fostering service” means—

  1. (i)

     a fostering agency, or

  2. (ii)

     a local authority fostering service;

• “fostering service provider” means—

  1. (i)

     in relation to a fostering agency, a registered person, or

  2. (ii)

     in relation to a local authority fostering service, a local authority;

• “independent fostering agency” means a fostering agency falling within section 4(4)(a) of the 2000 Act M6;

• F4“integrated care board” means an integrated care board established under Chapter A3 of Part 2 of the National Health Service Act 2006;

• “IRO” means the independent reviewing officer appointed for a child under section 25A(1) of the 1989 Act M7;

• F5“Disclosure and Barring Service” means the body established by section 87(1) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012;

• “later years provider” has the meaning given in section 96 of the Childcare Act 2006;

• “local authority fostering service” means the discharge by a local authority of “relevant fostering functions” within the meaning of section 43(3)(b) of the 2000 Act M8;

• “organisation” means a body corporate or any unincorporated association other than a partnership;

• “parent”, in relation to a child, includes any person who has parental responsibility for the child;

• “parent and child arrangements” means arrangements made by a local authority for a parent and their child to live with a foster parent, whether or not the parent or the child is placed with the foster parent;

• “placement” means any placement of a child with foster parents made—

  1. (i)

     by a local authority under section 22C of the 1989 Act, or

  2. (ii)

     by a voluntary organisation under section 59(1)(a) of the 1989 Act,

which is not a placement for adoption, and includes a placement arranged by an independent fostering agency acting on behalf of a local authority, and references to a child who is placed are to be construed accordingly;

• “placement plan” means the plan for the placement of a child prepared in accordance with regulation 9 of the Care Planning Regulations;

• “placing authority”, in relation to a child, means the local authority or voluntary organisation (as the case may be) responsible for the child's placement;

• F6...

• “registered manager”, in relation to a fostering agency, means a person who is registered under Part 2 of the 2000 Act as the manager of the fostering agency;

• “registered person”, in relation to a fostering agency, means a person who is the registered provider or the registered manager of the fostering agency;

• “registered provider”, in relation to a fostering agency, means a person who is registered under Part 2 of the 2000 Act as the person carrying on the fostering agency;

• “responsible authority”, in relation to a child, means the local authority that looks after the child M9;

• “responsible individual” has the meaning given in regulation 5(1)(d);

• “statement of purpose” has the meaning given in regulation 3(1); and

• “working day” means any day other than—

  1. (a)

     a Saturday or a Sunday,

  2. (b)

     Christmas day or Good Friday, or

  3. (c)

     a bank holiday in England and Wales under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971;

• “X” has the meaning given in regulation 26(1).

In these Regulations, references to employing a person include employing a person whether or not for payment, and whether under a contract of service or a contract for services, and allowing a person to work as a volunteer, but do not include allowing a person to act as a foster parent, and references to an employee or to a person being employed are to be construed accordingly.