Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the National Care Standards Commission (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) Regulations 2001 in consequence of the registration of nurses agencies, domiciliary care agencies and residential family centres under Part II of the Care Standards Act 2000 being deferred until 1st September 2002. These Regulations amend:

regulation 2 (interpretation), so that a “new provider”, in the case of a residential family centre, a nurses agency or a domiciliary care agency will be a person who carries on such an establishment or agency after 1st September 2002, and not 1st July 2002;

regulation 3(3)(a) (registration fees), so that where an application for registration is made by a person who manages an existing undertaking which is a licensed nurses agency, then provided that that application is made before 1st September 2002, no registration fee will be payable;

in regulation 5 (annual fees), the entry in the Table entitled “(k) Nurses agency” so that in the case of an existing provider the first annual fee is due on the anniversary first occurring after 1st September 2002; and

regulation 6(5) (frequency of inspections), to provide that in the case of a residential family centre, a nurses agency or a domiciliary care agency, the “12 month period” ending on 31st March 2003 (during which an inspection of the establishment or agency is to be carried out by the National Care Standards Commission) is to be treated as commencing on 1st September 2002, and not 1st July 2002.