Our services to the Social Care Sector

For many years we have acted for clients operating in different areas within the social care sector. We have acted for those running domiciliary care agencies, care homes, nursing homes, children homes, sheltered housing accommodation, boarding schools, daycare nurseries as well as those providing facilities for people with disabilities or elderly people who visit on a daily basis.

We offer a full range of services to clients operating within the social care sector which includes advising on:

• regulatory compliance and enforcement issues
• vulnerable adult or a child protection investigations
• compliance with the national standards
• coroner's Inquests
• mental capacity
• data protection issues
• business advice
• employment
• property
• health and safety
• directors and trustees duties and responsibilities

Regulatory compliance and enforcement issues

This includes registration of providers with the Commission for Social Care Inspection or Ofsted, Early Years under the Care Standards Act 2000, dealing with the refusal of registration, the imposition and variation of conditions of registration, cancellation of registration including urgent applications for the cancellation of registration. We have experience of representing clients at the Care Standards Tribunal and also before the Magistrates in connection with such proceedings.

Vulnerable adult or a child protection investigations

We have considerable experience in advising clients who are the subject of a vulnerable adult or a child protection investigations and are used to dealing with issues arising from Criminal Record Bureau checks and POVA and POCA referrals.

Compliance with the national standards

We also advise clients in connection with their overall compliance with the national standards and also any difficulties they may have had arising from inspection reports by CSCI or Ofsted, Early Years or any immediate requirements resulting from a regulator's visit. We also advise on policies and procedures including vulnerable adult protection and child protection policies.

We are also on the panel of solicitors who advise the Commission for Social Care Inspection and regularly advise them in this area. We have until recently been on the panel of solicitors advising Ofsted, Early Years in connection with day care providers and child minders and the compliance and enforcement issues which they face. We also represent clients who run children's daycare or nursery provision.

Coroner's Inquests

In addition we have represented clients at Coroner's Inquests in connection with the death of service users. We also provide advice to providers on how the issues which might arise when dealing with a deceased service-users property and possessions.

Mental capacity

We advise social care providers in connection with how to deal with service users who lack mental capacity.

Data protection issues

We also advise clients on data protection issues and particularly issues of consent when dealing with service users who do not have full capacity. Disclosure is another issue upon which clients frequently seek advice.

Business advice

We have advised social care clients on the sale and purchase of their business, terms and conditions of their business contracts, terms and conditions of agreements with social services, tendering for social services contracts and in connection with disputes which arise under such contracts.

Employment

Our employment team is used to dealing with care providers and advising them on a variety of employment issues, recruitment practises and procedures. We also advise on disciplinary procedures and policies.

Property

Members of our property team are also able to deal with the property aspects of the sale and purchase of businesses and also in connection with any disputes which may arise for example in relation to ownership of property, rights of way, terms of a lease.

Health and safety

Health and safety compliance is a requirement for anyone providing services or employing staff and our team are used to advising on health and safety issues as well as food hygiene and trading standards issues.

Directors and trustees duties and responsibilities

We also advise directors and trustees on their duties and responsibilities and the risk of personal liability in certain circumstances.

For more information about our social care sector services contact Julia Jones on +44 (0)121 214 3556 or by email julia.jones@anthonycollins.com