- Enforced by
- RQIA
- Status
- Amended (in force with amendments)
- Penalty ceiling
- Imprisonment 3 of 19 obligations carry a fine up to £2,500. 5 carry different penalties and 11 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Does it bind you?
Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.
Plus 9 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
What it requires
Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.
INTRODUCTORY
0 of 2 sections shown2 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Health and Social Care Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
3 of 5 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- RQIA must provide advice and information to the DepartmentStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- The Department may regulate and direct RQIA operationsCrown / Minister / Government department
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- RQIA must submit annual report on services and functionsStatutory regulator
2 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
REGULATION OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND AGENCIES
10 of 26 sections shown- Operate an unregistered health or social care establishmentAny Person
- Register your establishment or agency with the RQIAAny Person
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- RQIA must provide written notice and reasons for registration proposalsStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- RQIA must allow 28 days for representations before making a decisionStatutory regulator
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- RQIA must provide written notice of registration decisions and appeal rightsStatutory regulator
- Fail to comply with registration conditionsAny Person
Unlimited fine
- Breach health or social care regulationsAny Person
Fine up to £2,500
- False description of establishment or agencyAny Person
Unlimited fine
- Make false statements in registration applicationAny Person
Fine up to £2,500
- Fail to display registration certificateAny Person
Fine up to £500
16 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
QUALITY OF HEALTH AND social care
1 of 2 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- HSC trusts must monitor and improve care quality and environmentsStatutory regulator
1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
BOARDS AND HSC TRUSTS– ADOPTION, FOSTERING AND CHILDREN UNDER 12
1 of 2 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- HSC trusts must provide information to the RQIAStatutory regulator
1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
MISCELLANEOUS
4 of 13 sections shownOther duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Department must publish and review minimum care standardsCrown / Minister / Government department
- Obstruct or fail to comply with health inspection powersAny Person
Fine up to £2,500
- Protect the identity of individuals when sharing confidential informationAny Person
- Fail to comply with Care Tribunal regulatory requirementsAny Person
Fine up to £1,000
9 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Schedules
0 of 29 shown29 other schedules
1 other provision
Help complying
Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.
Start a social care provider business
End-to-end learning path for starting a social care business. Covers which regulator applies, CQC registration, registered manager requirements, workforce qualifications (Care Certificate, …
Respond to a CQC investigation or enforcement action
What to do if your healthcare or social care service faces CQC enforcement action. Covers understanding the type and severity of action, …
Starting a social care provider business
Step-by-step guide to starting a social care business — from choosing your regulator through workforce requirements to financial planning.
RQIA registration quick check
Quick checklist for Northern Ireland care providers to check whether their service needs RQIA registration, fit person requirements, care standards, and what …
Responding to RQIA enforcement action
What to do when RQIA takes enforcement action against your care service in Northern Ireland. Covers conditions of registration, improvement notices, failure …
Starting a regulated business in Northern Ireland
A guided learning path for businesses in Northern Ireland that operate in regulated sectors. Covers the three key NI-specific regulators — HSENI, …
Devolved care inspectorates: quick comparison reference
Quick-lookup reference comparing the three devolved care inspectorates: Care Inspectorate (Scotland), CIW (Wales), and RQIA (Northern Ireland). Covers registration, fees, grading systems, …
Healthcare regulation across the UK nations
Comparison reference for healthcare regulation in England (CQC), Scotland (HIS and Care Inspectorate), Wales (HIW and CIW), and Northern Ireland (RQIA). Covers …
Meet RQIA Minimum Care Standards
How to meet the Minimum Care Standards that RQIA uses to assess your health or social care service in Northern Ireland. Covers …
Operating care services across UK nations: cross-border registration and compliance
Comprehensive guide for care providers operating in more than one UK nation. Covers separate registration requirements with each devolved inspectorate, workforce portability, …
Prepare for an RQIA inspection
Inspection readiness checklist for RQIA-registered services in Northern Ireland. Covers documentation, staffing records, care plans, premises environment, complaints handling, safeguarding, and what …
Register a health or social care service with RQIA
Step-by-step guide to registering a health or social care service with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland. Covers …
Respond to RQIA enforcement action
What to do if RQIA takes enforcement action against your health or social care service in Northern Ireland. Covers failure to comply …
Understanding RQIA: healthcare and social care regulation in Northern Ireland
How healthcare and social care regulation works in Northern Ireland under the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). Explains the integrated HSC …
2 more guides that reference this instrument
Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.