ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the Residential Homes Act 1984 in relation to the inspection and registration of homes in the United Kingdom, the new procedures suggested in the publication Modernising Social Services and the legal powers that local authorities and health authorities have in relation to the suspicion of abuse. Registration requirements fall into three main areas, irrespective of the type of home: both owner and manager have to be deemed ‘fit’ to run the home, the premises have to be considered ‘fit’ for their purpose, the facilities have to be adequate. In exploring the ways in which care can be developed to provide an environment that is free from abuse, the characteristics of patients or residents also need to be considered. Organisations have within their grasp, as do individual members of staff, the power to influence good practice.
