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Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016

The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (‘the Act’) provides the statutory framework for the regulation and inspection of social care in Wales. The Act contains provisions to:

  • reform the regulation of social care in Wales by placing people who receive care and support at its centre
  • reform the regulation of the social care workforce
  • rename the Care Council for Wales as Social Care Wales, giving it new powers 
  • reform the inspection of local authority social services functions
  • provide a robust response to the lessons learned from previous failures in the system.

The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.

Coming into force:

Sections 186 to 190 came into force on 19 January 2016 which is the day after the Act received Royal Assent, in accordance with section 188(2).

All other provisions of the Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers in an order made by statutory instrument, in accordance with section 188(1).

The following orders have been made:

Subordinate legislation made under the Act:

Further legislation is listed in the Social Services subject area of the site. This information will be merged with this page in due course.

TitleCitation number (statutory instruments only)Made dateComing into force dateSupporting documents
The Special School Residential Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20242024 No. 388 (W. 68)18 March 202431 March 2024Explanatory Memorandum 
The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20242024 No. 407 (W. 68)20 March 202431 March 2024Explanatory Memorandum
The Register of Service Providers (Prescribed Information and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 20232023 No. 1325 (W. 236)6 December 202331 December 2023, except regulation 2, which comes into force on 30 September 2024Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Registration) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20232023 No. 1336 (W. 241)6 December 202331 December 2023Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Special School Residential Services) (Wales) Regulations 20232023 No. 1327 (W. 238)6 December 202331 December 2023Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Annual Returns) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 20222022 No. 476 (W.118)25 April 202230 May 2022Explanatory Memorandum unavailable
The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals (Wales) (Amendment) and (Coronavirus) (Revocation) Regulations 20222022 No. 1074 (W. 226)19 October 20221 November 2022Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20222022 No. 832 (W.184)19 July 20221 October 2022Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Annual Returns) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 20212021 No. 395 (W. 126)24 March 202116 April 2021Explanatory Memorandum unavailable
The Regulated Services (Annual Returns) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 20202020 No. 486 (W. 111)4 May 202026 May 2020Explanatory Memorandum unavailable
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and Regulated Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 20202020 No. 389 (W. 87)11 March 2020 1 April 2020Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Specification of Social Care Workers) (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 20202020 No. 286 (W. 65)11 March 20201 April 2020Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20192019 No. 1062 (W. 189)27 June 2019` July 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 20192019 No. 976 (W. 167)31 May 20192 June 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Regulations 20192019 No. 887 (W. 159)25 April 201926 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Adoption Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20192019 No. 762 (W. 145)29 March 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 20192019 No. 772 (W. 146)29 March 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum unavailable
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments to Secondary Legislation) Regulations 20192019 No. 237 (W. 56)12 February 201913 February 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Annual Returns and Registration (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20192019 No. 233 (W. 52)12 February 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Adult Placement Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20192019 No. 163 (W. 40)31 January 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Advocacy Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20192019 No. 165 (W. 41)31 January 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Fostering Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20192019 No. 169 (W. 42)31 January 201929 April 2019Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Omissions from the Published Register) (Wales) Regulations 20182018 No. 708 (W. 139)11 June 20184 July 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Children (Secure Accommodation) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 20182018 No. 391 (W. 68)19 March 20182 April 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Specification of Social Care Workers) (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 20182018 No. 192 (W. 43)15 Febuary 20182 April 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 20182018 No. 195 (W. 44)15 February 20182 April 2018 (subject to paragraphs (2) to (4)Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments to Secondary Legislation) Regulations 20182018 No. 48 (W. 15)17 January 201819 January 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 20172017 No. 1264 (W. 295)12 December 20172 April 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Regulations 20172017 No. 1292 (W. 298)14 December 20172 April 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Registration) (Wales) Regulations 20172017 No. 1098 (W. 278)14 November 20171 February 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Annual Returns) (Wales) Regulations 20172017 No. 1097 (W. 277)14 November 20172 April 2018Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulated Services (Notifications) (Wales) Regulations 20172017 No. 961 (W. 244)27 September 20173 October 2017Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) (Amendment) Regulations 20172017 No. 140 (W. 43)7 February 20173 April 2017Explanatory Memorandum
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments to Secondary Legislation) Regulations 20172017 No. 52 (W. 23)21 January 201726 January 2017Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Specification of Social Care Workers) (Registration) Regulations 20162016 No. 1235 (W. 293)13 December 20163 April 2017Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Extension of Meaning of "Social Care Worker") Regulations 20162016 No. 1251 (W. 293)13 December 20163 April 2017Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (List of Persons Removed from the Register) Regulations 20162016 No. 11111 (W. 268)15 November 201622 November 2016Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Content of Register) Regulations 20162016 No. 1097 (W. 261)15 November 201622 November 2016Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Constitution of Panels: Prescribed Persons) Regulations 20162016 No. 1099 (W. 263)15 November 201622 November 2016Explanatory Memorandum
The Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) Regulations 20162016 No. 1100 (W. 264)15 November 201622 November 2016Explanatory Memorandum

In addition, the UK Government has made the following Orders:

Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd:

The Bill was introduced on 23 February 2015 by Mark Drakeford MS, who was Minister for Health and Social Services at the time, and was passed on 24 November 2015.

More information about the Bill is available on the Senedd’s website, including a record of the passage of the Bill through the Senedd (known then as the National Assembly for Wales) and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised after Stage 2). 

The Act received Royal Assent on 18 January 2016.

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Published on
Last updated
21 May 2024