Key legislation

Key legislation relating to professional standards

Safeguarding legislation

• Great Britain. Parliament (1989) Children Act 1989. London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2004) Children Act 2004. London: Stationery OfficeGreat Britain. Northern Ireland (1968) Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. London: HMSO. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1968/34 Accessed 31.05.11.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1995) Children (Northern Ireland) order 1995. (SI 755) (NI 2). Belfast: Stationery Office.
• Northern Ireland. Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety (2003) Protection of children and vulnerable adults (Northern Ireland) order 2003. (SI 417) (NI 4). Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2006) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. London: Stationery Office.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2007) Education (prohibition from teaching or working with children) regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007. (No. 288). London: Stationery Office.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2007) Safeguarding vulnerable groups (Northern Ireland) order 2007. (SI 1351) (NI 11). London: Stationery Office.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2008) Sexual offences (Northern Ireland) order 2008. (SI 1769) (NI 2). London: Stationery Office.
• Scotland. Scottish Government (2010) Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (miscellaneous provisions) order 2010. Edinburgh: Stationery Office.
• Scotland. Scottish Government (2010) Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (specified lists: Scotland) Order 2010. Edinburgh: Stationery Office.
• United Nations Centre for Human Rights (1990) Convention on the rights of the child. New York: United Nations.
   

Mental capacity legislation

• Great Britain. Parliament (1983) Mental Health Act 1983. London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1986) Mental health (Northern Ireland) order 1986. (SI 595) (NI 4). London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2005) Mental Capacity Act 2005. London: Stationery Office.
• Scotland. Scottish Executive (2000) Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. Edinburgh: Stationery Office.
• Scotland. Scottish Executive (2003) Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Edinburgh: Stationery Office.
• The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (NI) has proposals for the development of a new Mental Capacity (Health, Welfare and Finance) Bill.
   

Record keeping legislation

• Council of Europe (1953) Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms as amended by Protocols No. 11 and No. 14. Rome, November 4, 1950. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Available at: http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/treaties/html/005.htm Accessed on 01.06.11.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1958) Public Records Act 1958. London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1990) Access to Health Records Act 1990. London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1990) Computer Misuse Act 1990. London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1993) The access to health records (Northern Ireland) order 1993. (SI 1250) (NI 4). London: HMSO.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1998) Data Protection Act 1998. London: Stationery Office.
• Great Britain. Parliament (1998) Human Rights Act 1998. London: Stationery Office.
• Great Britain. Parliament (2000) Freedom of Information Act 2000. London: Stationery Office.
• Scotland. Scottish Executive (2002) Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Edinburgh: Stationery Office.
   

The Human Rights Act 1998

Great Britain. Parliament (1998) Human Rights Act 1998. London: Stationery Office.
The rights given by this act are:

• the right to life
• freedom from torture and degrading treatment
• freedom from slavery and forced labour
• the right to liberty
• the right to a fair trial
• the right not to be punished for something that was not a crime when you did it
• the right to respect for private and family life
• freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom to express your beliefs
• freedom of expression
• freedom of assembly and association
• the right to marry and to start a family
• the right not to be discriminated against in respect of these rights and freedoms
• the right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
• the right to an education
• the right to participate in free elections
• the right not to be subjected to the death penalty
   

The Equality Act 2010

Great Britain. Parliament (2010) Equality Act 2010. London: Stationery Office.
The primary purpose of the Equality Act 2010 is to draw together the acts and regulations that are the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain.
This legislation requires:

• equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

In the case of disability, employers and service providers are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced by disabled people. In this regard, the Equality Act 2010 did not change the law. With limited exceptions, the Act does not apply to Northern Ireland.