The Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Made: 4 February 2026

Coming into force: 1 April 2026

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 175(1) and 187(1) of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016[^f00001], make the following Regulations.

Title, coming into force and interpretation

1

• (1) The title of these Regulations is the Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 1 April 2026.

• (3) In these Regulations, “the 2016 Regulations” means the Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) Regulations 2016[^f00002].

Amendments to the 2016 Regulations

2

• (1) The 2016 Regulations are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 18(1)(b) (interim orders proceedings: when a hearing is not necessary), for “(e)” substitute “(f)”.

• (3) In regulation 30(1)(b) (interim orders proceedings: when a hearing is not necessary), for “(e)” substitute “(f)”.

Signed

Dawn Bowden — Minister for Children and Social Care, under authority of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, one of the Welsh Ministers — 4 February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Social Care Wales (Proceedings before Panels) Regulations 2016 (“the 2016 Regulations”).

The 2016 Regulations make provision about proceedings before fitness to practise panels and interim orders panels.

Regulation 2 amends regulations 18(1)(b) and 30(1)(b) of the 2016 Regulations to allow an interim order to be extended, for a period of up to 18 months in total from the date it was first made, without a hearing, in specified circumstances.

Interim orders imposed by the regulator are a means to enable temporary restrictions to be applied to a registered person’s registration while investigations are undertaken into fitness to practise allegations made against that person.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Department of Health and Social Services, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ and is published on www.gov.wales.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2016 anaw 2.

[^f00002]: S.I. 2016/1100, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.