145Functions of Official Community Visitors

145 Functions of Official Community Visitors

145 Functions of Official Community Visitors

(1) An Official Community Visitor may—

(a) enter and inspect a place where a visitable service is provided at a reasonable time, and

(b) confer alone with a child who is resident or person employed at the visitable service, and

(c) inspect a document held at a visitable service, if the document relates to the operation of a visitable service, having regard to the wishes of a child resident at the visitable service to whom the document relates, and

(d) provide the Minister and the Children’s Guardian with advice or reports on any matters relating to the conduct of a visitable service, and

(e) inform the Minister and the Children’s Guardian on matters affecting the welfare, interests and conditions of children using visitable services, and

(f) encourage the promotion of legal and human rights of children using visitable services, including the right to privacy, confidentiality, adequate information and consultation in relation to visitable services and the right to complain, and

(f1) provide information about the Child Safe Standards to assist both the visitable services and the children using the services, and

(f2) provide the Secretary with information, advice or reports on the following matters—

(i) matters relating to the conduct of places where visitable services are provided,

(ii) matters affecting the welfare, interests and conditions of children in visitable services, and

(g) consider matters raised by children using visitable services, staff of providers of visitable services and people having a genuine concern for the welfare, interests and conditions of children using visitable services, and

(h) provide information about independent advocacy services to help children in the presentation of a grievance or matter of concern and, in appropriate cases, assist children to obtain the services, and

(i) facilitate, if reasonable and practicable, the early and speedy resolution of grievances or matters of concern affecting children using visitable services by referring grievances or matters to the providers of the relevant services or other appropriate bodies, and