In testing times when everyone is 'mobilising' to do
their part to battle COVID-19, our legislator has taken cognisance
of those who are willing and already equipped to provide certain
care services to start doing so legally.
The Social Care Standards authority is now in a position to
grant an emergency licence in exceptional circumstances in order to
provide a social welfare service; that is, a care service, provided
in relation to the well-being of service users, whether by a
person, agency or residential facility, or in the community or in a
care and nursing home or in the home. Such emergency licences may
be subject to conditions as deemed necessary by the said authority.
Indeed, the applicable regulations do not explicitly state that the
service must be provided in full compliance with other social
welfare service legislation presumably leaving it to the Authority
to determine the applicable conditions to each 'emergency'
provider in the emergency licence itself.
