Declared Places (Mental Impairment) Act 2015

In this section —

An advocate may do anything necessary or convenient for the performance of the advocate’s functions under this Act.

The performance of any function under this Act of an advocate is subject to the direction of the chief advocate.

An advocate may, with or without notice, at any time, and for any length of time, do these things —

visit a declared place and inspect any part of the place;

visit, or otherwise have contact with, any one or more residents, except a resident who has declined to be contacted by an advocate.

An advocate may ask a person who works at a declared place questions about any of these matters —

the welfare, health, care, training, safety, management or security of any resident;

the operation, control, management, security and good order of a declared place, but only to the extent to which the matter is relevant to a matter mentioned in paragraph (a).

An advocate may inspect and copy any document at a declared place relating to the place.

An advocate who is visiting or otherwise contacting a resident may inspect and copy any of the following documents, wherever held, except a document to which the advocate has been denied access by the resident —

the resident’s individual development plan;

any other document included, and the information recorded, in the resident’s file;

any of the records listed in section 10(6)(a)(i) and (ii) that relate to the resident;

any other document in the possession or control of the person who operates the declared place that relates to the resident.

An advocate may require a person who works at a declared place to give reasonable assistance to the advocate for the purpose of the performance of the advocate’s functions under this Act.