The Department of Health has made a statutory rule entitled " The Children's Social Care (Coronavirus)(Temporary Modification of Children's Social Care) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020" (S.R. 2020 No.78), which comes into operation on the 7th May 2020. This Rule modifies certain Regulations made under the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 to put in place temporary emergency arrangements to enable essential children's social care services to be maintained and to protect looked after children, their families, foster parents and social care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The modifications specified in the Regulations will apply only for a period of six months from the date on which the Regulations come into operation.

This Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070, or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr