The regulations about care home visiting that are commonly known as Anne’s Law, will come into force on Tuesday 31 March 2026. The regulations strengthen the rights of people living in adult and older people’s care homes to maintain contact with those who are important to them. They do this by introducing duties for care home providers in relation to visiting arrangements, identification of Essential Care Supporters, and transparency where visiting is restricted for any reason.
Code of Practice
A Code of Practice has been developed to provide guidance for care home providers, managers and staff on applying the legislation consistently and fairly. It will also support care home residents, families and friends to know what they should expect from care homes.
Notification of visiting restrictions
From 31 March 2026, when care homes restrict visits for any reason, they must notify:
- residents, if appropriate their representatives, and Essential Care Supporters
- the Care Inspectorate
- the Chief Social Work Officer for the relevant local authority.
Further information about notifications to the Care Inspectorate can be found here.
Implementation period
A three-month implementation period (31 March – 30 June 2026) will apply to support providers to fully embed the new arrangements. The legal duties under Anne’s Law will apply from 31 March 2026. The Care Inspectorate will continue to take a proportionate and supportive approach, recognising that providers are implementing new requirements during this period. During this time, providers should take steps to ensure their policies, processes and staff awareness align with the legislation and Code of Practice. However, the new notification requirements will apply from 31 March 2026.
Further information and guidance will be shared shortly.