About us

The Care Standards Tribunal (CST) was established under the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) 1999. It considers appeals from applicants from a number of jurisdictions including:

the PoCA list and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) list;
prohibition from teaching, acting as a proprietor of an independent school or working in schools or further education institutions lifted;
who are subject to a court order banning them working with children;
Refusal, cancellation and variation of registration for child and adult care providers;
Refusal and cancellation of registration for Social Workers and Social Care Workers.

The CST considers appeals in relation to the following decisions:

Decisions of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Decisions of the Commission for Social Care Inspection England and the Welsh Ministers
Decisions of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) and the Welsh Ministers
Decisions of the Chief Inspector of Schools in England and the Welsh Ministers
Decisions of the General Social Care Council and the Care Council Wales
Decisions of the Secretary of State for Health

Decisions of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in relation to:

Inclusion of individuals' names on the list of those considered unsuitable to work with children (the PoCA list). This function was transferred from the Department of Health;
Restriction or prohibition from teaching, acting as proprietor of independent schools and employment in schools /further education institutions;
Registration of independent schools

Decisions of the Commission for Social Care Inspection England and the Welsh Ministers in relation to the registration of:

Care homes
Residential Family Centres
Domiciliary care agencies
Nurses agencies
Fostering agencies and voluntary adoption agencies; and

Decisions of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) and the Welsh Ministers

Private and voluntary healthcare
Medical agencies

Decisions of the Chief Inspector of Schools in England and the Welsh Ministers in respect of the:

Children's homes
Registration of childminders and day care providers for children under 8 years
Approval of home child care providers
Registration of early years child care Inspectors and nursery education inspectors
Disqualification and refusal to waive disqualification from registration as a child minder or day care provider. (Regulations will come into force in 2004).
A refusal to waive disqualification of a person from providing, managing, having a financial involvement in or being employed in a children's home.

Decisions of the General Social Care Council and the Care Council Wales in respect of:

social workers' entry on the register of social care.

Decisions of the Secretary of State for Health in relation to:

Inclusion of an individual's name on the list of those considered unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults (the PoVA list).