The Care Home Services (Visits to and by Care Home Residents) (Scotland) Regulations 2026: Anne's Law - code of practice 31 March 2026
'Anne’s Law’ describes a series of legal acts and regulations that give new duties to care homes to strengthen the rights of people living in adult care homes to see and spend time with people who are important to them. The code of practice explains how these duties should work day-to-day.
Annex B
Consultation on the Code
The Scottish Government has taken a multi-stage approach to consultation to inform the development of the Code. It has been informed by:
- members of the Anne’s Law Oversight Group (see below) who supported drafting and reviewing of the Code of Practice
- public consultation on the draft regulations in September and October 2025, including a survey, interviews and focus groups with care home residents
- consultation with the organisations and representatives outlined in the Act
Consultation with Organisations Outlined in the Act
Before publishing this code of practice, the Act sets out that Scottish Ministers must consult:
- the Care Inspectorate
- Public Health Scotland
- groups representing care home providers, residents and families
The Scottish Government has worked closely with the organisations and groups listed above at all stages of development of this code of practice, including receiving written feedback from them. All the organisations and groups were also represented at the Anne’s Law Oversight Group, which also supported the drafting of this Code.
Organisations and Individuals that have Supported the Development of the Code
Since 2020, the Scottish Government has been working with the Care Home Relatives Scotland (CHRS) group and others to develop the policy around care home visiting. Since 2022 the Anne’s Law Oversight group has informed the development of Anne’s Law including the provisions within the Act, the regulations and as stated above the development of the Code.
Members from the following organisations are part of the Oversight Group:
- Care Home Relatives Scotland
- Social Work Scotland including the Adult Standing Committee
- Public Health Scotland
- Directors of Public Health
- Scottish Care
- Coalition of Care Providers Scotland
- COSLA
- Scottish Social Services Council
- Care Inspectorate
- NHS Board representatives
- Health and Social Care Partnerships representatives
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
- National Dementia Carers Action Network
- Age Scotland
- Carers Scotland
- Academics
- Alzheimer Scotland
- Promoting a more inclusive society (PAMIS)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Scotland
- Scottish Government (the group was chaired by Iain Ramsay – Professional Social Work Advisor)
Public Consultation
An online consultation survey on the draft regulations was open from 26 September – 17 October 2025, inviting responses from the public, care home residents, families, staff and providers. This provided an opportunity for people to comment on the draft regulations and provide insights for the Code.
Recognising that an online survey might not be the most accessible method for everyone to give their views, a programme of face-to-face engagement with care home residents also took place. Scottish Government officials visited care homes across the country and spoke with care home residents, their families and friends, care home managers and other staff, including care, nursing and activities staff. Feedback from these visits has also informed this Code.