A visiting policy is now a purchase-stage document for any family comparing Scottish care homes. Anne’s Law, implemented through the 2025 Act, the 2026 regulations and the code of practice, requires adult care homes to facilitate visits to and by residents. The Scottish Government says there should generally be no restrictions, booking systems or routine limits on visitor numbers, frequency, timing or duration.
The right is not absolute when there is a serious risk to life, health or wellbeing, but restrictions must be individual, proportionate and reviewed. A family should therefore test how the home will apply the law before paying a deposit or accepting a room.
Ask for the current visiting policy
Request the policy, its review date and the manager responsible for applying it. Check whether it covers visits into the home, trips out, accessibility, infection risks, Essential Care Supporters and complaints. A one-line promise of “open visiting” is not enough.
Compare the written policy with what staff say during the tour. If routine booking or narrow hours are still required, ask for the legal and individual reason.
Test ordinary access in practical scenarios
Ask whether a relative may visit after work, stay for a meal, help with personal routines or take the resident out. The code says homes should make visits easy, provide information, contact relatives at the resident’s request and help a resident prepare for a trip.
The provider does not have to transport the resident or pay travel costs. Include taxis, escorts and accessible transport in the family’s total-cost comparison.
Name the Essential Care Supporter
People most important to the resident can be recorded in the personal plan as Essential Care Supporters. Ask when that choice is discussed, how consent is recorded and how a supporter is contacted. The role should reflect the resident’s wishes rather than the provider’s convenience.
For dementia or communication needs, document preferences and representation before admission. Ask how the plan changes if the resident later cannot express the same choice.
Examine the threshold for suspending visits
Visiting can be suspended only when essential to prevent a serious risk to life, health or wellbeing. The home should assess the circumstances of each resident, not impose a blanket rule simply because it is easier to administer.
Ask for examples of the evidence, advice and authorisation used. Confirm how end-of-life visits and situations where isolation itself causes greater harm would be handled.
Check the notification process
When visiting is suspended, affected residents, representatives and Essential Care Supporters must be told as soon as possible. The code says communication should include start date, expected duration, reasons, consultation, possible supported visits and a contact for concerns.
The provider should aim to communicate no later than 24 hours. The Care Inspectorate and local Chief Social Work Officer must also be notified within the required timeframe.
Demand individual review and an exit route
Ask how often restrictions are reviewed and who records the resident-specific balance of risk and harm. A suspension should be time-limited, not left in place until someone complains. Families should know how to request an earlier review.
Record the internal complaint route, the provider’s head office, the Care Inspectorate and the local authority contact. This information should be available before admission.
Link visiting to the care assessment
Visits can be part of emotional support, communication, eating, mobility and advocacy. During assessment, describe what the family actually does and ask what staff will cover when relatives are absent. A relative must not be treated as unpaid staffing needed to make the placement safe.
Confirm night support, nursing, behaviour support, medication and emergency arrangements independently. A good visiting plan does not compensate for an unsuitable care package.
Price the placement beyond the weekly fee
Request the weekly fee, nursing component, local-authority contribution, third-party top-up, deposit, notice terms and chargeable extras. Add travel and escort costs if regular trips out are important.
Calculate the first month and a normal month. Do not assume that a quoted public contribution is approved until the financial assessment and placement agreement are complete.
Compare homes with a visiting scorecard
Give each option a score for ordinary access, supporter recording, suspension threshold, 24-hour notification, review, trips out and complaint route. Add room availability, care fit, inspection evidence and total cost.
A polished lounge or low fee should not outweigh a policy that still uses blanket restrictions. Equally, visiting flexibility cannot make an unsafe clinical placement suitable.
Expose placement-service commissions
A referral service may be paid by the family, the home or both. Ask which homes pay, whether rates vary and whether non-paying providers are considered. A commission must not influence how the visiting policy is described.
Curalune’s option-selection service can organise homes by care needs, costs and documented visiting arrangements. The fuller contact service can ask providers about rooms, assessments and policies. Curalune does not guarantee availability or admission and cannot enforce Anne’s Law.
Make admission conditional on clear answers
Before signing, collect the visiting policy, personal-plan process, fee schedule, assessment outcome, room confirmation and admission date. Put any important visiting arrangement in the care plan rather than relying on a tour conversation.
If the policy conflicts with the code, ask for a corrected written answer. Keep another placement route open until the provider resolves the conflict.
Review the plan shortly after admission with the resident and supporter. Record whether promised access works in practice, who responds out of hours and how any restriction is explained. Early review catches a gap before it becomes the home’s routine.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Scottish care home require routine visit booking?
The code says homes should not generally operate booking systems or normally restrict visitor numbers, frequency, timing or duration.
Can visits ever be suspended?
Yes, when essential to prevent a serious risk, but decisions must take individual needs into account and be proportionate and reviewed.
Who must be told about a suspension?
Affected residents, representatives and Essential Care Supporters, as well as the Care Inspectorate and local Chief Social Work Officer.
Does Curalune guarantee that a home will accept the resident?
No. The provider decides availability and admission after assessment.
