Dear Sheila,

Can I just confirm whether a small day centre for elderly people (including those with dementia) would require CQC registration if it provided personal care i.e. assisting service users to the toilet? Also, does the need to register differ depending on whether it is just one self-employed staff member or a staff member supported by multiple volunteers?

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,

Beth

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear Beth,

Thank you for your question.

I get so many questions about registration by CQC and Day Centres.

There is really useful guidance on the CQC website about Day Centres:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/ra_1_personal_care.pdf

The opening paragraph of this briefing document makes it clear that

“The regulated activity of personal care consists of the provision of personal care for people who are unable to provide it for themselves, because of old age, illness or disability, and which is provided to them in the place where those people are living at the time when the care is provided. As an example, this includes personal care provided by a domiciliary care agency. It also includes Shared Lives schemes.”

A Day Centre is obviously not the residence of any of the people that attend.

The flow chart on page 3 of the document also clearly identifies that day care  is out of scope of registration.

Best wishes.

Sheila