VULNERABLE people are being put at risk by a lack of regulation in day care services, according to a charity boss.

The chief executive of Age UK Darlington and North Yorkshire has called for a regulatory body to be established to monitor services that are attended by those with disabilities, dementia mental health issues or other vulnerabilities.

Some elements offered by individual day care services will be regulated through various legal routes and all providers of ‘regulated activity’ – such as personal care, surgical procedures, disease treatment, nursing care and other activities – must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

As a whole, however, day care services are exempt from monitoring by the CQC as they are not formally defined and can cover a wide range of services.

Gillian Peel is calling for more regulation to be introduced to the industry and says the Government should allow the CQC to expand its remit to ensure day care services are properly monitored.

She says that many day care services may not offer legally defined regulated activity but still provide often intimate services to vulnerable people.

She said: “It is shocking that throughout the country, day care services do not have to be registered with the CQC.

“In the case of people with dementia, they may need help while there with washing or toileting for example.

“When I first discovered this I was shocked because I expected massively vulnerable people to be protected.

“Just because it’s a public setting does not mean there should be a lack of standards but there is no requirement for them to be audited and to reach CQC standards.

“When under the CQC, there is mandatory training and we feel very strongly that staff at day care services should have that too.”

Ms Peel added: “The day care services in Darlington may be absolutely fine but in some areas, people could be left very vulnerable and a tragedy could happen.”

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that day care services were not regulated by the CQC but added: “It is vital that adequate safeguards are in place to protect members of the public who use day care services. We expect Local Authorities to commission safe services and take action where there is an allegation of abuse.”

The Care and Support Statutory Guidance, published in 2014, stipulates that local organisations and authorities should take steps to ensure commissioned services are “safe, effective and of high quality”.