AQW 19826/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 12/12/2024
Answered On Date: 02/01/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail how his Department is regulating day centres for those with additional needs.

Answer:

Day centres are regulated as adult day care settings and offer services to older people and those who have mental health issues, physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities. Settings are defined through legislation as a place where persons in need of prescribed services may attend for the purposes of assessment, rehabilitation or counselling but where they are not provided with board or accommodation.

Day centres are subject to registration and inspection by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Inspection Authority.

Minimum standards can be found at:

https://www.rqia.org.uk/RQIA/media/RQIA/Resources/Standards/adult_day_care_standards_-_final_version_-_january_2012.pdf

Community-based day opportunities, typically provided by the independent sector, are not regulated in Northern Ireland.