§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the guidance given by his Department to local authority social service departments about the standards relating to the size of rooms and staffing arrangements which they should require from private residential homes under the Registered Homes Act 1984; and how he intends that those standards should relate to those obtaining in the local authority's own homes.
§ Mrs. CurriePrivate residential homes have to comply with the requirements of the Residential Care Home Regulations 1984. These regulations require suitable and sufficient accommodation and staffing but do not lay down room sizes or staffing levels. The regulations are complemented by "Home Life: a Code of Practice for Residential Care", published by the Centre for Policy on Aging in 1984, a copy of which is in the Library. "Home Life" gives guidance on staffing levels. Local Authority Building Note No. 2, "Residential Accommodation for Elderly People" gives guidance on room sizes. Circular LAC(86)1 explained to registration authorities how this note should be applied to private and voluntary homes (copies of both are also in the Library). In circular LAC(86)6 we advised registration authorities not to expect higher standards in private and voluntary homes than those achieved in their own homes.