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Turning Point chief executive Victor Adebowale pinpoints weaknesses in the new care standards.

The new care standards have been welcomed by many within the voluntary and social care sectors who have long campaigned for independent and arms-length inspection to ensure that quality care is delivered to vulnerable people.

No one wants a return to ad-hoc inspection, shoddy management and sub-standard care. Yet while the ethos of driving up professionalism is admirable, some of the conditions set by the National Care Standards Commission as part of the process of registering care homes are hindering service delivery.

The big question of who will foot the bill for altering premises and training staff to comply with the standards remains unanswered. Indeed the government has failed to address the huge resource implications of the Care Standards Act 2000 as a whole.

But I have a deeper concern regarding the extent to which care home registration really meets the requirements of people with multiple and complex needs. Each year at Turning Point we see 90,000 clients though our community-based and residential services. Most have a variety of needs that don't respond neatly to "off the shelf" support or care packages. Effective support can only be achieved when a client's individual needs are thoroughly assessed and a care package is tailored in response.

Some of our services provide flexible care and support backed by grants from Supporting People. Not only has this given clients more secure short-hold tenancies, but it has allowed them to directly claim benefits, thereby giving them an independent income.

Yet because many of our clients require intense levels of support, which could be deemed intimate personal care, we are required to register our care homes. Under the new registration guidelines we will have to cover all expenses relating to the physical alterations of buildings and training costs, but lose the flexibility afforded to us through Supporting People. More importantly, many of our clients will be denied the opportunity to be supported in a way that truly maximises their independence.

Increasingly, we face a complex situation where it would be in the clients' best interests to de-register care homes if their needs are not being met. Standards need to be improved, but an equally important principle of social care policy is flexibility.

Turning Point is a charity that supports vulnerable people and promotes independence.