Concerns are growing that the most vulnerable people in Yorkshire are failing to receive the care they need, because of staffing crisis' in the region's care homes.

According to new figures, a third of all employees working as care providers have no qualifications forcing homes to rely on temporary staff more so than ever before. Experts and front line staff have said there are growing fears that a shortage of full-time qualified staff in the region is beginning to impact on the care service users receive.

Statistics released by the National Minimum Data Set for Social Care, which analyses information gathered about the social care sector, indicate that the number of direct carers, care home managers and supervisors working in Yorkshire without qualifications is above the national average. Thirty-three per cent of all staff were found to have no qualifications at all, although this could figure could be slightly inaccurate as it fails to acknowledge non-social care related qualifications.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) currently do not assess whether those in social care jobs work full time or not. According to Shadow Health Secretary John Healey it is up to the CQC to sort out the developing problem.

"If care homes are cutting corners and cutting costs by using temporary, untrained staff and standards of care suffer, the Care Quality Commission should step in to sort out the problem," he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: "Care providers must ensure that all staff, whether they are permanent or temporary, are qualified and competent to carry out their duties in their care home."