22 October 2015
During a routine inspection
This was an announced inspection carried out on 22 October 2015.
Adults Supporting Adults provides a shared lives service in Lincolnshire for people who need support and who wish to live in the community as part of host families. The service provides support both for people who wish to live with host families on an extended stay basis and also for people who only need to stay for shorter periods of time. At the time of our inspection 50 people were receiving support on an extended stay basis and 20 people received support for shorter periods. The host families provide people with a wide range of support which is similar to that provided in ordinary family settings. Most of the people who use the service are younger adults who have a learning disability. However, the service can also provide support for older people and for people who live with mental health problems, dementia, physical disabilities and who have special sensory needs. The service employs area managers and area supervisors. They identify, train and support the host families so that people who use the service can receive the support they need. We refer to the area managers and area supervisors as being ‘staff’.
There was a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of our inspection the registered manager was not at work. Her role had been filled by another senior member of staff who had agreed to manage the service until the registered manager returned to work. We refer to this person as being the ‘service manager’.
Staff and the host families knew how to respond to any concerns that might arise so that people who used the service were kept safe from harm. People were helped to promote their wellbeing and practical steps had been taken to help prevent accidents from happening. Host families reliably supported people to use medicines in the way intended by their doctors. People who wanted to use the service on both an extended and short term basis, were only offered a place when a host family was available that matched their needs and expectations. Background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed and host families were approved to join the service.
Staff and host families had received training and guidance. Host families knew how to support people in the right way including how to respond to people who had special communication needs. People had received all of the healthcare assistance they needed. Staff and host families had ensured that people’s rights were respected by helping them to make decisions for themselves.
People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff and host families recognised people’s right to privacy, respected confidential information and promoted people’s dignity.
People had received all of the support they needed including people who could become distressed. People had been consulted about the support they wanted to receive and they were assisted to express their individuality. Staff and host families had supported people to pursue their interests and hobbies and there was a system for resolving complaints.
Regular quality checks had been completed and people had been consulted about the development of the service. The service was run in an open and inclusive way and people had benefited from staff and host families receiving good practice guidance.