During an assessment under our new approach
Hillingdon Shared Lives is a shared lives scheme, they recruit, train and support self-employed shared lives carers who offer accommodation and support arrangements for vulnerable adults within their own family homes in the community. The service was registered to care for adults including those with a learning disability. At the time of our assessment 20 people were being supported by the scheme.
The assessment included a visit to the service on 10 June 2025.
The last rating for this service was good (published 26 March 2019). This assessment was carried out because of the length of time since the last inspection. The rating remains good.
The provider supported people to have exceptionally safe, personalised and effective transitions and moves into their shared lives homes. In some cases, moves had taken place because of an emergency. Staff and shared lives carers worked well to make sure people had a positive experience. Feedback from people, carers, relatives and professionals demonstrated this process was always managed in people’s best interests with good outcomes.
There was a person-centred and inclusive culture, where people were placed at the heart of decision making. Leaders and staff were knowledgeable, committed and passionate about their roles. They helped to empower people and shared lives carers. Feedback about the service was exclusively positive with relatives, shared lives carers and professionals telling us how the service had transformed people’s lives.
The provider had systems to learn when things went wrong and to safeguard people from abuse. Staff and shared lives carers understood and followed these procedures. There were systems to ensure the robust recruitment and selection of staff and shared lives carers. People lived in safe, clean and well-equipped family homes where they felt comfortable and at ease. Shared lives carers supported people to take their medicines safely and as prescribed.
Staff assessed people’s needs, choices and risks so that care could be planned for in a personalised way. Shared lives carers, staff and others communicated well with each other to ensure everyone involved in people’s care worked consistently and in people’s best interests. Staff and shared lives carers were well trained and understood people’s needs. People were supported to stay healthy. People consented to their care and support. When people lacked the mental capacity to make decisions about their care, these were made in their best interests by their representatives and those who knew them best.
People received kind and compassionate care. They were treated as individuals and included as part of the family where they lived. They were able to make choices. Shared lives carers encouraged people to learn new skills and develop their independence. Staff and shared lives carers felt well supported.
The provider had effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service. They sought feedback from people using the service and shared lives carers. They involved them in discussing improvements. The provider had plans to further develop the scheme.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
We found the provider was meeting the principles of Right support, right care, right culture. For example, they ensured people were able to make informed choices, promoted independence and were actively involved in the local community.