We carried out a review of the data available to us about Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme, you can give feedback on this service.
Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme provides personal care for people as part of a shared lives and domiciliary care scheme. A shared lives scheme supports a variety of different arrangements where families and individuals in local communities can offer accommodation and/or support for people. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At this inspection, they were providing a regulated activity for 30 people.
Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives care staff supported people with a physical disability, those with a learning disability, older people with dementia, people with mental health problems and care leavers.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People truly felt involved in the care and support they received which was personal and individual to them. The provider had developed a culture where all staff encouraged people to explore their care and support options and supported them to explore sources of additional help and advice with particular care and sensitivity. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age, gender and disability.
The provider had embedded the equality, diversity and human rights approach to supporting people’s privacy and dignity. People had very positive outcomes as a result. The provider fully understood people’s individual needs and delivered care and support in a way that meets these.
Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme made arrangements for people to engage in social activities, education and work, which were innovative, met people’s individual needs, and followed best practice guidance so people could lead as full a life as possible.
The service knew what people have done in the past and what they wanted to achieve in the future. They evaluated whether they could accommodate people’s desired activities and strived to make them happen.
The service had a very flexible approach to any restrictions imposed on people; keeping them under constant review, making them in a time-limited way, and only when absolutely necessary.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems at Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme supported this practice.
Staff members were confident about using the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and made sure people were involved in decisions about their care so that their human and legal rights were respected. Best interest decisions were always made in accordance with legislation and people’s wishes.
The provider promoted a strong organisational commitment to achieving positive outcomes for people. This was evidenced through robust quality monitoring processes. The provider, and management team, had good links with the local communities within which people lived. The management team and provider had systems in place to identify improvements and drive good care.
The service consistently applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This helped people who use the service to live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise potential signs of abuse and understood what to do to safely support people. The provider had assessed the risks to people associated with their care and support. Staff members were knowledgeable about these risks and knew what to do to minimise the potential for harm to people. When it was needed, people received safe support with their medicines by trained and competent staff members
People had access to additional healthcare services when required. Staff members knew people’s individual health outcomes and supported them appropriately. When required, people were supported to maintain a healthy diet by a staff team which knew their individual preferences.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had developed positive relationships. People were provided with information in a way they could understand. The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or those close to them.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was ‘Good’ (published 06 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Telford and Wrekin Shared Lives Scheme provides personal care for people as part of a shared lives and domiciliary care scheme. A shared lives scheme supports a variety of different arrangements where families and individuals in local communities can offer accommodation and/or support for people.
At this inspection, they were providing care and support for 104 people.
A registered manager was in post and present during our inspection. 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.
People were safe as staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way that protected them from danger, harm and abuse. Staff had access to care plans and risk assessments and were aware of how to protect people from the risk of harm.
People were supported by enough staff members to meet their individual needs and preferences. The provider completed appropriate checks on staff before they started work to ensure they were safe to work with people.
People were supported with their medicines by staff who were trained to safely support them and who made sure they had their medicine when they needed it. The provider completed checks to ensure staff followed safe practice when assisting people with their medicines.
People received care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to assist them. Staff attended training that was relevant to the people they supported and adapted to meet their specific needs.
Staff provided care and support which was personalised and respected people’s likes and dislikes. People took part in activities they liked and found stimulating. People felt involved in the development of the shared lives scheme and were kept up to date with changes and developments. People’s independence was encouraged and staff respected their privacy and dignity.
People were supported by staff who knew them well and had good relationships with them. Staff made sure people were involved in their own care and information was given to them in a way they could understand. People were involved in decisions about their day-to-day care. When people could not make decisions for themselves, staff understood the steps they needed to follow to ensure people’s rights were upheld.
People were involved in the preparation of meals and had a choice of food to eat which included healthy eating options. People had access to healthcare when needed and staff responded to any changes in their needs promptly.
Staff were supported by the provider and the registered manager who promoted an open and transparent culture.
People and staff felt able to express their views to the provider and felt their opinions mattered. The provider and registered manager undertook regular quality checks in order to drive improvements. The provider engaged people and their families and encouraged feedback. People felt confident they were listened to and their views were valued.