24 May 2017
During a routine inspection
Grace Eyre Share Lives London recruits, assesses and supports self-employed Shared Lives Carers. In Shared Lives, an adult who needs support and/or accommodation moves in with or regularly visits an approved Shared Lives carer, after they have been matched for compatibility. Shared lives carers were supported by a team of shared lives care coordinators and a management team based at the service’s office.
At the time of inspection there were 20 people using the service.
This is the first inspection since registration of the service in May 2017. The service was previously registered at a different address.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 happy about the support they received. People were protected from potential abuse. Shared lives carers and care coordinators understood the providers' safeguarding processes and their responsibility to report concerns to keep people safe.
Risks to people were identified and managed appropriately. Shared lives carers had sufficient information about people’s health needs and the support they required to keep them safe from harm. Risk assessments were reviewed and updated to ensure they remained effective in providing guidance to shared lives carers on how to support people safely.
People received safe care from shared lives carers. A sufficient number of shared lives carers and care coordinators were deployed to support people and to meet their needs safely. Appropriate approval procedures were followed to ensure shared lives carers were suitable to provide safe care to people using the service.
People were supported to take their medicines safely and in line with the provider’s procedures. Medicines were managed appropriately by shared lives carers who had received relevant training to do so.
Shared lives carers were trained for their roles and had the knowledge and skills to deliver effective care. People’s care was delivered by shared lives carers who received regular supervision and an annual appraisal to review their practice. The registered manager put development plans in place when needed to ensure any knowledge and skills gaps were addressed.
People consented to care and treatment. Care and treatment to people was delivered in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People had access to advocacy services and shared lives carers and care coordinators ensured a ‘best interests’ process was followed when a person was unable to make complex decisions about their care.
People’s health needs were met and shared lives carers supported them to maintain their well-being. Referrals to healthcare professionals ensured people received appropriate care and treatment.
Shared lives carers provided support to people in a caring and compassionate manner. People had their dignity and privacy upheld at the service. Shared lives carers treated people with respect. Information about people was kept confidential. Shared lives carers had developed positive relationships with people, knew them well and understood how they wanted their care delivered.
People were supported to have sufficient food and drink and encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Shared lives carers knew people’s dietary and nutritional needs and contacted healthcare professionals when they had concerns about their eating and drinking.
People were encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities. People had developed close links and had access to their local community.
Management and shared lives carers carried out assessments of people’s needs and put in place plans on how care was to be delivered. People, their relatives, healthcare professionals and advocates where appropriate were involved in planning for their care. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs, wishes and preferences about how they wished their support delivered.
People were asked their views about the service and their feedback was used to drive improvements. People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy about any aspect of their care and were confident their concerns would be resolved. Information was available to people and their relatives to raise any concerns about the service.
Regular checks and audits were carried out to identify any shortfalls in care delivery. The registered manager and provider put improvement plans in place when needed to maintain good standards of care.