Archived: Shared Lives Service

Shared Lives Service is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and respite care, within shared lives carers (SLC) own homes.A total 56 shared lives carers had been appointed and some carers had been approved to care for more than one person. At the time of our inspection 59 people were living in long-term shared lives arrangements, and 35 people accessed shared lives for respite only.

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 that 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.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values 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.

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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received care from shared lives carers who welcomed them into their family homes where people thrived. A shared lives carer said, “Excellent service overall, well supported in all aspects, fabulous scheme.”

Shared lives carers showed compassion, kindness and great humanity in supporting people to develop their lives. Opening their homes to people had created environments, additional family and friends that accepted them as an individual. People had become part of the carers’ lives and community, leading to additional positive relationships and well-being.

People consistently received safe care from staff that understood their responsibilities. People were supported to take positive risks and take responsibilities whilst assessing their risks. This had enabled people to become more independent and confident.

The careful process of recruiting shared lives carers meant people could be matched with carers that had similar lifestyles and interests. Shared lives carers received training specifically to meet people’s individual needs. They were continuously supported by a team of staff who were dedicated to facilitating the best outcomes for people, often going above and beyond what is expected of them.

People used technology to improve their independence and information was made accessible. People were engaged in their care planning and set goals they wanted to achieve. Some people had surpassed their original goals and had gone on to be more independent than they ever thought they could be.

People were supported to understand how to keep healthy and eat well. Staff and shared lives carers worked closely with health professionals and other agencies to ensure people received healthcare in ways that reduced their anxieties and improved their health.

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 in the service supported this practice.

People’s privacy, dignity and independence was made a priority in supporting people in all areas of life. People could plan for their future, including their wishes at end of life.

The management and staff team were always looking to improve people’s care and consulted people and carers about their care. Regular audits and feedback were used to measure the quality of care and used to make improvements.

The provider had a good oversight of the service, with robust systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. The registered manager continued to develop relationships with other agencies and services to ensure people could access services as needed and promote the excellent Shared Lives Service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 19 April 2018 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for this service was outstanding (published 16 February 2018). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Shared Lives Service on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.