Shared Lives Scheme (West Sussex County Council)

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We assessed 2 quality statements within the effective key question. Systems were in place to ensure consent to care and treatment. Assessment of people’s needs ensured they received support to live healthier lives. Shared lives carers and shared lives workers, worked well together with people, families and external professionals. People, family members and external health and social care professionals told us they felt the service was effective.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People and those close to them had been involved in developing their support plans to meet their individual needs and preferences. Support plans showed detailed assessments of people’s needs and clear guidance for shared lives carers to follow to manage them. For example, one person told us how they were involved with their needs assessment and subsequent support plan, “I told them what I like before I came to live with [name of shared lives carer].” One shared lives carer said, “Shared lives managers know my skills, so they match me very well but sometimes I have emergency placements so while assessments are thorough sometimes they are more quicker/fluid than others.” Assessments were robust and people and the shared lives carers were matched carefully. People had opportunities to meet the shared lives carers and others they would live with before they moved in. Where appropriate, consultation with other professionals involved in the person's care and family members also took place. Support plans were then developed to include people's identified needs and the choices they had made about the care and support they wished to receive. Support plans contained details about the person’s preferences, occupation, hobbies or interests.

We did not look at Delivering evidence-based care and treatment during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at How staff, teams and services work together during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at Supporting people to live healthier lives during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at Monitoring and improving outcomes during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

Where people had capacity to make decisions, we saw they consented with the proposed care and support. One person said, “I chose what to do.” People's wishes and needs were documented. People's right to decline care was understood by shared lives workers and they were able to talk in detail about people’s best interest decisions. One shared lives worker said, “I aways look at people as capable, try to understand why they may make unwise decisions, use a strength-based approach, If a person’s capacity seems to be in doubt about a particular decision I would discuss with the manager.” The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. The registered managers demonstrated clear processes were in place to support people to make their own decisions when possible and to carry out appropriate assessments and best interest decisions if needed.