The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: Shared Lives

Lordswood Healthy Living Centre, Sultan Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 8JT

Provided and run by:
Medway Council

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

18 November 2013

During a routine inspection

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector, and lasted for over four hours. It included a visit to the management offices, where we talked with the manager and another staff member; read documentation; and viewed some files on the computer database. We also spoke to four carers employed and allocated to care for people in their own homes.

We found that people employed as carers spoke very positively about Shared Lives, and said that they were very well supported. Some of their comments included: 'I am really, really well supported by them. I love the team, I love working for them.' And: 'Shared Lives' staff are amazing. We are very pleased with them. The service user has been with us for many years and is very much a part of our family.'

We found that the carers were fully involved in developing the care plans for the people in their care, and were aware of their health and social needs, and the input needed to help them to develop their potential.

We found that the service liaised with other health and social care professionals in order to obtain the required help and support for each person.

Training records showed that carers were supported to understand and apply their mandatory training; and were enabled to take additional training courses if these would be helpful for the care they were providing.

We found that the service obtained on-going feedback from the carers, and from the people they were caring for. The service made changes in accordance with any relevant comments, concerns and ideas raised by people involved in the service.

20 November 2012

During a routine inspection

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector and lasted for three hours. During this time we met and talked with the manager and two other staff. We viewed a variety of documentation to confirm the information we received. The scheme had a small workforce, as the emphasis was on training self-employed carers who provided a home and care for people in the carers' own homes.

We followed the pathway for recruitment and training for carers who were recruited to provide the care; and the pathway for people who received that care.

We saw that carers had ongoing opportunities for support and training from the Shared Lives' staff, and from their allocated social workers.

People receiving care were given opportunities to speak confidentially with an allocated family support worker, as well as with their own carer, their care manager, or the scheme's manager. This meant that they were able to share any worries or concerns with someone else apart from the carer they were living with.

The scheme provided some day care support and 'kinship' workers, who gave people additional support with going out into the community, and taking part in activities. Some of these workers also provided respite care.

Carers' comments about placements included: 'Both people are seen as part of our extended family'; and 'X has integrated really well with our family and friends.'

13 April 2011

During a routine inspection

We viewed some responses from recent carers' surveys. These showed that all the respondents were happy with the service provided by Shared Lives. Respondents said that they found the staff to be "approachable, professional, and very helpful".

We talked with five staff members, who told us that there were sufficient numbers of social workers to support the Shared Lives carers. They informed us that there were good processes in place to support the staff and carers with ongoing training.