Archived: Borough of Poole- Poole Shared Lives Scheme

Updated 12 June 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 9 and 16 May 2018 and was announced so that the staff we needed to speak with would be available. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an assistant inspector.

During the inspection we met and spoke with four people that used the service and six shared lives carers who supported people in their own homes. We also spoke with four of the five shared lives staff and the registered manager.

We looked at four people’s support plans in full and sampled a number of other records relating to people’s care and support such as reviews, risk management plans and placement agreements. We looked at four staff supervision records and other records pertaining to the management of the service. These included staff meeting minutes, surveys, staff and shared lives carers training records and panel assessments.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the provider including, for example, statutory notifications that they had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

Two health and social care professionals sent us email feedback and we offered shared lives carers the opportunity to send us email feedback following the inspection. We did not receive any further feedback from shared lives carers by email.

Updated 12 June 2018

Borough of Poole - Poole Shared lives Scheme is a shared lives placement service, which recruits and supports paid carers to provide family based placements for younger people and adults with learning disabilities within the carer's home. Placements can be long-term with the adult living with the carer as part of their family, or as respite care where other people stayed with carers for short-term breaks. There were 84 people using the service for permanent and or respite stays and there were 64 shared lives carers.

This inspection took place on 9 and 16 May 2018 and was announced. We met with shared lives carers and people on 16 May 2018. The service was inspected in October 2016 at their previous address.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People were supported by staff and shared lives carers who understood the risks they faced and how to support them to reduce these. People, shared lives carers and staff understood how to identify and report abuse. Shared lives carers supported people to take and store their medicines safely. People’s health and nutritional needs were met.

People were supported by skilled and caring shared lives carers and staff. They supported people to live their life the way they chose. People’s communication styles and methods were understood. People were involved in developing and directing the care and support plans. Shared lives carers and staff supported people to understand the choices available to them in ways they could easily understand.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and shared lives carers supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People led full and active lives in their homes and in the community.

People, shared lives carers and professionals told us they could raise any concerns and these were addressed appropriately.

The service was well-led and there were effective quality assurance systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service people received.

Further information is in the detailed findings below