About the service Nottinghamshire County Council Shared Lives Scheme provides both short breaks and longer-term placements to adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health needs. At the time of our inspection, there were 74 people being supported in 61 households.
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.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received a remarkable service from extremely compassionate carers, who were fully supported and exceptionally well-led by the management team. The registered manager and care coordinators were very passionate about people receiving a personal service in the comfort and security of a family setting.
People were cared for within loving family homes. Carers demonstrated exceptionally caring values, such as kindness, compassion, inclusion and respect. Overwhelmingly, people spoke highly of their carers and the support they received.
The management team and carers fully embraced person-centred care and made sure people were at the heart of the service. People received a unique service which met all their needs and exceeded the expectations of traditional social care support.
People had achieved multiple positive outcomes through extensive support and encouragement from their carers and the families who surrounded them. People received timely interventions from external professionals, whom carers and the management team worked in very close partnership with.
The management team strove for consistently high standards and extensively monitored the service through regular visits to people and their carers at home. The quality and safety of the service was effectively monitored through wide-ranging checks and audits.
People felt very safe living with their carers. Measures were in place to minimise the risks they faced. Carers recognised risks and reported their concerns to the management team. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place.
The recruitment and induction process for shared lives carers was extremely thorough to ensure people would be safe and comfortable living with new families. Carers benefitted from bespoke training which was tailored to meet people’s needs. They were highly skilled, knowledgeable and very competent in their roles.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and their carers supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (report published 23 November 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.