We carried out a review of the data available to us about Shared Lives Service on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Shared Lives Service, you can give feedback on this service.
Shared Lives Service is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and respite care within shared lives carer’s own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 57 people living in long term placements with a further 24 people registered for respite care. Some shared lives carers were approved for more than one person to live in their home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Right Support: People received exceptional care and support from dedicated carers who considered people to be part of their family and vice versa. With the right support people flourished in all aspects of their lives, growing in self-confidence, developing skills and being able to grasp opportunities which would not otherwise have been available to them. People were supported to achieve their aspirations and goals. People were enabled to access specialist health and social care support when this was needed. People were supported to play an active role in maintaining and improving their health and wellbeing.
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.
Right Care: People living or accessing respite care with shared lives carers received outstanding person-centred care and support which promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights. People were supported to develop skills and independence at their individual level, varying from growing in confidence with cooking and household tasks to moving into more independent living arrangements. People received care and support from exceptionally kind and compassionate carers. Carers and staff responded to people’s individual needs and focused upon supporting them to achieve a full and enriching quality of life.
Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised, so people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity. The registered manager, staff and carers worked hard to instil a culture of care and good teamwork. Everyone valued and promoted people’s individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to develop and flourish. There was an embedded culture of people being at the heart of the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
In 2021 Northamptonshire County Council split into two local authorities, which meant changes to the CQC registration of the service. This is the first inspection of this newly registered service.
The last rating for the service under the previous provider was outstanding, published on 23 August 2019.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.