Background to this inspection
Updated
14 April 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
An inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
Stockton-on-Tees Shared Lives Scheme is a shared lives scheme, they recruit, train and support self-employed shared lives carers (SLC) who offer accommodation and support arrangements for vulnerable adults within their own family homes in the community.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 17 March 2023 and ended on 31 March 2023. We visited the location’s office on 21 March 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the service was registered with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 2 relatives (who were also the person’s shared lives support workers) about their experience of the care provided.
We spoke with 4 members of staff including the registered manager, support and office workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included 1 person's support records and medicine administration records. We looked at 1 staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
14 April 2023
About the service
Stockton-on-Tees Shared Lives Scheme is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and respite care, within shared lives carers (SLC) own homes. At the time of our inspection 1 person was using the service.
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.
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: Staff focused on the person’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so the person had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life. The person was supported to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area and to interact with people who had shared interests. The person was supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Right Care: The person received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected the person’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet the person’s needs and keep them safe. Staff and the person cooperated to assess risks the person might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled the person to take positive risks.
Right Culture: The person led an inclusive and empowered life because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. Staff knew and understood the person well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff placed the person’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 17 January 2022 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We inspected this service to give it a rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.