Blackburn with Darwen Shared Lives Scheme

Updated 28 September 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Blackburn with Darwen Shared Lives Scheme is a shared lives service, they recruit, train and support self-employed SLCs who offer accommodation and support arrangements for vulnerable adults within their own family homes in the community.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave short notice of the inspection to enable the registered manager to seek consent from people using the service, their relatives and staff, so we could contact or visit them as part of the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 7 September 2021 and ended on 8 September 2021. We visited the office location on 7 and 8 September 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We visited four people using the service and two SLCs in their own home. We also spoke with a visiting relative at one of the homes and one person using the service and their SLC at the office as well as two members of staff and the registered manager. In addition, we spoke with two relatives, one SLC and two people using the service over the telephone.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s personal profiles and support documentation as well as one person’s medication records. We also looked at two SLCs recruitment and training records and staff training records. In addition, we looked at a wide range of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures, significant incidents and associated learning, staff training as well as audits and quality reviews.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence found.

Updated 28 September 2021

Blackburn with Darwen Shared Lives Scheme is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and day care, within shared lives carers (SLCs) own homes. At the time of the inspection, a total of 36 people were receiving a service, of which 34 people were receiving support with personal care.

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

People told us SLCs and staff were kind and caring. Staff and SLCs were provided with training on how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. Robust recruitment and assessment checks were completed before SLCs were approved to join the scheme. People were matched to suitable SLCs who fully involved them in their home and family life as much as people chose. There were enough staff and SLC to meet people’s needs safely.

Staff carried out risk assessments to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. People’s medicines were safely managed and wherever possible people were supported to administer their own medicines.

SLCs told us they were very well supported by the staff team and confirmed they received suitable training to meet the needs of people using the service. Specialist training was provided to meet people's individual needs. Staff were also provided with appropriate and relevant training.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare services. Staff and SLCs worked with health professionals to meet people's needs. People were encouraged to maintain good nutrition and hydration.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s needs were assessed prior to them using the service and there was a matching process to ensure the person and SLC were happy with the proposed placement.

Care and support were personalised and adapted flexibly in response to changing needs and preferences. Staff and SLCs treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. Our observations during the inspection, were of positive and warm interactions between SLCs and people.

The registered manager and staff monitored the quality of the service provided to help ensure people received safe and effective care. This included seeking and responding to feedback from people and SLCs about their views on the service.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

¿ People were carefully matched with SLCs to meet their needs and lived in houses in the community. This model of care maximised people’s choice, control and independence. Care and support had been developed around individual assessed needs. Staff and SLCs worked in a way which promoted people's independence.

Right care

¿ Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. People confirmed their privacy and dignity was respected. Personal profiles were person centred and covered all aspects of people’s needs and preferences. Training and support for staff and SLCs ensured human rights was at the heart of the delivery of care and support.

Right culture:

¿ Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the registered manager, staff and SLCs ensured people using the service lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. People’s diverse needs were assessed, supported and respected. People were supported to make choices and live the life they chose.

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 at this location on 18/04/2019. Prior to this date, the service was registered at a different location. The last rating for the service was good (published 12 April 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection, based on the registration of the service.

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.