PSS Shared Lives Lincolnshire

Updated 10 June 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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

PSS Shared Lives Lincolnshire 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.

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 the service 48 hours’ notice to ensure measures could be put in place to reduce COVID-19 risks.

What we did before 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 all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we met the registered manager, recruiter and service coordinator. We spoke with four shared lives carers. We looked at the care records for three people, three staff records, as well as a variety of systems related to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at monitoring data and quality assurance records.

Updated 10 June 2021

About the service

PSS Shared Lives Lincolnshire is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and respite care, within shared lives carers own homes who have a learning disability or autism. The service can provide care for adults of all ages and covered Lincolnshire.

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. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support for nine people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The majority of shared lives carers we spoke to provided negative feedback on the management of the service. They raised some concerns regarding support and communication; the provider was taking action to address this.

We have made a recommendation about communication with shared lives carers.

There were systems and processes in place to identify and manage risks to people’s care. There were organisational governance processes in place to monitor the quality of the service.

There were comprehensive recruitment processes in place to make sure people were matched with suitable shared lives carers to support people effectively in their own homes.

Shared lives carers completed a range of training to help them support people appropriately.

People received their medicines from shared lives carers who had been trained to safely administer medicines.

Shared lives carers had received training on infection prevention and control. Information and guidance on infection control measures were available for shared lives carers and people.

Shared lives carers had received safeguarding training and were able to demonstrate their understanding and responsibilities to reduce the risk of harm to people.

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.

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 CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was not able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. Attitudes and behaviours of leaders led to shared lives carers feeling unsupported and lack of communication, we saw no direct impact on people. However, despite systems in place to communicate, there is a risk

shared lives carers may disengage with the provider limiting oversight, and access to support and guidance from PSS Shared Lives Lincolnshire to enhance people's lives.

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 05/03/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

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.