Wigan Shared Lives Service

Updated 1 July 2022

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

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and one Expert by Experiences. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Wigan Shared Lives Service 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

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post, however there was a manager overseeing the service who was in the process of applying for their registration.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 07 June 2022 and ended on 16 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 07 June 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three shared lives carers and five members of staff including the service manager, lead provider manager and shared lives officers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision and two shared liver carers onboarding records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 1 July 2022

About the service

Wigan Shared Lives Service is a shared lives scheme which provides people with long-term placements, short breaks and respite care, within shared lives carers (SLC) own homes. Wigan Shared Lives refers to their shared lives carers as ‘Champions’. Shared lives carers are supported by staff a team including shared lives officers, who are responsible for the setting up, management and review of all placements.

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 were protected from the risks of abuse and shared lives carers and staff were trusted to keep them safe. Shared lives carers and staff had received training in safeguarding people.

People's care needs were risk assessed and care plans provided shared lives carers with the information they needed to manage the identified risk. Mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions were considered. People’s care plan contained information about people’s cognition and decisions making skills. Medicines were managed safely. People received their medicines and shared lives carers were trained to administer medicines.

Recruitment checks were robust to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

Onboarding processes were robust for shared lives carers. Applicants had to go through an application process and be approved by a panel of professionals.

Person-centred care was promoted. The manager and staff demonstrated a commitment to people, and they displayed person-centred values. People were supported to achieve good outcomes.

Governance systems were in place to monitor the standard of care people received. Various auditing systems were in place, some audits had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, are being reinstated.

Staff praised the manager and wider management team, they felt supported in their roles and felt recognised for their contributions to the service. The manager and staff worked effectively in partnership with other health and social care organisations and networks to build connections and achieve better outcomes for people using 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

The last rating for this service was good (published 24 May 2018).

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.