Archived: Encompass Shared Lives Service

Updated 4 August 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection was announced and took place on 6, 12 and 19 June 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because we wanted to ensure the registered manager was available in the office to meet us.

It was carried out by one inspector. Before the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, including notifications sent to us at the Care Quality Commission. Notifications contain information about certain events or incidents that providers have to notify the Commission by law.

We visited five people in their homes to speak with them and their three shared lives carers. We met and spoke with a health and social care professional to gain feedback about the scheme. We spoke with another ten carers on the telephone, six relatives of people living in the scheme, the registered manager and two members of staff who support the manager to operate the shared lives scheme. We looked at five people's care records, medicines administration records, three carers staff files and three staff files including their recruitment and training records. We also looked at other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 4 August 2018

Encompass Shared Lives Scheme is registered to provide personal care and support to people living with shared lives carers. Shared lives carers are individuals and families who offer accommodation and provide personal care to people using the service. Most people lived with the shared lives carers on a permanent basis. This was our first inspection of the service since the new provider registered this location with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] on 10 May 2017.

The CQC regulates the provision of personal care provided to people using the service. Personal care includes help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Although we do take into account any wider social care activities the service provides. At the time of our inspection 20 people with learning disabilities were using the service and receiving personal care.

There was no registered manager in post at the service. The manager has recently applied to the Commission to become registered manager. At the time of this inspection he had just completed his ‘fit persons’ interview with CQC Registrations. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law, as does the provider. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Carers told us they were not adequately supported over the last three to four months by the scheme. This was caused by a gap in time between the recruitment of new staff to replace the staff who left and new staff starting. Carers told us they were hopeful the new staff who had recently started would provide the necessary support. The service did not have full time management support as the registered manager could only dedicate part of their time at the service as they also managed two other services.

People felt safe using the service and were supported by carers who knew how to keep them safe. Shared lives staff and shared lives carers understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. Checks were carried out on shared lives carers and staff before they started to assess their suitability to care for and support vulnerable people. Where people required assistance with taking medicines this was well managed and people received the support identified in their care plans.

Shared lives carers and shared lives staff received regular supervision and were provided with the training needed to meet people's needs. The registered manager, shared lives carers and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and worked to ensure people's rights were respected.

People were cared for by shared lives carers who knew them well. The care and support they received was monitored by shared lives staff. People were treated with dignity and respect and their independence promoted. The registered manager, shared lives staff and carers had a good understanding of equality, diversity and human rights.

The service was responsive to people's needs and they received individualised care and support. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes. The registered manager said they welcomed comments and complaints and saw them as an opportunity to improve the care and support provided.

Carers told us they had concerns about the lack of support they experienced while there were unfilled staff posts earlier in the year and they said there were delays in carers payments being made. The provider had effective quality assurance processes in place with a number of different audit procedures in place.