Wigan Council Shared Lives Service provides care or support for people over the age of 18, who require help due to age, illness or disability. Care is provided by approved carers called ‘champions’. The service provides long term placements where people live alongside champions, in a family-like setting, short breaks; consisting of two to three night stays with a champion, respite care; consisting of overnight stays with a champion and day activities, where support is provided to engage in social activities of the persons choosing. Champions are supported by shared lives officers, who are responsible for the setting up, management and review of all placements.

Not everyone using Wigan Shared Lives Service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of inspection 16 people were in receipt of personal care.

There was a service manager in post, who had applied to the CQC to be the registered manager. The previous registered manager had left the service in January 2018. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At our last inspection on 29, 30 July and 05 August 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

During the last inspection, although the service was rated as good overall, it was rated as requires improvement in the the key question of safe, as we identified a breach of the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was in relation to gaps in safeguarding training and processes. During this inspection we found the provider had addressed the previous regulatory breach and was now meeting all requirements of the regulations.

People told us they felt safe either being supported by or living with their champion. Both shared lives officers and champions had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.

Care documentation included risk assessments, which were reviewed to reflect people’s changing needs and circumstances. This ensured shared lives officers and champions had the necessary information to help lessen risks to people as well as ensure the environments they lived in were fit for purpose.

Medicines were managed safely. The service had effective systems in place to ensure peoples medicines had been administered and signed for consistently, with medication training provided to all champions.

People using the service were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and champions supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People were encouraged to make decisions and choices about their care and had their choices respected.

The service had a training matrix to monitor the training requirements of staff and champions, and had reviewed the way training was provided, to better meet the differing training needs of champions. Staff and champions received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal to support them in their role.

People using the service spoke positively about the care provided by their champions and the support received by the service to ensure their needs had been met. People and champions views and opinions were regularly sought, to ensure they were happy with the servi

This inspection took place on 29 and 30 July and 5 August and was announced. This was the first inspection of Wigan Council Shared Lives Service we had undertaken.

Wigan Council Shared Lives Service provides care and support for people over the age of 18 years who need help due to age, illness or disability. Care is provided by approved carers called ‘Champions’ in the champion’s own home or, in some circumstances the person's own home. Champions’ provide support to people on either a long-term basis, for short-breaks (respite) or for day support. The service provides support to around 50 people with varying support requirements. This report is in relation to the portion of the service that provides support to people who required assistance with personal care.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to safeguarding. You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

The shared lives service had taken over from the previous adult placement service in October 2014. The registered manager told us they had identified a number of short-falls in service provision when the shared lives service took over and we saw the service was in the process of acting upon areas where improvements were required.

There were no current policies specific to the shared lives service and we found processes to ensure the safety of support provided had lapsed. Not all champions were recording medicines they supported people with for example, and champions were not all aware they had to report accidents and incidents to the service. We have made a recommendation in relation to reviewing guidance in relation to the administration of medicines.

The champions we spoke with felt well supported and due to the length of time they had provided support to the person they cared for, they felt competent and able to meet their care needs. Training for champions inherited from the previous service, including training in safeguarding and medicines had lapsed. We saw the service had identified this and was in the process of booking champions onto the required training.

A thorough process of building up a profile of both the champion and person using the service was followed. This was then used to help match people effectively to champions. The service followed safe recruitment processes for champions and shared lives workers (officers), such as seeking references and requiring a DBS (disclosure and barring service) check, which would show if the applicant had any convictions or was barred from working with vulnerable people. The appointment of champions was validated by a panel, which included an external member.

Champions supporting people on long-term placements told us they had been given the opportunity to receive short-breaks (respite) care. Champions said they were supported effectively by the service and were able to contact one of the staff members or registered manager when needed. The service had set up a champions meeting to help champions share best practice and ideas.

The Care Quality Commission has a duty to monitor activity under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and community care setting, including supported living, are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. Staff told us no-one was subject to restrictive practice, but that they could contact the local authority DoLS lead for support in making an application to the Court of Protection if required. Some champions and all the shared lives officers had undertaken training in the MCA and DoLS.

People’s preferences and dietary requirements were documented in their reviews and plans. One champion told us the person they supported would help make meals of their choice. Another person said they enjoyed going for meals out with the family.

The service kept a record of any comments, compliments or complaints. We saw the service had acted upon comments and suggestions received, such as a suggestion to introduce ID badges for champions, and a suggestion to allow the banking of mileage allowances. This showed the service acted on the feedback and expertise of champions.

People took part in a wide range of activities supported by their champion or independently. We saw people had activity time-tables in their files and the shared lives officers supported people to find new opportunities. People had goals recorded on their files and the shared lives officers told us people were achieving a wide range of goals and ambitions supported by their champions.

Champions said the people they supported were treated as part of the family and took place in family events. When we asked one person if they felt part of the family they replied; “Yes, definitely.” Many of the champions we spoke with had supported the person they cared for, for many years and they had an in-depth knowledge of their likes, preferences and support needs.

There was a caring approach apparent throughout the service. The shared lives officers told us there was genuine concern from management for the wellbeing of the staff and champions.

From discussions it was apparent that the shared lives officers and registered manager were committed to the service and showed a genuine desire to continue to develop and improve it. The registered manager spoke highly of the champions and officers and said it was “more than just a job to them.” Champions told us the officers and registered manager were friendly and approachable.