This was an announced inspection, which took place on 13 January 2015 by one inspector. We gave the provider prior notice that we would be visiting the service because we wanted to make surepeople using the service would beavailable. When we last inspected the service in 2009 there were no breaches of legal requirements.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council provides a Shared Lives Scheme. It is registered to provide 'personal care' for adultswho may have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. It provides services across Dudley and is operated from the Ladies Walk Centre.

The Shared Lives Scheme recruits, trains and supportscarers. Carers provide personal care and support for people within their own family homes enabling people to live as independently as possible. When we inspected the scheme was supporting 38 people who lived in 22 family households with their approved carers.

Staffwere employed by the scheme to assess, monitor and support carers. They visited the carers and the people living with them on a regular basis to ensure people were happy with the care they received. The scheme enabled people to live in the family homes of carers sharing in ordinary family life.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

People told us they felt safe and we saw carers were trained and knew how to protect people. The scheme ensured all prospective carers attended safeguarding training before they were approved as a carer.

People said they were happy with their living arrangements and that their carer supported them with their lifestyle. People told us they were part of the family and considered the place they lived as their home and their daily living arrangements met with their need for privacy and dignity.

People were consulted about their care and were involved in all aspects of family life. People told us they enjoyed sharing in ordinary family life and were always asked what they wanted to do.

The scheme had systems in place to reduce risks to people within their home environment, when using community amenities or when carrying out everyday tasks. Carers told us that they were supported and trained to carry out their carer role and spoke positively about how effective the scheme was in meeting people’s needs.

Prospective carers were approved by an independent panel to ensure recruitment systems were robust. There was a lengthy 'matching' process which ensured people were placed with carers that had the skills to meet their needs. Contingency arrangements were in place so that carers were supported in situations when they could not care for or support the person temporarily.

The provider had followed the guidance of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) to support the rights of people who lack the capacity to make their own decisions. We saw that appropriate applications for a DoLs was being made regarding people’s living arrangements.

People had care plans in place which showed their views were central to developing their support plan. People said they had someone they could talk to if they needed. There was a personal and flexible approach to meeting the needs of each person and as a result, we heard from them that their quality of life had been enriched.

Everyone spoken with said they received a good quality service and described the management of the scheme as friendly, proactive and supportive.