This was an announced inspection. We visited the provider's offices on the 5 and 12 April 2017 and made calls to people using the service, staff and Shared Lives Carers during the week commencing 1 May 2017. The provider was given notice of the inspection because they provide community services and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

This was the first inspection of the service since their registration with CQC.

North Cumbria Domiciliary Support Service is a domiciliary care agency which is registered to provide personal care. The service provides support to people with varying disabilities (aged 18 and above), who live in a supported living setting in the community. The service operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The care packages are set up following an assessment of people's needs and support can be provided throughout the day and night. At the time of our inspection there were 8 supported living houses and 23 people used this part of the service.

North Cumbria Domiciliary Support Service also operates a Shared Lives Scheme. This part of the service recruits, assesses and supports paid carers. The carers provide support and accommodation to adults with disabilities who are unable to live independently. Placements are made on a short or longer term basis and the person lives with their carer in their home as part of the family. At the time of our inspection there were 14 households with 21 people living within these families.

There is a registered manager at the service. 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.

There were robust staff recruitment and assessment processes in place for both the Shared Lives Scheme and the supported living aspect of the service.

People who used the Supported Living Service told us that there were usually enough staff available to support them. People were provided with continuity of care because the same staff were usually allocated to work with the same people at the same house. People knew their support workers well and spoke positively about them.

People using the Shared Lives Scheme mostly stayed with their ‘matched’ carer. However, there were arrangements in place to help manage consistent support during holidays, for example.

The shared lives co-ordinator and supervisors were skilled and experienced. They were well supported in carrying out their roles. In turn, they monitored the placements and provided support and advice to the carers.

Shared lives carers and supported living workers were familiar with the safeguarding protocols in place to help keep people safe. They told us that they had received training in this matter and discussed the process with us, giving examples to back up their knowledge.

We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The people using the services of this provider were encouraged and supported to make choices about their care, support and lifestyle. Where people were not able to make decisions about aspects of their life, the service worked with other professionals. This helped to ensure decisions were made appropriately and in the best interests of the person concerned.

People had individualised care plans and risk assessments in place. These helped to make sure people received the support they expected and needed, in a safe way. However, there were discrepancies with regards to the accuracy of information kept in people’s own home and that maintained at the offices of the service.

We have made a