This inspection took place on 31 October 2016 and was announced. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be inspecting their service. This was to ensure that someone would be available at the office to provide us with the necessary information we needed to carry out an inspection. The service was last inspected in October 2013 when it was found to be compliant with the outcomes inspected.

Shared Lives Scheme – Independent Options (formally known as Stockport Adult Placement Scheme) recruits and supports paid carers to provide placements for people in a family environment. People have the opportunity to live an ordinary life as part of the carer’s family. The service currently provides support to people with learning disabilities. Placements can be long-term with the adult living with the carer as part of their family, or as a respite care arrangement to enable regular carers to have a short break. At the time of our inspection there were 54 people using the service. The service had 100 approved shared lives carers who were supported by six office based shared lives placement staff.

There was no registered manager for the service, due to them retiring from this post two weeks prior to our inspection. An application to be formally deregistered from this position had been received by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A replacement manager for the service had been appointed and was due to commence their employment in November 2016; however an application had not yet been received by the CQC to enable their skills and competencies to be formally assessed. 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 using the service told us they felt safe and the shared lives carers treated them well. Shared lives carers had received training in safeguarding adults and there were robust procedures in place to ensure people were protected from avoidable harm and abuse.

Robust recruitment processes were followed including in depth assessments of potential carers suitability for carrying out their role. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks were completed for Shared lives carers and staff, which were renewed every three years to ensure they were safe to work with vulnerable adults.

The individual needs of people who used the service were assessed with risk assessments completed to ensure they were protected from harm. Where people required support with their medicines this was managed safely, regular audits took place at monthly placement monitoring visits from Shared lives staff.

Shared lives carers and staff completed a range of training that equipped them with the skills needed to perform their roles. We found this included training in the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA.) Assessments of people’s capacity and best interest decisions were carried out where this was needed. Shared lives carers were positive about the support and training they received.

People’s care records contained details of their preferences and needs, including those concerning their nutritional requirements. Health action plans and hospital passports were available for people to ensure their medical needs were appropriately met.

People who used the service and shared lives carers had positive reciprocal relationships with each other. People were supported to be as independent as possible and encouraged to maintain links with their families and friends and follow their wishes and aspirations.

An accessible complaints policy was available to help people understand their rights and have their concerns listened to and addressed.

A range of systems were in place to enable the quality of the service to be monitored. The service

We visited the head office of Independent Options where the adult placement scheme is managed from. We talked to the registered manager, and visited two adult placement carers, two family members and two people who used the service. They all told us that they were happy with the organisation Independent Options and the adult placement scheme.

We were told by the registered manager and the adult placement carers that both long term and short break placements were provided.

We looked at the personnel files of the adult placement carers who were self-employed and sub-contracted by Independent Options to provide respite or long term support to people in the carer’s home. We also looked at the individual assessment and support plans and risk assessments for three of the people who used the service.

We spoke with two of the four staff who were part of the team employed by Independent Options to manage and support the service. Both of the staff members said that they felt well supported by the organisation and liked working in adult placement.

No one we spoke with had any complaints about the service provided. One person told us; I feel more secure and safe”; “I like going to my carer, we do lots of things”.

Independent Options provides a variety of services for people who have a learning and/or physical disability. The company's head office is located in Hazel Grove, Stockport. We visited the office on the 23 and 24 August 2012 to look at a selection of both staff files and care files for people who used the company's services. We also looked at the personnel files of the Adult Placement Carers who are self employed and sub-contracted by Independent Options to provide respite or long term support to people in the carer's home.

We spoke with the acting Chief Executive Officer of the company during our visit to head office.

We also spoke over the telephone with two of the Adult Placement Carers and two family members of the people who used the service. No one had any complaints or concerns about the service.

Comments we received from the family members of the people who used the service were; “The girls (staff team) at Independent Options are great;” “X loves going to their Adult Placement Carer;” “I have a good relationship with my relative’s Adult Placement Carer, I can discuss things with both the Adult Placement Carer and the staff who manage the Adult Placement Scheme;” “My relative is treated by X as one of their family and attends all their social and celebration functions.”

Comments we received from the Adult Placement Carers were:- “Had no problems as yet feel able to talk to Manager”; “Happy with the support – no complaints”.