Croydon Shared Lives has once more been rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission.
The service, based in Bernard Weatherill House in Mint Walk was rated Outstanding for being caring and well-led. It was rated Good for being safe, effective and responsive after the inspection in November 2018.
The service provides personal care for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. People whom use the service can access short and long-term care within the family home. At the time of the inspection there were 63 people using the service.
Feedback from people, carers and healthcare professionals was that the service was exceptionally well-led and unique. The service was exceptional at helping people to express their views so that staff understood their needs, preferences, wishes and choices. There was a very detailed and thorough matching process which ensured that personal histories and cultural backgrounds were considered, and people were matched with carers who reflected similar interests and shared similar characteristics as themselves.
The service supported people in a manner that exceeded expectations. All the people CQC spoke with could not speak highly enough of the care and support they received from their carers. A sample of the many positive comments CQC received included, "My care here has been all about what I need to live a proper life instead of a meagre existence and it's given me my life back".
The registered manager said: "We need to respond to demand, hospital discharge delays is a key thing at the moment - when there are no beds. We've got to shape the service in terms of what the service user wants and the local demand. We are looking to expand to have more supported living schemes where people would live semi-independently with carers going in twice a day." The service was actively researching ways in which it could provide this.
Feedback from other healthcare professionals was overwhelmingly positive. They all spoke about the excellent working relationship they had and about the exceptional work the service was doing in the community. Comments included, "The registered manager is fantastic, I really respect the fact that she is completely committed to Shared Lives, but is always looking to explore new areas".
The service had embedded the ethos of promoting equality, diversity and human rights and incorporated the FREDA principles (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity, and Autonomy). People lived in settings that enabled them to live as equal citizens in society. This had a profound positive impact on their mental health. One health and social care professional said: "In mental health services we receive an excellent service from Shared Lives. One of the biggest positives for us is the continuity of care and support provided to our service users in a homely environment in the middle of communities."
Debbie Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector, Adult Social Care, said: “I continue to be impressed with the standard of care provided by Croydon Shared Lives. It is clear to me that the service is totally focused around the people it serves.
“Feedback from those that used the service, carers and other healthcare professionals was always exceptionally positive. Keep up the good work.”
You can read the report in full when it is published on the CQC website by clicking on www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-1886378191
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