Our Grace Eyre Shared Lives service matches an adult or young person 16+ who needs social care support with a Shared Lives carer who offers accommodation, care and support in their own home.
Shared Lives was recently given an overall rating of ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ in meeting people’s needs by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who regulates the service.
The CQC expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
To inspect Shared Lives, the CQC spoke to people receiving support, carers and the Grace Eyre team, as well as reviewing records and outcomes. The report praises the care, support and culture provided by our service.
The CQC always asks five questions about all services. Here are some of the ways people answered about Grace Eyre:
Is the service safe?
The CQC looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.
People told them that they felt safe with comments such as,
“Yes, I am safe” and “I’m able to call the office if I have any concerns.”
Is the service effective?
The CQC looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
Carers said they felt supported and valued in their roles. One said,
“The training is exemplary. It teaches us everything we need to know about supporting people and it is refreshed all the time.”
Is the service caring?
The CQC looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
People supported by the service said,
“I’m supported to make my own decisions; I do what I want and [carer] knows what I like”.
“I have my own space in the house, my privacy is respected.”
Is the service responsive?
The CQC looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs.
Grace Eyre had a strong vision to provide a service which was led by the people who used it, to ensure care was truly person-centred. Two people had been appointed as ambassadors within the charity, working with their friends and colleagues to build a community where people were respected and treated as equal citizens who fulfil their aspirations and goals. One person spoke of their pride about becoming an ambassador, they said,
“We get to make a difference and promote how important it is that people receive support that is really what they want. We should be supported how we want to be supported. It’s good we can do this for everyone.”
Is the service well-led?
The CQC looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
A carer said,
“I would just pick up the phone, they are so supportive, it feels like we have support 24/7. Nothing is ever too much trouble and we have a clear line of communication.”
For more information:
If you’d like to find out more, including about becoming a Shared Lives carer, see our Independent Living page or contact us on 01273 201903 or sharedlives@grace-eyre.org.