Agenda item

Chrissy Wright, Director of Commissioning and Partnerships presented the submitted report in respect of the Adult Placement Shared Lives Scheme.

It was proposed that the current Adult Placement Shared Lives Scheme be extended to all eligible adults.  The extension of the existing scheme would support vulnerable adults to develop or maintain their independence in a stable environment, support those leaving residential care and full time education, prevent inappropriate admissions to long term care and provide preparation for independent living.

Adult Placement Schemes offer customers choice and control and personalised support and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.  They are required to have a registered manager and an Approval Panel for prospective carers which consists of approximately 5 people appointed by the scheme but operating independently.

The current Shared Lives scheme in Rotherham operates from the learning disabilities services and offers a variety of flexible and personalised services for individuals.  It currently supports approximately 25 people with a learning disability on a long term, respite/short stay and day care basis.

The National Association of Adult Placement Schemes (NAAPS) was commissioned to provide a report on the quality, outcomes and cost effectiveness of Shared Lives Schemes and identified the following improved positive outcomes:

• Living the life the person wants
• Developing the person’s confidence/skills/independence
• Ongoing relationship between person and carer
• Having choices and being in control
• Having different experiences
• Wider social networks
• Increase in self esteem
• Being part of the carer’s family and networks
• Integration in the community
• Physical and emotional wellbeing

The report also highlighted the ‘cost effectiveness being greater in larger schemes’.  This evidence supports the extension of the local scheme to achieve better outcomes for local people and to achieve cost efficiencies.

The current levels of payment for services provided are structured and these were outlined in the report.

Contributions from service users were subject to a financial assessment with a maximum charge of £200 per week being levied.

There is currently a named registered manager and a full time co-ordinator managing the LD Scheme and supporting the Approval Panel within the learning disabilities service.  In order to develop the scheme an additional full time worker would be required, and it was proposed that a level 3 social worker be recruited as Shared Lives Officer.  This would ensure the current high level of knowledge and skills required to recruit and retain carers, and continue to deal with safeguarding issues effectively.  The current membership of the Approval Panel would also need to be reviewed in order to reflect the extension of the scheme to all eligible adults.

The average cost of a residential placement for people with a physical and/or sensory disability is £546.96 per week which compares to an average cost of £300 per week for the shared lives scheme.  This equates to an annual saving of approximately £13,000 per year for each residential placement.  In addition there would also be cost savings compared to current costs of respite care which average at £546.96 per week.  The average cost of day care was £80 per day including transport compared to a cost of £27.85 per day for 5 hours of day care/sitting/befriending service provided by the shared lives scheme.

The funding for the pump priming of this initiative would be provided by the Supporting People Grant for 2010/11 and a review would take place at the end of six months to identify the learning and cost benefit analysis, with a view to establishing the viability of the continuance of this initiative.

Resolved:- (1) That the Cabinet Member for Adult Independence Health and Wellbeing approve the extension of the scheme to enable the provision of placements to all eligible adults.

(2) That a further report be presented in 9 months time updating the Cabinet Member on progress made.