Voyage (DCA) (North 3)

Updated 6 February 2024

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 2 Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to 22 people living in 8 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. It also provides personal care to some people living in their own houses, flats and family homes in the community.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 29 November 2023. We made telephone calls to relatives on 7 and 8 December 2023. We visited the service’s office on 17 January 2024.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 5 people who used the service and 21 relatives about their experience of the care provided. Not everyone who used the service communicated verbally or wished to speak, therefore they gave us permission to speak with their relatives on the telephone. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the registered manager, operations director, 3 care coordinators, 3 field supervisors and 2 support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including training information and policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 6 February 2024

About the service

Voyage DCA (North) (North 3) is a supported living service providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides support to younger adults with a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder. It also provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and family homes. At the time of our inspection there were 58 people using the service. 22 people lived in the supported living service.

We 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. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff worked hard to balance keeping the person safe, but in the least restrictive way. People were provided with person-centred care that enabled them to develop skills and behaviours to live more independent lives. People felt safe with the service provided. Staff knew about safeguarding procedures.

Rota management was well-managed to ensure people received consistent care from the same staff. Staff recruitment was carried out safely and effectively. People were correctly supported with their medicines. The provider was monitoring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for effectiveness and people’s safety.

Right Care

Staff were appropriately skilled. Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. People's support plans reflected their range of needs and interests, and this promoted their well-being and enjoyment of life. People and relatives were complimentary about the care provided by staff. They trusted the staff who supported them. They said staff were kind, caring and supportive of people and their families. A relative commented, “We went to look around before [Name] moved in and as soon as the door opened the staff were warm and friendly and asked would you like a cup of tea. I felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders, that we had found such a lovely place for [Name].”

Right Culture

Staff spoke very positively about working at the service and the people they cared for. Staff said the management team were very approachable and they were supported in their role. There was a strong and effective governance system in place. People, relatives and staff were confident about approaching the management team if they needed to.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 15 September 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.