Voyage (DCA) (North 3)

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.

This service provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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.

People who use the service have learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and/or physical disabilities. People who use the service are supported with personal care, medicines, cooking, shopping, activities and other day to day tasks. At the time of our inspection 64 people were using the service. The service provides support to people living in County Durham, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Northallerton and the surrounding areas.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

This was the first inspection of this service. The service registered with the Care Quality Commission in April 2017 following a merger of the provider’s two registered offices in Ryhope and Hartlepool. During this inspection we found the service was meeting legal requirements and we have awarded an overall rating of ‘Good.’

The service had a registered manager. 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 said they felt safe. Staff told us they were confident any concerns they raised would be listened to and investigated thoroughly to ensure people were protected. Staff had completed up to date training on safeguarding adults, and could describe different types of abuse and signs to look out for.

A thorough recruitment and selection process was in place which ensured staff had the right skills and experience to support people who used the service. Identity and background checks had been completed which included references from previous employers and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Medicines were managed safely. People received their prescribed medicines when they needed them.

Contingency arrangements were in place in case of accidents or staff emergencies and on-call management arrangements were in place.

Risks to people's health and safety were assessed and managed. Staff supported people to do the things they enjoyed and encouraged independence with daily living.

Staff training in key areas was up to date. Staff told us they felt confident to care for the people who used the service.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and to have enough to eat and drink. People were supported to maintain their physical and mental health needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to apply this to people in their care. Staff understood the need to support people to make their own decisions and the role of best-interests decision making.

Support plans contained clear information about the person's level of independence as well as details of areas where staff assistance was required. Support plans detailed people's needs and preferences and risk assessments were in place where appropriate.

People and their relatives made many positive comments about staff being caring, respectful and kind. The locations we visited had a homely atmosphere and there were positive interactions between staff and the people who lived there.

People had access to important information about the service, including how to complain and how to access independent advice and assistance such as an advocate. This information was available in different formats.

There were systems in place to gather regular feedback from people who used the service and their relatives. Feedback was acted upon. The provider ensured the quality of the service was assessed and monitored by carrying out regular audits of all aspects of the care provided.