Archived: Voyage (DCA) Wakefield

Voyage (DCA) Wakefield is a domiciliary care agency supporting five people with a learning disability and/or autism with personal care at the time of the inspection. People lived in supported living accommodation and in the community.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

There were systems in place to recognise and respond to any allegations of abuse. Staff had received training and understood what it meant to protect people from abuse. Safe recruitment procedures made sure staff were of suitable character and background. There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s care and support needs in a timely way. There were effective systems in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff were provided with an effective induction and relevant training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff were supported in their jobs through regular supervision and team meetings. 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. Care records provided person-centred information to enable staff to meet people’s needs and preferences.

The service was well-led. Comments about the registered manager and care coordinator were positive. The service had up to date policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance. There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture. We found people using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 30 October 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We had concerns in relation to staff conduct and management of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from the concerns. The overall rating for the service has remained as good.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Voyage DCA Wakefield on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Follow up

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

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Staff were able to recognise possible safeguarding concerns and knew what action to take. Risks were managed pro-actively and focused on a positive, personalised approach. People received support from a consistent staff team who were knowledgeable and experienced. Any incidents or feedback was shared with staff so lessons could be learnt and practice improved. Medication was administered safely, and staff followed appropriate infection control prevention.

The registered manager understood best practice, and this was shared with staff at regular supervision and training. 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.

Relatives were happy with the support offered and felt very comfortable with all staff who were flexible, understanding and sensitive to people’s needs. Staff clearly knew people well. Privacy and dignity was promoted and respected. Support was person-centred and people had access to a range of activities.

Care documentation was holistic, and assessments reflected a person’s overall needs in conjunction with specific guidance of staff to follow where necessary. Any issues were addressed promptly and effectively, and the service had received a number of compliments.

All staff understood the vision of the service and values were integral to their approach. The promotion of independence was fundamental to each interaction. Quality assurance systems provided robust scrutiny and challenge. The service had developed sound partnerships with other agencies and worked in collaboration where needed.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 2 October 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.