Background to this inspection
Updated
16 December 2023
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides domiciliary care and ‘supported living’ support. It provides personal care for people living in their own houses and flats. This includes a live in service. The Care Quality Commission (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.
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. The service was given 48 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 10 November and ended on 8 December 2023. We visited the provider’s office on 13 November 2023.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager, 3 relatives, 15 staff, and 3 healthcare professionals to get their experience and views about the care provided. We reviewed a range of records. They included 3 people’s care plans and risk records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment, training, and staff supervision. We checked a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff rotas, safeguarding, and service level audits. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We requested additional evidence to be sent to us after our inspection visit. This included staffing and training information, and provider quality assurance audits. We received the information which was used as part of our inspection.
Updated
16 December 2023
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.
About the service
Voyage (DCA) London West is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. This includes people with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability, sensory impairment, and younger adults. At the time of the inspection 17 people were receiving personal care support in their own homes.
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 received a service that was safe for them to use and staff to work in. There were regular reviews of the quality of the service, and improvements were made to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. This was in a way that suited to people best. Working partnerships were well-established that promoted people’s participation and reduced their danger of social isolation.
Right Care
Staff were appropriately recruited, trained, and in sufficient numbers to support people to live safely, whilst enjoying their lives. Risks were identified, assessed, monitored, and reviewed. Complaints, concerns, accidents and incidents, and safeguarding issues were appropriately reported, investigated, and recorded. Trained staff safely administered people’s medicines, or supported them to take their medicines, if required.
Right culture
The provider’s culture was positive, open, and honest with a leadership and management that was clearly identifiable and transparent. Staff were aware of and followed the provider’s vision and values which were clearly defined. Staff knew their responsibilities, accountability and were happy to take responsibility and report any concerns that might arise.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 5 March 2018).
This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained Good.
For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to check whether the service was continuing to provide a good, rated service for people.