Voyage (DCA) Rotherham

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People received care and support from staff who were kind, caring and respectful. Staff knew people well and understood their individual needs, preferences and ways of communicating. This helped people feel valued, respected and understood. When asked if staff were kind and caring, a person told us, “Yes, all the staff are wonderful.” A relative also told us, “They know [names] likes and dislikes, what [names] likes and what they want or need by understanding their signing and noises.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff knew people well and encouraged them to make choices about their daily lives. We saw examples of people creating their own menus, doing their shopping and being supported to visit family, friends and be part of the local community. This helped people maintain their independence, enjoy activities important to them and have control over their lives. A relative told us, “Staff do a lot of things with [name] and encourage them, keep them safe and support them to enjoy their life.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were supported to make choices about their daily lives and remain as independent as possible. People had individual daily routines and schedules based on their wishes, interests and preferences. Staff provided support to help people follow their chosen routines and take part in activities important to them. This included supporting people with shopping, meal planning and spending time with family and friends. This helped people develop their skills, maintain independence and have greater choice and control over how they lived their lives.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Staff understood people’s individual needs and knew how to respond when they became distressed or needed additional support. Positive behaviour support (PBS) plans were in place and provided clear guidance on how to recognise signs of distress and respond appropriately. Staff focused on listening to people, understanding their communication needs and using de-escalation techniques rather than restraint. This helped reduce distress, protect people’s dignity and support them to feel safe and understood.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. The service prompted a positive supportive working environment where staff felt valued and encouraged to develop their skills. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team. A staff member told us, “I am proud to work with Voyage and I feel valued for the work I do and feel encouraged to meet my goals. I find Voyage show compassion and help support staff in times of need. I have been given so much support to achieve my goals of completing my diplomas.”