Voyage (DCA) Swindon

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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with respect. People told us staff treated them with kindness and dignity. ‘I love living here’ and ‘staff are good’ is what we heard regularly when we spoke to people.

The registered manager told us they completed observations of the support staff provided to people. They told us they were assured staff were treating people with kindness and compassion. However, we did note that a member of staff was overheard making a decision for a person, rather than consulting with them. This meant that staff did not always have an awareness of what the impact of that might be but could mean that people feel spoken over on occasion. The registered manager rectified this immediately and organised training for the team to ensure that this did not happen again.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure the delivery of care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff described the individual approach they took to meeting people’s needs, ensuring care was provided in ways that were led by the person. This was reflected in the information recorded in people’s care plans. Relatives we spoke to assured us ‘he is never bypassed. The staff are brilliant. Fun. They lift his mood’.

The provider promoted people’s independence. People knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People told us staff supported them to be as independent as possible.

People spoke to us about the clubs and activities they have chosen to attend, and that staff help them to do things like learning to read.

Care plans set out details of what people could do for themselves and how staff could encourage people to be independent while supporting them. This meant that people were empowered to achieve goals and take risks.

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.

The registered manager told us they regularly checked care records and completed observations to make sure support was provided in a timely way. This included regular auditing.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported them to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they received the support they needed to do their job well.

We were told the registered manager was open and staff were able to share any concerns they had. Staff said they were confident the registered manager would act on any concerns and were invited to meetings to share concerns and best practices. This meant staff were able to celebrate success together which adds to a consistent team working approach.

Staff told us there is a wellbeing package for them that the provider subscribes to. Staff also told us that managers are flexible with them and that they are offered a range of shifts.