Background to this inspection
Updated
14 July 2021
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
One inspector carried out the inspection.
Service and service type
Voyage (DCA) Lancashire is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service, including information from the provider about important events that had taken place at the service, which they are required to send us. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We were unable to speak to people who used the service due to the complexity of their needs, COVID-19 restrictions and to prevent distress. We spoke with the regional manager, the registered manager and the team leader about the care they delivered to people.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records, multiple medication records, two staff recruitment records and we looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records and read feedback from two health professionals. We also contacted four care staff via telephone interviews.
Updated
14 July 2021
About the service
Voyage (DCA) Lancashire provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. People who used service have conditions that may include, autism, mental health and physical health needs. At the time of the visit there were two people using the service across two addresses. Not everyone using the service received a regulated activity. Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to recognise, respond and report concerns. The registered manager had a system to respond to allegations of abuse. People’s told us they felt safe. Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of avoidable harm to people during the delivery of their care. People were safely supported to receive their medicines as prescribed. The registered manager had robust and safe recruitment procedures. Staff had received training and guidance in the prevention and control of infections including COVID-19.
People's care and support had been planned in partnership with them, their specialist professionals and their relatives where possible. Staff had received regular training and supervision to support them in their roles. Staff supported people in line with national and best practice guidance.
The registered manager worked in partnership with people and other professionals. Compliments from professionals were positive about the service and said staff were kind and caring. People were treated with dignity and respect and their right to privacy was upheld. People received person-centred care, which was responsive to their needs. Care records were well written and contained important details about people’s needs. Staff supported people to access the local community. People's individual communication needs had been assessed and staff had tools to assist their interactions with people. The registered manager dealt with people's concerns and complaints appropriately.
The provider had a governance system which helped to monitor progress and to drive improvements. The service worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people received all the support they needed. Staff were positive with how the service was managed.
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.
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.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported to have full control of personal aspects of their day to day life including, access to the local community, having their own independent flats and tenancy. People managed their own money and having control of who visited them. Staff sort consent before providing care support.
Right support:
¿ Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence
Right care:
¿ Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights
Right culture:
¿ Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives
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 24/10/ 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our inspection scheduling.
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.