Voyage (DCA) Essex

People's experience of using this service People were kept safe. Staff knew their responsibilities in relation to the subject of abuse and how to report any concerns. The provider's policies and procedures about abuse supported them in their roles. Risks to people's health and welfare had been assessed and regular reviews were undertaken to keep people safe. People were protected from identified risks and plans were in place to manage risks safely in the least restrictive way.

People and their relatives spoke very positively about the care and support they received. Staff communicated and interacted well with people and had built good relationships with them.

There were arrangements in place to manage medicines safely and staff followed appropriate infection control practices to prevent the spread of infections. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work.

Sufficient staff were available to meet people's needs. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to support people appropriately. Staff were supported through induction, training and supervision processes.

People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet where this was part of the planned care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People and their relatives were involved and consulted about their care and support needs. People had access to health and social care professionals as required. People were supported to access community

services and to participate in activities of their choosing that met their needs.

Staff worked with people to promote their rights and understood the Equality Act 2010; supporting people appropriately addressing any protected characteristics which are specific aspects of a person's identity defined by the Equality Act 2010 which protect people from discrimination.

There were systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service. The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals and other organisations to ensure appropriate support was provided to individuals.

There was a culture of openness and honesty between the registered manager, staff team and people using the service. Information was available to people, so they knew how to make a complaint and felt confident these would be listened to with action taken to resolve any issues they had.

There was a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and seeking the views of people who used the service and healthcare professionals to measure the outcomes for people and identify where any changes in practice or improvements were needed.