Voyage Care Voice – S2E8: High quality transition support at our supported living services in Warwickshire

After a successful pilot season of Voyage Care’s first ever podcast, we are excited share our second season with everyone! Relaunching as Voyage Care Voice, our podcast will be showcasing real people with real insights.

In our penultimate episode for season two, we’re joined by Denise Flannagan, Operations Manager and Lisa Timms, Service Manager at DCA Warwickshire. They’ll be chatting about the importance of high-quality care in our supported living services, particularly highlighting a successful transition. Kieran, a person we support, transitioned from another provider into one of our supported living properties during COVID-19. Both Kieran and Kirsty, a field care manager also join us in this episode to chat about his journey.

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Read the transcript of the podcast below.

Denise:

Hi everyone. I’m Denise, I’m the operations manager covering Warwickshire and Leicestershire. I’m here today with Lisa, the branch manager at Warwickshire, to talk about quality in our sported living services.

Lisa:

So, I’m Lisa Timms. And I am the registered branch manager for Warwickshire DCA, which covers 42 schemes now, across the whole of Warwickshire. And that’s what I do.

Denise:

Fabulous. I bet you’re busy.

Lisa:

Yeah, just a bit.

Denise:

So, we thought we’d have a discussion about quality, and what we do, or what you do, and your team does in Warwickshire. So, what are some of the things that we do, to make sure that the quality of care and support is high?

Lisa:

I think, for me, it’s making sure that the… Right from the very beginning, with the care needs assessments, making sure that we’re skill matching, right from the very beginning, that it’s about what the people we support need and want, rather than anything staff related. It is all about the people we support.

Denise:

Totally agree. I think it’s imperative that the people we support, their views are listened to and heard.

Lisa:

Definitely.

Denise:

And that they have the say, or their say in everything that we do.

Lisa:

Yeah. Seeing children as well, that we put into place their weekly meetings, so that we are constantly checking that what we’re providing is what they want. Yeah.

Denise:

Yeah, absolutely. I know you talked about skill matching. I think it’s really important that the people we support are involved in choosing who supports them, where possible.

Lisa:

Of course. We always look at whether it’s a preference. It could be a male, female preference. It could be a religious preference. There’s lots and lots of things for us to consider when we’re skill matching the staff to the people we support. And I think that is a really key part, to provide that exceptional care and high quality care.

Denise:

It definitely is, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve faced some really challenging times, haven’t we, over the last couple of years. And it has been increasingly more and more difficult to do that. But I know that you and your team still continue to try and strive to achieve that, by listening to the people we support. I think it’s also important that we make sure that the staff have the right training, isn’t it?

Lisa:

Yeah. Training’s really important, so what we do from the point of induction. So all new staff will go through our full training program. And it’s all the face to face training, it’s all the e-learning training, to make sure that they actually understand what the needs are of the people we support, before they’re even allocated to a shift. The training is a really key part.

Denise:

It definitely is. It’s really important that the staff get to know the people we support, isn’t it?

Lisa:

Yeah. Yeah.

Denise:

It’s really important that we give staff the time to have an induction. And I know it has been quite challenging.

Lisa:

Yeah. Very.

Denise:

But we are starting to increase the face to face inductions.

Lisa:

Yes. They’re coming back now. We’ve actually started those this week. And it worked really, really well. Worked really well.

Denise:

Yeah. It always does. Hopefully, things will get better, won’t they?

Lisa:

Yeah.

Lisa:

Denise, can you just explain a little bit about what you class as high quality care? What would you-

Denise:

I think high quality care is demonstrated by the fact that it’s obvious that we listen to what people want. We listen to the people we support, that we understand what they need. So it goes back to the very basic, making sure that their assessment of need is up to date, and includes them, involves them, involves their families, that we strive to achieve what they need, and what they want. And we involve them throughout it.

Denise:

I think skill matching, so staff that have got the same interests, or religious beliefs, etc, it’s important that we’ve got the right staff working or supporting individuals. I think making sure that the staff have received the correct training, that they understand the training, that they use the training, that nothing’s tokenistic, that nothing’s just a tip box exercise, that we…

Denise:

I think we’re demonstrating high quality care. I think CQC are looking for the softer things we… It’s really important that we’ve got, with people’s consent, lots of pictures, things in people’s own words. I mean, obviously we have to comply with legislation, and we have to provide evidence to do that. So documentation is key, isn’t it? But just listening to people, taking on board what they say, and acting on it, changing things because of suggestions that have been made, I think really demonstrates that the care is of high quality.

Lisa:

Absolutely. Totally agree with you. Totally agree.

Denise:

So, I think Voyage has got lots of different ways that we measure quality, haven’t we?

Lisa:

Yeah. So, we will measure it through… We have the action plans. So, all the field support supervisors have their own action plan to work to. We have the internal audits from Voyage. Then obviously we’ve got CQC inspections that we have. Annual service reviews as well.

Lisa:

There’s lots of ways that we can measure the quality. And I think from the quality questionnaires and the annual service reviews, we get a lot of feedback from that. And then, from there, that’s where we can… If things are coming in that we can see people are not happy with, we pick them up on there. And then we can change things, can’t we? And put things right if we need to.

Denise:

It’s really important. It’s a really good tool, isn’t it? For the annual service review, the electronic feedback questionnaires.

Lisa:

It really is. Yeah.

Denise:

I know that staff have been completed there, haven’t they recently?

Lisa:

Yeah.

Denise:

And it gives them the opportunity to raise issues if they have any, or to compliment if they’ve got compliments. And it’s a really good tool to address. Because you can’t do anything about something that you don’t know anything about, can you?

Lisa:

Exactly.

Denise:

So it’s important that everybody has a say.

Lisa:

Yeah. And, obviously, we do… Stress risk assessments are a big part of that as well. Because that highlights, again, if we need to address anything. And especially through the COVID times, everybody has had different issues, haven’t they, throughout COVID, with illness maybe or family illnesses. And we’ve had to approach it in a very, very different way, and be a lot more sympathetic, I suppose, and empathetic to those individuals.

Denise:

So, Lisa, you’ve not long received your pre-inspection request from CQC, haven’t you?

Lisa:

I have. Yeah. So it’s not long been in, so that’s now been completed. And it’s been sent back to our quality department to be checked. And everything was absolutely fine. So it’s gone off now to CQC. So we’re just waiting.

Denise:

That’s good. The PIR asks you lots of questions, doesn’t it?

Lisa:

Yeah.

Denise:

It gathers a lot of data about the service, or the DCA, and also gives you the opportunity to showcase some of the things you’ve done. So I’m assuming that, on the PIR, you’d have put some of the good reviews, stuff on there.

Lisa:

We did. We did. We did use Kieran’s story on the PIR. And we’ve also used a story about another gentleman who’s been doing some gardening. So there’s some really good stories on there. Yeah.

Denise:

Brilliant.

Denise:

And what about all the stuff that you’ve done around outstanding?

Lisa:

Yeah. So what we’ve tried to do is we have got fold… I’ve put a folder together now, around what they’re looking for, for the outstanding. And it’s building. We’ve had a gentleman who’s had a significant weight loss. We’ve got lots of things happening with gardening, and all person-centred things that are happening around the schemes, which hopefully will help us towards a possible outstanding.

Denise:

That would be really good, wouldn’t it?

Lisa:

Yeah. It really would. Yeah.

Denise:

I think it’s really important that you showcase all your successes. And I think CQC are really, really interested in the softer side of things, aren’t they, rather than your paperwork and your documents. We know they’re important, and meeting legislation, etc. But the softer things, the supporting people with their aspirations and their goals, and evidence in that, is key to getting an outstanding result with CQC.

Denise:

I think overall, for me, listening to the people we support, and having their feedback, when that’s positive, that demonstrates that the care is of high quality.

Lisa:

Yeah. Absolutely.

Denise:

It’s all about keeping your eyes open and listening, isn’t it? And acting on things and feeding back to people. and absolutely partaking in the quality questionnaire, and answering those, just really demonstrates high quality and good stuff.

Lisa:

Yeah. Yeah. It’s really important as well. Because what we do, I do an open forum where I just go downstairs, and everybody will come and have a cup of tea with me. And I sit with the people we support, and we sit with the staff. And it’s a lovely atmosphere. And then it, it just gives them the opportunity that, if there is anything that they need to talk to me about, I’m there.

Lisa:

And I’m not just sitting in the office, and they feel as if they could come and talk to me, which is great. And we learn a lot from that.

Denise:

So you’ve had some real success stories, haven’t you, with people transitioning into supported living.

Lisa:

During the COVID pandemic, Kieran transferred across from another supported living scheme, not a Voyage scheme, into ourselves. And Kieran had not particularly had a good time with the other company. And he was very, very frightened when he first got here. I think he was very unsure of what to expect.

Lisa:

But he chose his staff team himself. He settled in so, so well. He was really quite upset initially about having to isolate. But, after that two weeks, he started to join in with the community activities that we did. He started to ask for us to find things for him to go out and do, which we did, which was the cooking skills, and the life skills, and his ice hockey that he’s doing now. So the transition went really, really well.

Lisa:

The mum and family, again, very, very pleased. He’s built a very nice relationship with Kirsty, the field care manager. So he has got an awful lot of trust in her. And he will talk to her about any issues that he’s got. But the transition was really, really smooth. It was lovely. Really nice transition.

Denise:

Okay. We’ve been joined by Kirsty, one of the field care managers, and Kieran, a person we support.

Kirsty:

Hello, I’m Kirsty, I’m the field care manager.

Lisa:

Did you want to talk about Kieran’s transition a little bit for us?

Kirsty:

Yes. So I first met Kieran and his mum on Microsoft teams, where Kieran was very shy and wouldn’t really speak. So I invited him to come to Stretton, where we had fish chips outside, and he opened up a lot more, telling me his lights and dislikes. Showed him around the flat. He was over the moon. And he moved in pretty quick. It was like a four week.

Lisa:

Yeah, we did a four-week turnaround, didn’t we?

Kirsty:

He couldn’t have any of the visits, as such, because obviously with COVID. So it was a case of he literally moved in, had to isolate for 14 days, which was difficult, but we managed. But within them 14 days, we got his courses set up, his ice hockey ready.

Denise:

It’s really good. It’s really important to see that. Yeah. It just shows that you obviously… Everything you did, or did with him, is person centered, isn’t it?

Kirsty:

Yeah. And we had a lot of communication with mum throughout the time too. Every day we’d be emailing to check a bit how she was, how she felt. She had a lot of input in Kieran’s move, and still do.

Lisa:

And he very quickly made friends here, didn’t he? I mean, he’s built-

Kirsty:

Oh, he’s a social butterfly.

Lisa:

He’s made some really good relationships. We’ve got another two gentlemen, haven’t we? And he’s made really good relationships with them. So they’ll share film nights.  

Denise:

That’s good. So he’s made new friends.

Lisa:

Absolutely. Yeah.

Denise:

Not always easy. Hasn’t been easy for anybody, I think, during the pandemic. So that’s a real positive. And it really shows that you’ve really listened to what he wants, and taken on board what his mum wants as well, who probably knows him very well.

Denise:

And it’s good that you involve everybody. And I think that’s important when you’re measuring quality, isn’t it, that everybody who’s got a writing or a need can say-

Kirsty:

Well, Kieran’s wrote his own support plan too. Obviously, we’ve guided him through the Voyage ways, but Kieran’s actually inputted his own information. He sat with Charlotte, who was a senior at the time, with a laptop, and actually wrote his own support plan.

Denise:

That’s brilliant.

Kirsty:

Which is brilliant. Yeah.

Denise:

It really is. And I think if you think about the new way that CQC would probably like to inspect, with all the I statements. So I think you’ll find that that’ll be looked upon really highly, won’t it, if he’s been involved.

Kirsty:

Yeah. And if there’s any change, he’ll say, “Kirsty, can you bring the laptop down, so we can update my support plan?” So yeah, he-

Lisa:

And he really enjoys getting involved with that, doesn’t he?

Kirsty:

Yes.

Lisa:

It’s a big part of Kieran’s support is that he chooses.

Kirsty:

He takes absolutely-

Lisa:

Lead. Yeah.

Denise:

Yeah. And I think that is… I choose where I live, and I choose how I’m supported.

Lisa:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Kirsty:

Well, a clear example of that is do not give me agency. It was clear from the start, I don’t want agency, don’t even try to put them in. And we haven’t. And that’s the only one thing he said, “I want a support plan. Don’t put any agency with me.”

Denise:

Bless him. It’s good. It’s good.

Kirsty:

So, Kieran lived in Hinkley. Didn’t you? In a supported living. Did you have your own flat? Yeah. And then you just didn’t get on very well there. Did you? So you came and looked around here, didn’t you? Did you like it?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Lisa:

Did you feel welcome when you came to visit, Kieran?

Kieran:

Yeah. Yeah.

Lisa:

When you first came on site, and we showed you around the flat, etc, do you remember who you met first? No?

Kirsty:

I think you met me. Well, you came and met me. And we had fish and chips outside, didn’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Denise:

You had fish and chips the first day?

Lisa:

Yeah. We had fish and chips outside.

Kirsty:

We had fish and chips to put Kieran at ease. And we sat outside your potential flat and had fish and chips. Didn’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

And we asked lots of questions about each other, didn’t we? And what did you tell me about yourself? What does Kieran like to do?

Kieran:

Not sure.

Kirsty:

You like horror movies, and you like ice hockey. So we spoke a lot about that. Didn’t we? And you told me what you don’t like and what you do like.

Denise:

So, what’s your flat like then? What have you got in your flat, Kieran?

Kieran:

A gerbil.

Denise:

You’ve got a gerbil?

Lisa:

Yes. Got your own gerbil. What’s her name, Kieran?

Kieran:

Bambi.

Lisa:

Bambi.

Denise:

Bambi the gerbil. That sounds amazing.

Kirsty:

And what’s all in your bedroom?

Kieran:

DVDs.

Kirsty:

DVDs, all across your walls, isn’t it? Yeah. And your horror movie things are out, aren’t they?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

Yeah?

Denise:

That sounds great.

Kirsty:

What did we do on the month after you came and moved in? What did we do for your birthday?

Kieran:

Barbecue.

Kirsty:

We had a big barbecue outside, because it was a special birthday, wasn’t it? How old were you?

Kieran:

30.

Denise:

Wow. Well, you don’t look it that, do you?

Lisa:

No. And we had a big barbecue, didn’t we, all around the site. And everybody came from the other flats, didn’t they?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Lisa:

And you very kindly helped with the cooking, I think didn’t we? We got your helping with the cooking. And you did really, really well. Do you want to tell us a little bit, Kieran, about what courses you’re doing now? Because you asked us if you wanted to do… You wanted to do some more courses, didn’t you, and progress with your education and things. So what courses are you doing now, Kieran?

Kieran:

Maths.

Lisa:

You’re doing maths.

Kieran:

And cooking.

Lisa:

Yeah? So you’re doing a basic cooking skills, and you’re doing your maths level one, aren’t you?

Lisa:

Okay. And are you enjoying it? Is it nice to be out and about?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Lisa:

And have the staff helped you? Yeah? The staff helped you to achieve what you wanted to do?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Denise:

Tell me about your ice hockey.

Kirsty:

Oh. How often do you go?

Kieran:

Once a week.

Denise:

Where is it at?

Kieran:

Coventry.

Denise:

Wow.

Lisa:

And what’s the name of the team that you support?

Kieran:

Coventry Blades.

Lisa:

Wow.

Denise:

That’s amazing.

Kirsty:

Yeah. Kieran’s got his own shirt, and scarf, hat, all that attire, haven’t you? And you go every week.

Kirsty:

Your day’s getting pretty full now. Isn’t it? What do you do Mondays? Where do you go Mondays?

Kieran:

Cooking.

Kirsty:

Tuesday you go-

Kieran:

Swimming.

Kirsty:

Wednesday is now-

Kieran:

Maths.

Kirsty:

And then the rest of the days… Well, Thursday is the new disco. And somewhere we have to fit shopping in, don’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Lisa:

You’re very busy. Do you like being busy, Kieran?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Lisa:

And you like the way that the staff involve you with all the active support?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Denise:

Are you glad you moved here?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

You had a very good review with your social worker, didn’t you?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

When did your transition meeting. Do you remember what you said?

Kieran:

No.

Kirsty:

That he was really, really happy with how the move went. Didn’t he?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

And that he was happy with what you’d done, what we’d done. And everyone’s got a really good

working relationship. That’s what he said, wasn’t it?

Kieran:

I said that about me and you.

Kirsty:

He did. He did. He said that we’d got a really good relationship together. Didn’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

Kieran found the transition quite hard at the start, because of COVID, didn’t you?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

Because obviously you had to self-isolate. But we still got you doing lots of activities in the house, didn’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Denise:

It goes quick, doesn’t it, the self-isolation. It goes quick. I know it’s not nice.

Lisa:

But to transition as well through the COVID times, you did amazingly well, didn’t you?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

And we’ve got you set up for all your health professionals really quickly, didn’t we?

Kieran:

Yeah.

Kirsty:

So always good, wasn’t it?

Lisa:

Well, thank you for coming to talk to us, Kieran.

Kirsty:

You’ve done really well.

Lisa:

And you’ve done really, really well.

Denise:

Amazingly well.

Lisa:

All right. Thank you so much.

Denise:

Thank you for listening today. And thanks, Lisa, for joining me today to discuss high quality care.

Lisa:

You’re very welcome. You’re very welcome.

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