Sam2Sam Deaf Care Service Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community and in specialist housing. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people using the service who received personal care. People who used the service were deaf and were supported by staff that were also deaf.

At the last inspection on 3 February 2016 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe living in their own home and told us they felt safe with staff.

Staff received training and appropriate support to carry out their roles effectively.

Risk to people`s wellbeing were identified, regularly discussed with people and measures to mitigate the risks were regularly reviewed to ensure they were still effective.

People`s medicines were managed safely by well trained staff who had their competencies assessed. Where people were able they were supported to manage their medicines.

There were enough staff employed through robust recruitment procedures to meet people`s needs effectively.

People were involved in planning their care and support, signed their own care plans and consented to the support they received. People ad staff felt the communication was excellent and staff were supported with learning through BSL videos.

People had opportunities to pursue their hobbies, interest and socialise in the community.

People`s feedback about the service they received was sought and they felt they could voice their opinions in conversations they had with staff and could use assisted technology such as face time to get their views heard.

People and staff were positive about the management of the service. There were robust systems in place to ensure the quality of the service was monitored and improved if the need was identified.

The inspection took place on 03, 05 and 08 February and was announced to make sure that the people we needed to speak with were available. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection to make sure that the appropriate people were present.

Sam2Sam Deaf Care Service Ltd is registered to provide personal care for deaf people to meet their needs in their own home. The service provides support to people who lived independently in their own homes. There were nine people who used the service at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The provider for Sam2Sam is also the registered manager for this service.

People felt safe, happy and well supported in their homes. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from the risk of abuse and knew how to report concerns both internally and externally. Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to help ensure that all staff were suitably qualified and experienced.

People and their relatives were positive about the skills, experience and abilities of staff that provided support. . Staff received training and refresher updates relevant to their roles and had regular supervision meetings to discuss and review their development and performance.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health and social care professionals when necessary. People were supported with shopping and meal preparation.

Staff made considerable efforts to ascertain people’s wishes and obtain their consent before providing personal care and support, which they did in a kind and compassionate way. Information about local advocacy services was available to help people access independent advice if required.

Staff had developed positive and caring relationships with the people they supported and clearly knew them well. People were involved in the planning, delivery and reviews of the care and support provided. The confidentiality of information held about their medical and personal histories was securely maintained throughout their home and in the office.

Care was provided in a way that promoted people’s dignity and respected their privacy. People received personalised care and support that met their needs and took account of their preferences. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s background histories, preferences, routines and personal circumstances.

People were supported to pursue social interests and take part in meaningful activities relevant to their needs, both at their home and in the wider community. They felt that staff listened to them and responded to any concerns they had in a positive way. Complaints were recorded and investigated thoroughly with learning outcomes used to make improvements where necessary.

Relatives and staff were complimentary about the registered manager and how the service was run and operated. Appropriate steps were taken to monitor the quality of services provided, reduce potential risks and drive improvement.