Sam2Sam Deaf Care Service Ltd

Updated 17 April 2018

This inspection took place on 7 and 8 march 2018 and was announced. We provided notice of the inspection because the location provides a domiciliary care service for deaf people and the staff that provides the care are also deaf. We needed to arrange for a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to meet with staff and people who use the service to ensure they could talk with us. We also needed to ensure that records would be accessible. One inspector and a BSL interpreter undertook the inspection.

We checked the information we held about the service and the provider and saw that no concerns had been raised.

We spoke with two people who used the service and received feedback from one relative to obtain their views on the service provided. We spoke with three staff, the director, the provider and their personal assistant. The provider is also the registered manager for Sam2Sam Deaf Care Service Ltd.

We looked at the care records for two people who used the service. We reviewed three staff recruitment files and training records. We also looked at further records relating to the management of the service, including quality audits, in order to ensure that robust quality monitoring systems were in place.

Updated 17 April 2018

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.