This announced comprehensive inspection took place on 4&11 January 2017. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice of the visit because the location provides support and personal care to people living in their own homes and we needed to ensure there were people in the office to assist with our inspection.

Cumbria-DeafVision is the working name for Cumbria Deaf Association which is a registered charity. It is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide a domiciliary care service to people with a sensory impairment. The support workers assist service users with all aspects of their daily life, including shopping, work placements and social and leisure activities. The office is situated near the centre of Carlisle. At the time of our inspection there were two people who were in receipt of personal care from the agency.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

We found that the registered manager worked part time hours with the Chief Executive Officer covering for her non-working hours. We recommended that this be addressed as soon as possible.

We found that the service was safe and members of the staff team were aware of their role and responsibility to keep people safe. There were sufficient staff to provide the appropriate level of care and support.

The provider had robust recruitment policies and procedures which ensured only suitable people were employed to care for vulnerable people, some having complex needs. Staff training was up to date and the staff were able to support people with more complex needs. All staff had been trained in the use of British Sign Language (BSL) so they were able to communicate effectively with the people they supported. Support staff received regular supervision and appraisal that ensured good work practices were maintained.

People received the support they required to eat and drink and to maintain their health. Health care needs were met by external health care professionals such as district nurses, consultants and GP practices.

People were included in all decisions about their care and their rights were respected. The service followed the requirements of the Mental capacity Act 2005 Code of practice. This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions for themselves.

Staff treated people with kindness and consideration ensuring their privacy and dignity were respected. Staff had formed close relationships with the people they supported.

The use of an advocacy service was available if this was required. People were involved in the care planning process and gave their consent to the care and support provided. People were encouraged to take part in activities in the local community. The registered provider had a procedure for receiving and handling complaints about the service. This was an informal quality monitoring system in place through regular reviews of the service provided.