Support for people who are blind, partially sighted, deaf or deafblind, including specialist assessment and equipment.
It only takes a minute and it is free.
CQC records sensory impairment as a group that services are registered to support. In practice, support for sight and hearing loss runs through councils, the NHS and specialist charities together.
If you are certified by an ophthalmologist as sight impaired or severely sight impaired, you get a Certificate of Vision Impairment and can register with your council.
Registration is voluntary, but being registered severely sight impaired unlocks:
Deaf and deafblind people can also register with the council, which triggers an assessment duty.
Ask for an assessment by someone qualified in sensory impairment rather than a general social worker. It should cover:
Equipment and minor adaptations under £1,000 must be provided free after assessment. You should not be buying these yourself.
Attendance Allowance or PIP, neither means tested. Sight and hearing loss often score well on the daily living and mobility descriptors, particularly around preparing food, reading, communicating and following a journey.
Access to Work for anything work related: screen readers, magnification, an interpreter, a support worker, or taxis where public transport is not workable.
Disabled Facilities Grant for adaptations such as tactile or high-contrast fittings and improved lighting.
Councils commission a lot of sensory support through charities, so the specialist help often sits outside the council itself. RNIB for sight loss, RNID for hearing loss and Sense for deafblindness all provide advice, and can often act faster than a council waiting list.
Every service here holds an Outstanding rating from CQC, the highest awarded. Within that, they are ordered by how many of the five inspection domains are also Outstanding or Good, then by how recently they were inspected. Nobody pays to appear.
Southampton, SO15
Operated by Southampton City Council
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/8/18.
Sembal House, Handel Terrace, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 2FH
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Woking, GU23
Operated by Home Counties Carers Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/6/23.
5-7 Webb House, Portsmouth Road, Ripley, Woking, GU23 6ER
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15
Operated by Northumberland County Council
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/6/23.
McDonald House, Wallace Green, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1ED
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Durham, DH7
Registered to support dementia care, learning disability and autism, mental health. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/5/18.
19 Quebec Street, Langley Park, Durham, County Durham, DH7 9XA
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Romford, RM3
Operated by Agracare Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/4/21.
Bates Business Centre, Suite G6, Church Road, Harold Wood, Romford, RM3 0JA
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Fareham, PO14
Operated by Hamble Valley Care Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/4/19.
Unit 25b, Katana House, Fort Fareham Industrial Site, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1AH
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Plymouth, PL3
Operated by IOTA Care Limited
Registered to support younger adults, learning disability and autism, sensory impairment. 3 beds. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/4/18.
1 Upper Knollys Terrace Lane, Milehouse, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 4HZ
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Stamford, PE9
Operated by Beech Health Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/30/21.
Main Street, Great Casterton, Stamford, PE9 4AA
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Cambridge, CB25
Operated by Guyatt House Care Ltd
Registered to support older people, younger adults, learning disability and autism. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/28/22.
Cambridge Innovation Park, Denny End Road, Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB25 9PB
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Hounslow, TW3
Operated by L D Care Limited
Registered to support younger adults, learning disability and autism, mental health. 9 beds. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/28/22.
9 Gresham Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 4BT
5 of 5 CQC domains rated Good or Outstanding
Based on CQC data published 01 July 2026. Ratings change between inspections, so check the current rating before deciding.
The same ranking method applied locally, for towns with enough rated services to make a top 10 meaningful.
Services in this category currently rated Good or Outstanding by CQC, sorted by rating and then by how recently they were inspected. This is a sample, not a ranking of the best in England.
Southampton, SO15
Operated by Southampton City Council
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/8/18.
Sembal House, Handel Terrace, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 2FH
Woking, GU23
Operated by Home Counties Carers Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/6/23.
5-7 Webb House, Portsmouth Road, Ripley, Woking, GU23 6ER
Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15
Operated by Northumberland County Council
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/6/23.
McDonald House, Wallace Green, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1ED
Durham, DH7
Registered to support dementia care, learning disability and autism, mental health. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/5/18.
19 Quebec Street, Langley Park, Durham, County Durham, DH7 9XA
Romford, RM3
Operated by Agracare Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/4/21.
Bates Business Centre, Suite G6, Church Road, Harold Wood, Romford, RM3 0JA
Fareham, PO14
Operated by Hamble Valley Care Limited
Registered to support older people, younger adults, dementia care. Care delivered in your own home. Rated Outstanding by CQC, published 9/4/19.
Unit 25b, Katana House, Fort Fareham Industrial Site, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1AH
Counts are registered office locations. A home care agency based in a nearby town may still cover your postcode, so check coverage when you call.
Registration is voluntary but it unlocks a lot. Being certified as severely sight impaired qualifies you automatically for a Blue Badge, a 50% TV licence discount, help with NHS costs, Council Tax and rail travel concessions, and it triggers a council duty to assess your needs. The certificate comes from an ophthalmologist and is called a CVI.
Much of it is. Councils must provide equipment and minor adaptations under £1,000 free after an assessment, which covers things like talking clocks, liquid level indicators, flashing doorbells and vibrating alarms. Hearing aids are free on the NHS.
A council assessment carried out by someone qualified in sight or hearing loss, rather than a general social worker. You are entitled to ask for one, and it makes a real difference to what gets identified: rehabilitation, mobility training, communication support and equipment.
Yes. Access to Work funds screen readers, magnification software, a BSL interpreter, a support worker, and taxis where public transport is not workable. It is not means tested and is never repaid.
Carevo is not a care provider and does not inspect or endorse services. CQC ratings change. Check the CQC website for the current rating and read the full inspection report before making a decision.