RBK Solution Ltd

Updated 3 August 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008..

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

RBK Solution Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in their office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 29 June 2022 and ended on 30 June 2022. We visited the provider’s office on 30 June 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with us.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager/owner during the site visit to their office. We also received email feedback from the relative of one person using this agency, an external adult social care professional and a care worker about their experiences of using or working with or for this provider.

Records we looked as part of this inspection included, two people’s care plans and four staff files in relation to their recruitment, training and supervision, and a variety of other records relating to the overall management and governance of the agency.

After we visited the provider’s office we continued to seek clarification from them to validate evidence found. We requested the provider send us additional evidence after our inspection in relation to staff’s character and/or employment references, Statement of Purpose, staff handbook and staff whistle-blowing policy.

Updated 3 August 2022

RBK Solution Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection two people were receiving a care at home service from this provider.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

Relatives of people receiving a care at home service from this agency and community social care professionals who worked with this provider all told us they were happy with RBK Solutions Ltd. For example, one relative said, “RBK Solutions have been my families care provider for many years. During this time, the care they have provided for my [family member] has been exemplary.” A social care professional added, “The service they [RBK Solution Ltd] provide is reliable and professional.”

However, we found evidence during our inspection of a breach of regulations. The provider will need to make improvements.

The service was not always safe. This was because we were not assured people were suitably protected from harm as risks they might face were not always properly assessed and managed. This meant staff did not always have access to enough sufficiently detailed guidance to keep people safe.

The service was not always effective. Staff had not received enough training and support they needed to ensure they had the right mix of skills and knowledge to deliver people’s care effectively.

The service was not always well-led. The provider had governance and monitoring systems in place, but these were not always operated effectively. This meant the provider failed to notice and/or take appropriate action to address all the issues we found during our inspection as described above.

Staff followed current best practice guidelines regarding the prevention and control of infection, although we have signposted the provider to resources to help them develop an infection prevention and control policy.

People were kept safe from abuse. People received continuity of care from a small group of dedicated staff whose fitness to work in adult social care had been assessed. Medicines were well-organised.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Where staff were responsible for preparing people's meals and/or assisting them to eat and drink, people were supported to access food and drink that met their dietary needs and wishes. People were supported to stay healthy and well, and to access relevant community health and social care services as and when required.

People were treated equally and had their human rights and diversity respected, including their cultural and spiritual needs and wishes. Staff treated people with dignity and upheld their right to privacy. People typically described staff as “caring”. People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independent living skills and do as much for themselves as they were willing and capable of doing so safely.

People's care plans were person-centred, which helped staff provide them with the individualised care at home they needed. Staff ensured they communicated and shared information with people in a way they could easily understand. People were encouraged to make decisions about the care and support they received at home and staff respected their informed choices. Where appropriate, people's end of life wishes and contacts were known and recorded for staff to refer to.

People receiving a care at home service, their relatives and staff were all complimentary about the way the registered manager/owner ran the service, and how approachable they were. The registered manager promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people, their relatives and staff. The provider worked in close partnership with other health and social care professionals and agencies to plan and deliver people's packages of care at home.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 2 July 2020 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified three breaches in relation to how this provider assessed and managed risk, the training and support they provided their staff, and how they operated their oversight and scrutiny systems.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.