- Homecare service
Apollo Care (South Wirral)
Assessment report published 20 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Apollo Care (South Wirral) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes across the South Wirral area. The service supports older adults and younger adults with a range of needs, including physical disabilities, sensory impairments, dementia, long-term health conditions and complex healthcare needs. Support is tailored to each person's individual needs, preferences and desired outcomes, with the aim of promoting independence and enabling people to remain living safely in their own homes for as long as possible. At the time of this assessment, the service was providing personal care and support to 33 people.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates the personal care, and support people may receive. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we consider any wider social care provided.
Our view of the service
Our assessment was carried out remotely between 25 September and 16 October 2026 as part of a Return to Good assessment. Evidence reviewed showed Apollo Care (South Wirral) provides person-centred care and support which enables people to remain living safely and independently in their own homes. Feedback from people, relatives, staff and professionals was positive and reflected a service which understood people's individual needs and worked with them to achieve outcomes important to them. Evidence was gathered from care records, risk assessments, audits, incident records, service reviews, staff feedback, professional feedback and feedback from people and their families.
People's risks were identified, assessed and managed through detailed care plans and risk assessments. Records showed staff understood risks relating to falls, skin integrity, mobility, continence, nutrition, hydration and medicines management, with clear guidance available to support safe care delivery. Care records showed staff regularly monitored people's wellbeing and escalated concerns appropriately when changes or potential deterioration were identified. There was evidence of effective partnership working with healthcare professionals, including GPs, district nurses and other specialists, ensuring people received timely support when concerns arose. Medicines management systems were in place, including medication risk assessments, medication audits and management oversight. Where medication incidents occurred, these were investigated, recorded and used as learning opportunities, with additional training, supervision and competency support provided where required. Incident management processes demonstrated a culture of reporting, learning and improvement.
People's needs were assessed thoroughly, and care plans reflected their health conditions, preferences, routines and desired outcomes. Records showed people received support which promoted their health, wellbeing and independence. There was strong evidence of multidisciplinary working, with staff working effectively alongside GPs, district nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, social workers and other professionals to ensure people's needs were met. Care records showed staff reviewed people's needs regularly and adapted support when circumstances changed. Training records, supervision records and competency assessments showed staff received support to develop the skills and knowledge needed to carry out their roles effectively.
The provider had invested in additional first aid, moving and handling and medication training to further support staff development.
Records reviewed showed people were involved in decisions about their care and support and were encouraged to maintain choice and control wherever possible. Staff feedback showed a strong commitment to supporting people as individuals, promoting independence and ensuring care was delivered in line with people's wishes and preferences. Throughout the evidence reviewed, there were multiple examples of positive relationships between staff and people, with people describing staff as friendly, helpful and compassionate.
The provider had a strong commitment to providing personalised care. Care plans, reviews and daily records showed support was tailored to individual needs, preferences and goals. Staff worked proactively with relatives and professionals to ensure people received appropriate support and were able to remain living in their own homes where this continued to meet their needs. Feedback received showed people generally felt listened to, and staff responded appropriately to requests for support and identified concerns. Records showed flexibility in care delivery and a responsive approach to changing risks, health conditions and personal circumstances.
There was a positive culture and supportive leadership. Staff consistently described managers as approachable, responsive and supportive and reported feeling valued within the organisation. Governance systems were in place to monitor quality, safety and performance, including audits, supervision, spot checks, medication monitoring, training oversight and incident reviews. The provider had developed service improvement plans where areas requiring attention had been identified and there was evidence of ongoing review and monitoring of actions. Learning from incidents, complaints, audits and feedback was used to drive service improvement, and there was evidence the provider invested in staff development through training, competency assessments and leadership development programmes.
People's experience of this service
Feedback from people, relatives, staff and professionals was positive and described a service providing person-centred care which supported people to remain independent and continue living in their own homes. People and their families consistently described staff as kind, caring and respectful. One person told us, “I am absolutely delighted, they're wonderful carers,” whilst another said staff were, “Very friendly and very efficient and do everything that you ask them to do.” A relative described the care provided as, “Individualised, compassionate and patient centred, I'm very happy with them.”
People told us staff listened to them and supported them to maintain their independence. One person said staff, “Couldn't be more helpful and listen to what I want to do,” whilst relatives described staff responding positively to requests, adapting support when needs changed and working alongside families to achieve good outcomes. One relative commented, “We all work really well together,” reflecting the positive relationships between families and the provider.
Staff feedback supported these experiences and described a service focused on meeting people's individual needs and preferences. Staff consistently spoke about supporting people in accordance with their wishes, promoting independence and adapting support when circumstances changed. One staff member said support was based on, “What the client needs and wants,” whilst another described the organisation as, “Like a family.” Staff spoke positively about the support they received from managers and colleagues and described a caring and supportive working environment.
Professional feedback was positive. One professional told us people received safe, effective and person-centred care. They highlighted positive outcomes achieved through flexible support and effective partnership working with other professionals involved in people's care.
Reviews and care records reflected positive experiences and demonstrated people were involved in discussions about their care and support. One person spoke positively about care staff and their sense of humour, whilst records showed people valued maintaining their independence, family relationships and quality of life.
People and relatives consistently spoke positively about the care and support they received. One relative said, “I think we get excellent care from Apollo,” whilst another told us, “They've never let me or my [relative] down.” Feedback described staff as caring, supportive and committed to helping people maintain their independence and continue living in their own homes. People valued the relationships they had developed with staff and spoke positively about the quality of care provided.
Overall, feedback from people, relatives, staff and professionals described a caring, responsive and person-centred service where people were treated with dignity and respect, involved in decisions about their care and supported to achieve outcomes important to them.