Apollo Care (West Wirral)

Our view of the service
We carried out this assessment remotely between 15 – 20 October 2026. We did not visit the office location. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People received care from staff who appeared to know them well and understood their individual preferences, routines, strengths and support needs. Care records reviewed were detailed, personalised and regularly reviewed. They contained clear guidance for staff regarding how people wished to receive support, how risks should be managed and how independence could be promoted. Records demonstrated a strong emphasis on choice, dignity and respecting people's wishes. Care planning considered people's health needs, communication needs, mobility, nutrition, personal care and environmental risks.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the principles of the MCA. There was no one subject to DoLS at the time of our inspection.
Risk management was robust. Risk assessments identified potential hazards and provided staff with clear measures to reduce risks whilst enabling people to remain as independent as possible. The care records reviewed demonstrated appropriate consideration of falls risks, mobility, nutrition, infection prevention and maintaining safe home environments.
The provider demonstrated good oversight of accidents, incidents and health and safety concerns. Accidents and incidents were recorded appropriately, with evidence of investigation, follow-up action and learning. Records demonstrated staff responded appropriately, sought medical advice when required and involved families and healthcare professionals. Where patterns emerged, management reviewed risks and considered additional measures to reduce future occurrences. Medication incidents were infrequent and where errors occurred there was evidence of investigation, reflection, additional supervision and training to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Governance systems were well established. Regular audits were undertaken covering areas such as medicines management, care planning, recruitment, incidents and accidents. Management completed trend analysis and used information gathered through audits and reviews to identify themes and opportunities for improvement. Incident analysis demonstrated evidence of reflective practice and learning being shared with staff through meetings, supervision and ongoing support. The service also maintained a range of comprehensive policies and procedures that supported safe working practices and regulatory compliance. These included safeguarding, whistleblowing, complaints and business continuity arrangements.
Training arrangements supported staff to carry out their roles safely and effectively. The training matrix demonstrated that most staff had completed mandatory and role-specific training, including safeguarding, medicines management, moving and handling, infection prevention and control, first aid and dementia awareness. Staff also received additional training relevant to people's individual needs.
Feedback from staff consistently described a positive and supportive culture. Staff told us they felt valued, listened to and supported by the registered manager and management team. Staff reported they had access to training, received good communication from leaders and felt able to raise concerns. Several staff described enjoying their work and spoke positively about the care provided to people. Staff also told us they generally had sufficient time to meet people's needs and understood their safeguarding responsibilities.
Recruitment processes were robust. Recruitment files reviewed contained appropriate identification checks, DBS checks and health declarations.
Staff feedback echoed the positive experiences shared by people and relatives. Staff consistently described feeling supported by management and told us leaders were approachable and responsive. Staff reported receiving the training they needed, having opportunities for development and feeling proud of the care they delivered. Several staff described Apollo Care West Wirral as a positive place to work, with one member of staff stating they felt as though they had; "come home" when returning to the organisation. Others spoke about the satisfaction they gained from supporting people to remain independent and achieve positive outcomes.
Overall, the evidence reviewed demonstrated a caring, well-managed service with effective governance arrangements, a positive culture and a strong commitment to providing person-centred care. The provider showed a willingness to reflect, learn and improve and there was evidence that people received care that promoted their independence, dignity and wellbeing.