This inspection took place on 5 and 10 May 2017. We gave the provider a short amount of notice on the first day as we wanted to make sure that somebody would be available when we visited. The second day was by arrangement as we made visits to people using the service.

Apollo Care South Liverpool is a family run organisation which provided support for 15 people living in their own homes in the geographical area of South Liverpool. The regulated activity of personal care was provided for seven people. On the first day we visited the organisation’s office; on the second day we visited three people in their homes who were happy to speak with us about the care they received. We also spoke with one person on the phone. This was the first inspection of this service.

The organisation required and had a registered manager. 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.

People told us they thought the staff at Apollo Care South Liverpool were caring. One person said, “To some people it’s just a job, but with these staff, it’s genuine. They seem to make an effort to assist and it makes a difference”. People’s relatives we spoke with told us they thought the service was caring. One relative said, “I have never met such caring people”. People told us that they felt listened to by the organisation. One person said, “I’ve been supported to have a voice in my life, they have helped me to stay independent”.

Staff told us they were happy in their roles. One staff member commented, “It’s a very caring company. People here have really nice relationships”. We saw and people told us, that staff treated them with dignity and respect in their own homes. We also saw that people’s personal information was treated with respect and kept in confidence. The service operated within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). People told us they were treated with respect and their consent to their care was sought.

People told us that they felt safe with the support they received. Their relatives told us that the service was reliable and that they had confidence in the service. One person’s relative said, “They make us feel at ease”. We saw that appropriate risk assessments were in place and a record of any accidents and incidents had been made and they had been responded to quickly. People received their medication in a safe manner.

New staff had been safely recruited. Induction of new staff included initial training and shadowing the work of more experienced staff members. Staff told us they were well supported with regular supervision meetings, feedback from spot checks and training. Staff agreed that they were well supported by the organisation. One staff member said, “It’s a very friendly company to work for, they are really approachable”.

Staff had received training in, and were familiar with, their responsibilities in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

People told us that the service was responsive to their needs and they received support from staff who were familiar to them. We saw that people had person centred care plans, which were clear, individualised and were positive about people and what they were able to do. The care plans outlined what tasks people wished help or support with along with a personal assessment of their support needs. We saw that people were supported with any health needs they may have and the organisation liaised with health professionals.

People told us that their care plans reflected the care they received and we saw that people’s care plans were reviewed regularly involving the person and their family members if appropriate.

We found the registered manager and director to be open and candid and it was clear during the vis