I have worked in domiciliary care since 2014, across various national care companies. While I learned a lot from these experiences, I also encountered the same frustrations time and time again.
Craig’s Story: Why I Started Apollo Care Blackpool
The biggest challenge was that I couldn’t implement my own ideas. I had to follow a set template, even when I knew there were many ways to improve the quality of care.
One moment that particularly stuck with me was when I suggested a change to improve service quality, only to be told outright not to aim for ‘Outstanding’, that it was a waste of time and that maintaining a ‘Good’ rating was enough.
Feedback from higher up was always focused on one thing: the number of hours completed each week. I’m all for running a sustainable business, but your first thought when a service user passes away shouldn’t be the pressure you’ll face over lost hours. It should be with their family, the carers who supported them, and making sure everyone has the support they need.
After working for three different care companies and facing the same frustrations, I realised that if I truly wanted to make a difference, I needed to start my own service.
The decision was whether to go it alone or join a franchise, where I would have a support network behind me. After speaking to a few different care franchises, I had a conversation with Cheryl, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to be part of Apollo Care. It felt like joining a family, rather than just another business.
Sticking to Our Values
Since launching Apollo Care Blackpool, we’ve grown faster than any new service I’ve known in over 10 years in the sector. But what I’m most proud of is that we’ve never lost sight of the values we set from the start:
We set out to build something different, and I believe we have. Apollo Care isn’t just about providing care, it’s about changing the way care is delivered and ensuring that every person we support is treated with dignity, respect and compassion.