Let's start with a conversation, not a form
We will arrange an initial meeting at your home, at a time that suits you. Someone from our team will come round, have a cup of tea, and listen to how things are. No jargon, no pressure, and nothing to sign. Just a proper chat about what would make life easier for the person you love.
Arrange an initial meeting
Pick a time that suits you. The meeting is free, there is nothing to sign, and you are not committing to anything by booking it.
Choose a time online
Rather talk to a person?
A real person answers the phone, not a menu or a queue. Ring us and we will arrange a time to come out.
0118 391 3542Or ask for a callback
Leave a few details and we will ring you back.
This is a chance for you to interview us, too
Every care provider in the country presents this visit as them assessing your mother. We think that is the wrong way round.
This meeting works both ways. Yes, we need to understand what would actually help. But you also need to work out whether we are the right people to be in your mum's house every day, and whether you trust us with the things that matter most.
So please do ask us the difficult questions. We would rather you did. If we are the right fit, you will know it. And if we are not, we would rather you found that out over a cup of tea than three weeks into a care plan.
You are not signing anything by having this meeting. You are just having a conversation, and you can take all the time you need afterwards to decide.
9.7 out of 10
From 125 reviews on homecare.co.uk, the independent care review site families trust.
Registered and rated Good
Registered with the Care Quality Commission and inspected by the care regulator. You can read the published report yourself.
DBS checked and employed by us
Our carers are directly employed and DBS checked, not introduced or self employed. We are responsible for them, and they answer to us.
Caring since 2016
Looking after Berkshire families for nearly a decade, with visits from just fifteen minutes.
Available out of hours
Someone is always there for emergencies, and new enquiries are welcome at any time.
Local to Berkshire
Covering Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury and the surrounding villages.
[Customer quotation to be added once written consent is on file.]
Five simple steps, from enquiry to becoming part of the Apex family
Here is the whole journey, from your first call to ongoing reviews. None of it is rushed, and you are in charge at every step.
Enquiry
You get in touch, by phone or through the site, to ask about care and prices. A real person answers, listens to what is going on, and answers your questions honestly. Nobody will push you into anything, and you do not have to commit to a single thing on that first call.
Meeting
We arrange a free meeting at your home, at a time that suits you and your family. We get to know the person, talk through what has got harder lately, and put together a person centred care plan that sets out exactly what each visit will look like. You can change anything in it, because it belongs to you.
Care
Using the care plan, we set up the tasks for each visit on our care system so the carers know exactly what to do when they come in. We introduce the carers beforehand wherever we can, so the first visit feels like a familiar face at the door rather than a stranger. Care begins on the date we agreed together.
Support
We carry on supporting you in whatever way you need, whether that is helping with appointments, coming along to them, or adjusting the visits as things change. Through our care system, you and your family can keep track of what happened at each visit, so you always know how things are going without having to ring and ask.
Review
We check in at one week, four weeks and twelve weeks to make sure you and your family are happy, and then we review the care every six months after that. If anything has changed, we amend the care plan to keep up with what you actually need. You can change or pause the care at any point, not just at a review, and you are never locked in.
What we will talk about
There is no set list. We will follow what matters to your family. But these are the sorts of things that usually come up.
A normal day
What the day looks like from waking up to going to bed, and where the tricky bits are.
What has got harder lately
The things that have started to slip, or that take longer than they used to.
What they want to keep doing
The routines and tasks they would like to carry on doing themselves, for as long as they can.
Tablets and meals
Making sure the tablets get taken, and how appetite and meals are going.
Getting about the house
The stairs, the bathroom, and anywhere that has become a bit of a worry.
How they sleep
Whether the nights are settled, or whether they have become harder than they used to be.
Who else is involved
The GP, the district nurse, family nearby, the neighbours who keep an eye out.
The house itself
Where things are kept, how we would get in, and anything that helps or gets in the way.
We will also ask what you are worried about. That is usually the most useful question of the lot, because the worry is often the thing that has been keeping someone up at night, long before they picked up the phone to ring us.
What you should ask us
This is a genuine list you can bring with you. Do not soften any of it. The answers are the whole point of the meeting.
- 1Are your carers employed by you, or are they self employed?
- 2Will we get the same carers, or will it be someone different each time?
- 3What happens when a carer is off sick or on holiday?
- 4How will I know someone has actually been, and that the visit went well?
- 5What is your CQC rating, and can I read the report myself?
- 6What happens if we are not happy with something, or we want to raise a concern?
- 7How much notice do we need to give to change or stop the visits?
- 8What are your rates, and when do they go up?
- 9Are your carers DBS checked, and what training do they have?
- 10Who do I ring at nine on a Sunday night if something has gone wrong?
If any provider is cagey about those answers, or changes the subject when you ask, that tells you something. You deserve straight answers to straight questions, because you are handing over something precious.
Who should be there
The person themselves, first and foremost. After that, whoever they want.
The person who will be receiving the care should be there if at all possible. It is their home, their routine, and their life, and the meeting is about them. We will always talk to them directly, not over their head.
Family are very welcome, whether that is a son or daughter who lives nearby, or one who is joining by phone from the other end of the country. If there is a friend, a neighbour, or anyone else your mum or dad would like there, bring them in too.
Sometimes the person themselves does not think they need any help, and does not want a meeting at all. We understand that. It is very common, and it is not a battle to be won. We can have the first conversation with you, and we can frame the visit as a chat about what would make things easier rather than as a test of what they can and cannot do. The relationship builds from there. We will never force it, and we will never go behind their back.
How long it takes and what it costs
The meeting takes about an hour. Sometimes it runs a little longer, because there is a lot to talk about, and we would rather get it right than rush it.
It is free. There is no charge for the visit, and there is nothing to sign. You are not committing to anything by having the conversation, and we will never chase you afterwards if you decide not to go ahead.
If you do decide you would like to go ahead, we will talk through the rates and the funding options with you openly and clearly. But that comes later, and only if you want it to.
How the terms work
- There is a trial period at the start, with a short notice period either side.
- After that, there is a notice period to end or change the care, set out in your agreement.
- You are only ever invoiced after the care has happened, never in advance.
- Family members can request live access to the care records, so you can see what happened at each visit.
The full figures and terms are on our Cancellation and Fees page. Your care agreement is the full and binding version. We go through it with you before care starts, and if anything here ever differs from it, your agreement is what counts.
The two different assessments, and which one you need
People often use the word assessment to mean two quite different things, and it is worth knowing the difference before you start.
The council's care needs assessment
This is a free assessment carried out by your local authority under the Care Act. It is how you find out whether the council will help with the cost of care, and what support they think you are entitled to. You arrange it through your council's adult social care team, and it is completely separate from us. If funding is your main question, this is the one to ask for first.
Our initial meeting
This is the conversation described on this page. It is about what care would actually look like day to day, what the visits would be, and whether we are the right people for your family. It is also free, but it does not tell you anything about council funding.
They are not the same thing, and you do not have to choose between them. Many families have both. The council's assessment sorts out the money side, and our meeting sorts out the care itself. If what you need right now is the funding question, we would point you to your council's adult social care team and wish you well. You can read more about how care is funded in our guide to care costs and funding in Berkshire.
What happens afterwards
We write everything up, send it over, and you decide what happens next.
After the meeting, we write everything up as a care plan. It sets out what we talked about, what we agreed, what the visits would look like, and what the outcomes are that we are working towards. We send it over to you, and you can read through it in your own time.
You can change anything in it, because it is your plan, not ours. If a visit time does not work, we change it. If something is missing, we add it. If the whole thing needs rethinking, we rethink it. Nothing starts until you are happy with it.
If you decide to go ahead, we arrange a start date, often within 48 hours. And if you decide not to, or you need more time, that is completely fine. The plan is there for you whether or not we ever provide a single visit.
Seeing what happened at each visit
We use a care system that lets relatives see what happened at each visit, from a phone or a computer. So if you live an hour away, or at the other end of the country, you can see that the morning visit went well, that the tablets were taken, and that your mum had a cup of tea and a chat. You do not have to ring up and ask. It is just there.
For a family member who cannot be there in person, it is one of the most reassuring things we offer. You get the peace of mind of knowing what is going on, without your mum feeling checked up on.
[Keith to confirm the name of the care system, what relatives can see, how they log in, and whether there is a cost, so this section can be completed accurately.]
What about the money?
The meeting itself is free, whatever you decide afterwards. But it helps to know what help might be available before you start, so here is the short version in plain English.
- Local authority funding. Your council may help with the cost of care following their own care needs assessment under the Care Act. This is the council's assessment, not ours.
- Direct payments. If the council agrees to fund your care, you can sometimes receive the money directly and arrange the care yourself, including with us.
- Attendance Allowance. A tax free benefit for people over state pension age who need help with personal care, which many families use towards the cost of care at home.
- NHS continuing healthcare. For people with complex ongoing health needs, the NHS may fund the full cost of care. This is assessed separately by a clinical team.
- Paying privately. Many families pay for care themselves, and we will talk you through the rates openly when the time comes.
You can read more about how care is funded in our guide to care costs and funding in Berkshire. And whatever your situation, the first meeting is free either way.
We will come out to you
The initial meeting is at your home, wherever that is across Berkshire.
We will come out to any of these places. Click your town to see the full list of villages we cover there.
Home care in Reading
Including Caversham, Tilehurst, Woodley and Earley.
Home care in Wokingham
Including Winnersh, Twyford and Finchampstead.
Home care in Bracknell
Including Crowthorne, Sandhurst and Warfield.
Home care in Newbury
Including Thatcham, Hungerford and Kintbury.
You can also see the full list of towns and villages on our areas we cover page.
Other pages that might help
If you are still working out what you need, these are the pages families usually look at next.
Home care and visiting care
What a visit actually looks like, how often we come, and how short a visit can be.
Live in care
A carer living in the home, for when visiting care is no longer enough.
Dementia care at home
Specialist support for someone living with dementia, built around routine and familiarity.
Guide to care costs and funding
How home care is charged, and what funding might be available across Berkshire.
If you are putting together a list of questions to ask any care provider, our questions to ask a home care agency guide pairs perfectly with the section above about interviewing us. Bring it to the meeting.
Arrange an initial meeting
Whenever you are ready, pick a time here. The meeting is free, there is nothing to sign, and you can change your mind afterwards.
Choose a time online
Rather talk to a person?
A real person answers the phone, not a menu or a queue. Ring us and we will arrange a time to come out.
0118 391 3542Or ask for a callback
Leave a few details and we will ring you back.
Questions about the assessment
If there is anything you want to know before we come round, here are the things families usually ask.
Ready for a chat at home?
Arrange a free, no obligation meeting with someone from our team. We will come round, have a cup of tea, and listen to how things are. Nothing to sign, and no pressure to go ahead.
