Children's home run by Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 1 Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children who may experience social or emotional difficulties and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Both children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have had planned moves into the home and three children have moved out of the home after notice was given. Group dynamics have not been well managed, and at times staff have been unable to keep children safe. Consequently, children’s experiences are not always positive.

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improvement to be good

Instability in the staff team has led to a lack of consistency for the children living in the home. This has affected their continuity of care. This is something that leaders and managers are taking action to address.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. Children are encouraged to share their wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to engage in activities outside of the home to build positive memories.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with their education and both children are making progress. There is good communication between the home and school staff. This ensures that children are equipped with the skills they need to make good progress with their education.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their family and friends. This helps children to maintain important relationships and increases their sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

The home is a clean, modern and homely environment. There is ample space for children to have time alone or spend time with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children have not always been safeguarded effectively. Serious incidents involving children who have now moved on from the home have not always been managed appropriately. Incident records lacked detail and oversight by leaders and managers and did not identify reflection or learning for the team. This something that the manager has taken action to address.

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improvement to be good

Not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted as required by regulation, which limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Risk management and behaviour support plans are reviewed on a regular basis. However, risk plans in relation to supervising children have not been consistently Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 4 followed by staff. This reduces opportunities to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s risks and are proactive in supporting children to talk about what is going on for them. Consequently, incidents of the children going missing from the home have significantly reduced in frequency.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. When a complaint was made, action was taken to ensure that the child had the opportunity to express their views and that the child was updated on the outcome.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices have been implemented. This ensures that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been changes in the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. The manager is supported by a deputy manager. Further changes are planned as the manager is soon to leave, and there are plans in place for a new manager to support the home on a short-term basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager, including with regard to their inductions. They enjoy working at the home and are committed to improving outcomes for the children. However, staff are not receiving supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan. This does not help staff to carry out their roles effectively or provide formal opportunities for reflection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training is completed to ensure that the staff have the right skills and knowledge. However, for some staff, the home’s therapeutic model training, which has been identified to meet the needs of the children, has not been completed in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Regular team meetings take place and there is reflection on the children’s needs and present behaviours. They create an opportunity for learning and reflection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not developed positive relationships with external professionals. However, action has been taken to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not have effective internal and external monitoring systems in place. Audits by leaders and managers have failed to identify recording shortfalls and do not include all incidents that have occurred in the home. This limits oversight of practice and reduces opportunities for leaders and managers to identify patterns and trends and oversee the progress children make. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 5 The manager has completed six-monthly quality of care reports. However, the reports lack evaluation, and the opinions of staff are not considered. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that they have oversight of all work carried out in the home. This includes reviewing and evaluating all incidents to identify any learning and support to develop practice in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there are effective systems in place for leaders and managers to access relevant records in the absence of other managers.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 8 that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that risk management plans include clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe and that plans are kept under review, including when children go on holiday.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are no delays in escalating concerns with a child’s placing authority. 15 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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Requirement Due date

The conditions are— 15 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 9 that the care meets the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ix) (3)(b)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the views of staff are considered when evaluating the service and the quality of care review, including learning and reflection. In addition, that staff receive supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 15 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationship with each child’s placing authority. These working relationships will also be key to success in delivering the care planning standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 3, 125-129 Witton Street, Northwich CW9 5DY

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744072 11 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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