Children's Home run by The Acorns Leicester Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 1 Registered provider: The Acorns Leicester 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 provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: At the last inspection, in May 2025, a restriction of accommodation was served. Ofsted carried out monitoring visits on 9 July, 20 August and 6 October. Following the monitoring visit completed on 6 October, the restriction of accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/05/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last monitoring visit, no children have lived at the home. The home continues to meet the requirements for registration. It is well presented, welcoming and ready for a child to move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide provides important information that helps children understand their home. It sets out, in a child-friendly way, how they can make a complaint and lets them know how quickly staff will respond. The guide is well presented and easy for children to read and understand. This ensures that children are fully informed about their rights and what to expect while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has implemented systems to gather feedback from children, enabling a clear understanding of their progress and their experience of living in the home. This provides children with safe and meaningful opportunities to express their wishes and feelings, ensuring that their views inform the ongoing development of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A comprehensive audit tool has been developed to support children’s admission to the home. It provides a clear checklist to ensure that all essential information is recorded and maintained on each child’s file. The tool is reviewed after admission, helping to monitor how well children have settled and enabling managers to assess their progress. This ensures children receive consistent, well-informed care from the outset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have established strong working relationships with local health services, including dentists and opticians. This ensures that children can access essential healthcare promptly and without difficulty.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff will use incentives and rewards to promote and reinforce good and positive behaviour from children. The behaviour management policy outlines how staff will manage children’s behaviour. This also provides staff with clear guidance on when and how physical intervention may be used, ensuring it is applied safely and appropriately. Staff receive training in behaviour management and physical intervention to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to support children effectively.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

In the period when no child has been living in the home, the manager has maintained a strong focus on developing staff competence through robust training and professional development. Staff have benefited from a well-planned programme of face-to-face and online training, including essential safeguarding practice. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the procedures to follow should children raise any concerns about staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The location of the home has been carefully assessed. Any potential risks have been thoroughly considered and evaluated, with a focus on how children living in the home Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 4 can be kept safe. The manager reviews the assessments regularly to ensure the continued suitability and safety of the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment is overseen by both the registered manager and the responsible individual. This provides additional layers of scrutiny and ensures that only staff deemed safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established monitoring and quality assurance systems that provide clear oversight of the day-to-day care practice of staff. While these systems are largely untested, they are designed to identify areas for improvement through regular reviews of children’s progress, key records and other relevant information. This enables the manager to take timely action to address shortfalls and maintain good standards of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff engage in regular team meetings that have a strong focus on the lessons learned since the last inspection. Management have used this time effectively to reinforce expectations and strengthen the care practices of staff. There continues to be a strong emphasis on staff training, ensuring that all staff are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge required before any child is admitted to the home. However, staff have not received supervision in line with the home’s policy. As a result, opportunities for staff to reflect individually with management have been limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they feel well supported in their roles and have benefited from extensive training that equips them to care effectively for children. Staff speak positively about the support provided by the manager and their team, with one member of staff describing the manager as ‘fantastic’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

For a period of two months, Ofsted did not receive any reports from the independent visitor, which limited the external oversight and scrutiny expected through independent monitoring. The manager has responded promptly by appointing a new independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is driving positive improvements within the home. A thorough review of documentation has been undertaken to ensure it is relevant and supports the needs of children effectively. The manager demonstrates a clear understanding of the home’s strengths, as well as areas for ongoing development and learning. This promotes continual improvement in the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 5

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are receiving supervision in line with the home’s policy. 2 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and 2 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 6 the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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: 2783593 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Acorns Leicester Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 50 Dalby Avenue, Bushby, Leicester LE7 9RD

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2783593 8 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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Inspector

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