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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2838359 1 Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care and Support Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children who are siblings were living at the home.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2838359 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are building positive relationships with staff, and the home is welcoming and homely. Children feel confident seeking affection and attention from staff, who respond warmly and supportively. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing and accept children for who they are. Staff adapt their approaches to ensure that they meet children’s individual needs. This supports children’s emotional wellbeing and promotes their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their family and they approach this with sensitivity. They ensure that children’s views and feelings are always considered and shared with their wider network. This helps build children’s sense of identity and belonging and maintain important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of activities including football, swimming and outings to the park. They are provided with opportunities to learn new skills and engage in hobbies. When children express an interest in trying an activity, staff are proactive in identifying and arranging this for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to do well in their education. When children decline to attend school, staff ensure that there are consistent routines and home-based learning in place. Staff work closely with schools to support children and to help them return to education in a positive and timely way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals say that they are satisfied with the care that children receive. They report that the children have positive relationships with staff and appear happy when they visit.

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

Staff understand children’s needs and risks well. When incidents occur, staff use strategies and de-escalation techniques in line with children’s plans. Children are spoken to about these plans and are actively involved in identifying what strategies staff can use to help them. This promotes children’s engagement in their care and demonstrates that they are valued by staff.

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

Staff speak to children regularly about topics specific to their individual needs. This is conversational and takes place across the whole staff team. Conversations also take place following incidents and specific events. This provides children with an opportunity to develop their understanding and knowledge about how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff engage in safeguarding training to develop the knowledge and skills required to protect children, so they can identify safeguarding concerns early and respond promptly and appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838359 3 Children share their worries and concerns with staff. However, when children make allegations, staff do not always follow safeguarding procedures. The registered manager has taken robust action to address this. Furthermore, leaders and managers do not always notify Ofsted of serious events, which limits the regulator’s oversight of children’s safeguarding.

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

Consequences for children are used infrequently by staff. However, when consequences are used as a behaviour management strategy, some records contain gaps in information. Furthermore, the effectiveness of consequences is not reviewed, which limits their impact as a behaviour management strategy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong presence at the home and is directly involved in the day-to-day care of the children. She leads by example and is child centred. The children have a strong and positive relationship with the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is effective management oversight over all aspects of the home. The registered manager has a clear understanding of the children’s progress and staff practice. The registered manager addresses shortfalls in staff practice in a timely and supportive way during supervision, team meetings and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel supported in their roles. Supervisions and team meetings take place regularly. These provide staff with opportunities to reflect on children’s progress, apply learning from training attended and evaluate their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly organised. Children’s records are kept to date, and the manager escalates to other agencies if relevant documents are not received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works effectively with each child’s wider network and maintains positive working relationships with professionals. This helps to ensure that children’s individual needs are met effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838359 4

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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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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)(c)(e)) 20 March 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that strategies used for behaviour management, specifically consequences, are recorded in full, regularly reviewed, and revised if they are not effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2838359 5

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2838359 6 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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