Children's Home run by Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 1 Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke to 2 children about their experiences of living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

At a full inspection on 13 January 2026, the home was judged as inadequate. Compliance notices relating to Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’, were issued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken to meet the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have not been any incidents of children being missing from the home. The staff understand what action to undertake if an incident were to occur.

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This monitoring visit

During an incident of substances being found in the child’s bedroom, staff took action to seek medical advice and inform relevant professionals. However, routine bedroom checks are not yet embedded in practice despite this being an ongoing issue for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff, leaders and managers have failed to respond appropriately when safeguarding concerns arise. When one child’s items were located in another child’s bedroom, staff did not remove these or report it as a concern. As a result, plans are not in place to address this issue or safeguard all the children in the home. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 2 Since the last visit, risk management plans have been updated. However, they do not include all known risks for the children or clear strategies for the staff to follow. This does not provide staff with clear guidance on how to manage all risks should they occur.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received further training on a number of topics, including substance misuse and recording and reporting. However, staff responses to safeguarding concerns demonstrate that this has not been effective and has not improved staff practice for the benefit of the children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not have effective internal monitoring systems in place. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to the children and opportunities for the leadership to make continuous improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements regarding areas of concern raised at the last inspection have been considered during the visit. Some of the actions have been met but some remain in place and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit a case review was held on 18 March 2026. It was decided that the provider has not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices. Further notices have been issued under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’, and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2026 Full Inadequate 12/11/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 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 with the given timescales.

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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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that all staff, including managers and the responsible individual, take action to safeguard all children at all times.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all incidents and safeguarding concerns are reported and recorded. 26 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 5 Ensure that risk assessments and behaviour support plans include all risks.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff understand what action to take to manage and reduce known and emerging risks.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all staff, leaders and managers understand children’s risks and that plans are in place to safeguard all children in the home.

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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’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; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with training on topics relevant to the children’s needs. This should include safeguarding, whistleblowing, recording and reporting and professional curiosity. 26 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 6 Ensure that managers and staff are professionally curious with children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all incidents are recorded and reviewed and that action is undertaken to respond to concerns and address shortfalls in practice.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that systems are in place to monitor the care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that learning and reflection takes place following incidents and when new concerns arise.

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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)) 26 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review’’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children; and

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Requirement Due date

after completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

the system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their 26 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 7 parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2785316 8

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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: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited, 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 – monitoring visit: 2785316 9 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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