Children's Home run by Acheron Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 1 Registered provider: Acheron Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company and provides care for 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, 3 child were living in the home and 2 spoke with the inspectors.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home have been registered with Ofsted since October 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 2

p.1

Summary of findings

Since the home registered with Ofsted, 3 children have been welcomed into the home. Despite some early challenges that affected children’s experiences, staff now provide good-quality care that helps children to feel settled and make progress. As children have become more secure, incidents have reduced and staff have appropriately decreased supervision, supporting children to develop greater independence.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive, trusting and nurturing relationships with staff, who know them well. Staff speak about children with warmth and genuine care for their welfare. As a result, children feel that they matter and are safe and valued in the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health needs through careful planning and effective communication with external professionals. They ensure that children attend routine health appointments and, when needed, access specialist services, including therapeutic support. This coordinated, multi-agency approach helps to meet children’s wider health and emotional needs.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff actively encourage this time, ensuring that arrangements are safe, reflect children’s wishes and are in their best interests. This helps children to strengthen relationships and develop a positive sense of identity.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and well maintained. Photographs of children taking part in activities with staff are displayed throughout the home, helping to reflect positive relationships and shared experiences. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and comfortably furnished. Staff encourage children to take ownership of their home and to contribute to the environment, which helps to promote a sense of belonging and security.

p.2

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

Children’s safety and welfare are prioritised. Where there have been shortfalls in staff practice that have affected children’s experiences, the manager has responded promptly by taking appropriate action and putting strategies in place. This has led to improved practice, reduced risks to children and strengthened the quality of care they receive.

p.2

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

When children make allegations, these are taken seriously by the manager and are investigated. However, on one occasion, the local authority designated officer and Ofsted were not consulted, and staff did not follow internal safeguarding processes. This lapse Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 3 meant that both children and staff were not afforded the necessary external scrutiny and support, which increased potential risk.

p.2

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

Staff support children to reflect on risky and unwanted behaviour through the use of natural consequences and give them opportunities to talk about how they are feeling. Clear boundaries and expectations are in place, alongside a range of rewards that recognise positive behaviour. Children understand that actions have consequences, which helps them to develop self-awareness and take responsibility for their behaviour.

p.3

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

When there are concerns about children’s welfare, staff carry out room searches appropriately. Any items found are promptly removed, and staff explain to children why the search was necessary. This helps to keep children safe and supports them to understand the actions staff take to safeguard their wellbeing.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are committed to improving outcomes for children. The registered manager is visible and actively involved in the home, which has contributed to its progress since registration. Although there were initial challenges, managers addressed these promptly through effective oversight. Learning from these experiences has been used to strengthen practice.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager challenges and advocates for children effectively. They have positive working relationships with external professionals and communicate well to ensure that children receive the support they are entitled to. This further demonstrates the manager’s commitment to securing good outcomes for children in their care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good overview of the home. He has developed systems to monitor staff practice effectively and to identify and address areas for improvement promptly. This approach supports continuous improvement and helps to enhance children’s day-to- day experiences.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is positive. Staff describe feeling happy, motivated and well supported by managers and colleagues. This creates a positive working environment, which helps children to receive consistent, nurturing care from staff who are committed to their wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 4

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand the steps required to safeguard children when they are at risk of harm. This includes ensuring that safeguarding policies are followed in instances where children make allegations and ensuring that Ofsted and the local authority designated officer are informed of allegations. 12 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 5

p.4

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: 2862568 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acheron Care Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Manor House, Hilderstone, Stone ST15 8SQ

p.6

Inspectors

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Nus Bibi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2862568 7 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.

p.6

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7