Children's Home run by Acheron Care Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 1 Registered provider: Acheron Care 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

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2023 and is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025 and is suitably qualified. The manager is also registered to manage another children’s home in the company.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Good 05/06/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 3

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Summary of findings

There are some strengths in practice and leadership, and children have made some progress. Although children have formed good relationships with staff, children’s experiences of living in the home are not consistently positive.

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improvement to be good

The home’s overall environment is clean and tidy. However, children’s bedrooms are a concern. One child’s bedroom is in poor condition, and these issues have gone unnoticed or unaddressed. This lack of oversight has the potential to pose health and safety risks. In another child’s room, the blind is attached to the window with gaffer tape. This is unsightly and stands as a lasting reminder of a difficult incident. As a result, the children are not being provided with a nurturing and hygienic environment in which to live.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved into the home and 3 children have moved out. Their moves were well planned, even when transitions have quickly identified that the home is unable to meet the child’s needs. Staff actively support children to develop their independence skills and encourage children to carry out daily tasks to learn important life skills. This approach has supported a child to successfully move to semi-independence.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to use their voice and express their feelings in a range of ways. However, children do not always feel listened to. As a result, children have become disengaged and frustrated, impacting on their overall welfare.

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improvement to be good

All children access appropriate education. Staff prioritise children’s education, and the manager advocates strongly for children to ensure that they have what they need. For one child, the progress they have made is significant despite poor local authority provision. Another child sat his exams when he was not expected to, and another child has been supported to have face-to-face tuition when other ways of learning were unsuccessful. These examples demonstrate consistent advocacy and support by staff.

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improvement to be good

While staff demonstrate a sound understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and receive related training and theoretical knowledge, there are notable inconsistencies in practice that impact on the quality of care provided. These shortfalls appear to be linked to staff burnout and growing sense of helplessness when managing complex behaviours and needs. As a result, staff responses are not Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 4 always aligned with the home’s therapeutic care model. This inconsistency reduces the effectiveness of interventions and limits positive outcomes for children.

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improvement to be good

Inconsistent approaches from staff do not always ensure children’s safety. Staff supervision and behaviour management of children has not always been in line with children’s risks or needs. This has resulted in incidents where children have harmed one another. Careful consideration has also not been given to the impact that incidents within the home can have on each child. This has affected children’s comfort and created negative experiences in their safe spaces, particularly their bedrooms.

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improvement to be good

Despite some shortfalls identified, some safeguarding responses are good. For example, managers take allegations and complaints seriously and ensure they are investigated. When children display risk-taking behaviour, staff respond in line with expected practice. For 2 children, there has been a significant decline in behaviours associated with self-harm and going missing. This demonstrates a positive impact of some targeted support for children.

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improvement to be good

Where children’s behaviour has impacted on the local community, this is managed well. Leaders and managers have taken steps to ensure that children are protected but also undertake reparation work with the local community. This helps children to develop an understanding of their role within their community and how to have a positive impact. Staff address stigma in the community associated with children who are looked after.

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good

Leaders and managers are committed to helping children achieve their potential. The manager demonstrates a calm and reflective approach and has identified areas of development in staff practice. However, current management systems do not monitor and improve consistently the care children receive.

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good

Staff morale is low, with some staff reporting that they feel undervalued and insufficiently supported, particularly during periods of increased demand. This has contributed to reduced motivation and higher staff turnover. Although leaders recognise these challenges, actions to improve morale have not had a sustained impact. As a result, workforce instability affects consistency in practice and creates a negative atmosphere in the home and a decline in the quality of care to children.

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good

Staff have received training relevant to the needs of children living in the home. Supervision sessions are regular and are used to provide staff with additional support, share key information and address practice shortfalls.

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good

Leaders challenge and advocate on behalf of children to ensure that they get the support and resources they are entitled to. When this has not been forthcoming, formal complaints have been made on behalf of children. One person external to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 5 home has stated that if they were a child in care, they would want the responsible individual and manager to represent them due to their tenacity to challenge. This highlights the confidence others have in their advocacy. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 6

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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.

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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.

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff respond to children in line with the therapeutic model of the home and in line with their plans. 10 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 7 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Staff must manage behaviour to prevent children from harming one another and support them to understand the impact of their actions. 10 July 2026

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must maintain a safe and supportive environment for children. Children must be supported to care for their personal spaces, and staff should undertake daily checks to ensure items, such as food and kitchen items, are removed from children’s bedrooms. 10 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 8 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must address staff morale and promote a positive supportive team culture. This includes ensuring that staff feel valued, communication is effective and that staff can work cohesively as a team to deliver consistent, high-quality care. 10 July 2026

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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: 2736705 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acheron Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2736705 10 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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