- Care home
Acorn House - Croydon
Report from 17 October 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 12 November 2025
Acorn House – Croydon is a residential care home for up to 31 older people. Many of whom are living with dementia. They do not provide nursing care. At the time of our assessment 25 people were using the service.
We undertook this assessment to follow up on the previous rating of requires improvement for the key questions Effective and Well-led. We found improvements had been made and the provider had improved their ratings for these questions. We did not include the quality statements under the key questions Safe, Caring or Responsive in this assessment.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. People had enough to eat and drink to stay healthy. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and to ensure continuity of care. Staff worked in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2010 and involved those important to people to make decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.
Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. There was a regular programme of audit and review of key service data to monitor the quality and safety of care. There was a culture of continuous improvement and environmental changes were being undertaken to improve fire safety systems.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives were happy living at Acorn House and were complimentary of the care and support they received from staff. A person told us, “I like this [care home] as the staff are so good and look after me. They take me out of a chair into a wheelchair, and when it is nice they take me out into the garden which I like as I was a gardener myself.” Another person said, “The care is good. They look after you well…The staff here look after me and will come and ask me if I am ok. I get on well with the carers and management, and I think they are all excellent.” A relative said, “I have seen and heard the staff talking very gently and respectfully to [their family member], and to gently encourage them to do things.”
People were supported to have a balanced diet that met their nutritional needs. They were offered choice and involved in menu planning. Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals and see the doctor when they required it.
People and relatives told us the management team were approachable and accessible. They were visible throughout the home and regularly came to see them.