• Care Home
  • Care home

Acorn

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

65 Downend Road, Downend, Bristol, Avon, BS16 5EF (0117) 908 5440

Provided and run by:
Acorn Care Providers Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

About the service

The service is a care home. There were 6 people using the service at the time of the assessment.

Who the service is for

This service supports adults with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and autistic people.

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

Key Findings

We carried out this assessment on 18 and 19 August 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People were supported by safely recruited staff who received an induction, supervision, and ongoing training in their roles. A staff member said, “Supervision is helpful, supportive and occurs regularly,” There was a stable and consistent staff team. Staff knew people well and had developed positive relationships with people living at the home. The service did not use agency staff. A staff member said, “We work really well as a team.”

The home was clean, tidy, and well maintained. People’s rooms were personalised to reflect their individuality. Regular checks on fire safety equipment and procedures were completed. People’s medicines were managed and administered safely. Risks to people were identified and guidance directed staff how to manage these. Staff knew how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns, accidents, or incidents. A staff member said, “We report anything of concern.” Communication systems ensured staff were updated with any changes in people’s care and support needs. Learning was shared and reflected upon to make changes where needed.

People were supported to visit and stay at the home as part of the assessment process to ensure they wished to live there, and the service could meet their needs. Regular reviews of people’s care and support were conducted. People were supported in their chosen aims and goals. People had support to attend appointments in regard to their mental and physical health. Relatives told us how staff supported people when a hospital admission was needed. A relative said, “Staff go with them. They are brilliant.” People and their relatives told us how the service provided a calm, caring and homely environment which supported their mental health well-being.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found that staff and management worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control, and freedom over their lives. Staff always gained consent from people and respected people’s choices.

People’s care plans were person centred and detailed how people wished to be supported and included their likes and dislikes. Feedback was sought from people, relatives and stakeholders and actions taken in response. The provider encouraged any feedback or complaints to be raised. Relatives told us concerns were well managed.

The service’s aims and ethos were well established. With documentation detailing the aims of, ‘Working together, supporting each other, putting people first. Together we create a happy, safe and supportive home.’ The nominated individual, registered manager and staff created a positive and open culture which put people at the centre of their care. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home and were valued in their roles. A staff member said, “We are well supported. We are close knit team.” The home was well led and managed by the nominated individual and registered manager. Staff said, “Managers are very approachable,” and “We are very lucky to have managers like them.”

Governance systems assessed and monitored the quality and safety of the service. We identified where these systems needed strengthening to ensure some areas identified during this assessment were included. For example, in relation to 1 safeguarding notification which had not been submitted to CQC and potential risks from hot surfaces not being managed in line with the provider’s health and safety policies. These were addressed after the assessment. The service did not have a service development plan to demonstrate areas they had identified, reviewed and progressed for improvement. The provider said this would be actioned.

15 March 2018

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 15 and 19 March 2018 and was unannounced. This was the provider’s first inspection since changing to a new legal entity.

Acorn provides accommodation for up to 6 adults with a learning disability and or a mental health. At the time of our visit there were 6 men living at the service. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People were treated in a dignified, caring manner, which demonstrated that their rights were protected. Where people lacked the capacity to make choices and decisions, staff ensured people’s rights were protected by involving relatives or other professionals in the decision making process. Information was accessible to help people make decisions and express their views about the service. Staff recognised the importance of effective communication enabling them to respond to people in a person centred way.

People received a safe service. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and to spend time socialising with them. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks to the person and others and what measures were in place to ensure the person’s safety. People were involved in discussions about how they could keep safe. Staff clearly described what they would do if they felt a person was at risk of abuse and the importance of reporting to other agencies. People received their medicines safely.

Systems were in place to ensure effective communication, including team meetings and staff one to one meetings with the senior management team. Staff spoke positively about the team and how they supported people. People told us they liked the staff and the other people they lived with.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because there were clear procedures in place to recognise and respond to abuse and staff had been trained in how to follow the procedures. Systems were in place to ensure people were safe including risk management, checks on the equipment, fire systems and safe recruitment processes.

People continued to receive effective care because staff had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support them. People's healthcare needs were monitored by the staff. Other health and social care professionals were involved in the care and support of the people living at Acorn.

People were very much involved and included in the running of the service with resident meetings and key worker meetings being organised monthly. They were consulted about activities, menu planning and the running of the home. There was a strong emphasis this was people’s home.

Systems were in place for monitoring the service. This included seeking the views of the people and their relatives through regular meetings and annual surveys.