Acorn Care Home
- Care home
- 31 beds
- Nursing care
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2011
- Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
5 ratings
Its last inspection moved it down from Good to Requires improvement.
17 months
since the latest rating was published.
54 of 245
rated care homes in Birmingham are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Acorn Care Home: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in May 2025, down from Good.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||||||||||||
| Safe | ||||||||||||
| Effective | ||||||||||||
| Caring | ||||||||||||
| Responsive | ||||||||||||
| Well-led |
Ratings published by the Care Quality Commission.
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Morning Stars (Good, 0.1 miles away) and Step Forward Support (Good, 0.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Morning Stars Good, 0.1 miles away
- RI Primrose Place Requires improvement, 0.1 miles away
- G Step Forward Support Good, 0.1 miles away
- RI The Royd Requires improvement, 0.3 miles away
- O Robert Harvey House Outstanding, 0.3 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 28 May 2025 (assessment visit 4 March 2025). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
Date of assessment: 18 and 19 March 2025. Acorn Care Home is a care home providing nursing, personal care and accommodation for 31 people. At the time of our assessment there were 31 people living at the home.
- Safe No rating
- Effective Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
The inspection was prompted in part by a notification of an incident following which a person using the service died, following a choking incident. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
We assessed the provider against all the quality statements in the key questions of safe, effective and well-led.
The provider had governance systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service; however, these were not always effective or timely regarding the oversight of risk. The provider did not always work well with people to understand and manage some risks. Some aspects of medicine management were not safe. Although recruitment procedures were well established the provider’s own procedures were not consistently followed. Staff felt valued and well supported but not all training and learning needs were met.
We found 2 breaches of regulation in relation to safe care and good governance.
There were enough staff to support people and meet their needs. Staff worked with partners to help people achieve positive outcomes. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. People received care centred on them and their individual needs including those related to their protected equality characteristics. People were supported to stay healthy. Staff understood people’s rights and how these should be met. Staff were valued and supported with their learning and development. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns, and these were listened to.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns in relation to regulation 17 good governance.
In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this on our website after any representations and / or appeals have been concluded.
-
Safe
No rating
Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.
The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment.
-
Effective
Good
Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.
-
Well-led
No rating
Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
At our last assessment we rated requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement. This meant the management and leadership was not always consistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.
The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to good governance of the service.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 28 May 2025. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 28 May 2025. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- Ask how nursing cover works at night and at weekends.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Elaine Dwyer-Green
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service with nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, Mental Health, Older People, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)8 inspection reports, latest 9 January 2021. Latest assessment published 28 May 2025; the Care Quality Commission's newer assessments are published on its website rather than as reports.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- 1st Care Limited
- Ownership type
- Organisation
- Companies House number
- 04254989 (opens Companies House)
1st Care Limited runs 2 services in England, 1 of them in the West Midlands. 1 is rated Good or Outstanding and 1 is rated Requires improvement or Inadequate.
Other services run by 1st Care Limited
- G Orrell Grange Good. Care home with nursing, Sefton, North West
Getting help from Birmingham City Council
The council can assess what care someone needs and tell them what help with the cost they may get.
- Adult social care at Birmingham City Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 0121 303 1234
- Contact adult social care online
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Birmingham City Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does Acorn Care Home provide nursing care?
- Yes. The Care Quality Commission lists Acorn Care Home as a care home with nursing.
- How many beds does Acorn Care Home have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 31 beds at Acorn Care Home.
- When was Acorn Care Home last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Acorn Care Home was published on 28 May 2025.
- Who runs Acorn Care Home?
- Acorn Care Home is run by 1st Care Limited. It runs 2 services in England, 1 of them in the West Midlands.
- What is Acorn Care Home's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 28 May 2025.
Contact
- Phone
- 0121 507 1763
- Address
- 88 Handsworth Wood Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, B20 2PL Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Morning Stars (Good, 0.1 miles away) and Step Forward Support (Good, 0.1 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Morning Stars Good, 0.1 miles away
- RI Primrose Place Requires improvement, 0.1 miles away
- G Step Forward Support Good, 0.1 miles away
- RI The Royd Requires improvement, 0.3 miles away
- O Robert Harvey House Outstanding, 0.3 miles away