Acorn Heights
At a Glance
The information you need to decide whether this home warrants a closer look.
Residential homes
Staff warmth score
of reviewers answered yes
Good to know
- Registered beds22
- SpecialismsCaring for adults over 65 yrs, Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Dementia, Learning disabilities, Mental health conditions
- Last inspected2018-04-25
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STAGE 4 — RESEARCHING CARE HOMES
Visit homes. Compare them side by side. Choose with confidence.
Most of us will view care homes the way we view houses, impression, atmosphere, the feeling in the corridor. We go home, try to remember what we saw, and make a permanent decision from a blurred memory.
The DCC shortlist gives every home you visit a structured record: the same twelve questions, answered the same way, every time. When you’re ready to choose, pull any two homes side by side and compare them directly. Same criteria, same evidence, your notes and your scores.
The Evidence
What the review data, the inspection reports, and the dementia-care evidence base tell us about this home.
What families say
Visitors often mention how personable and approachable they find the staff when they arrive. The atmosphere feels pleasant and welcoming, which can make such a difference when you're visiting someone you care about.
The eight family priority themes
- Staff warmth52
- Compassion & dignity52
- Cleanliness52
- Activities & engagement50
- Food quality50
- Healthcare50
- Management & leadership55
- Resident happiness52
What inspectors found
Inspected 2018-04-25
Is this home safe?
Is the care effective?
The Effective domain was rated Good at the November 2020 inspection. No specific detail is published about care plan quality, GP access, medicines management, dementia training content, or nutritional care. The home lists dementia, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions as specialisms, which suggests a need for staff skilled across a range of care approaches. The improvement from Requires Improvement implies that gaps identified previously in effective practice were addressed before November 2020.Is this home caring?
The Caring domain was rated Good at the November 2020 inspection. No inspector observations about staff warmth, preferred names, unhurried interactions, or dignity in personal care are included in the published text. The rating itself is a positive signal, particularly given the home's history of improvement. The home cares for a mixed group including people with dementia and mental health conditions, where staff skill in non-verbal communication and calm, consistent responses is especially important.Is the home responsive?
The Responsive domain was rated Good at the November 2020 inspection. No specific detail is published about the activities programme, one-to-one engagement, how the home meets individual preferences, or end-of-life planning. The home's mixed specialism group (dementia, learning disabilities, mental health, adults of different ages) creates a particular challenge for responsiveness, because activities and daily routines meaningful to one group may not suit another.Is the home well-led?
The Well-led domain was rated Good at the November 2020 inspection. A registered manager, Mrs Anneta Marie McLaughlin, and a nominated individual, Mr Sunil Jobanputra, are named in the registration record. The home's trajectory from Requires Improvement to Good across all domains is the clearest available signal of leadership that identified problems and acted on them. No specific detail about staff culture, how concerns are raised, or governance systems is available in the published text.
Source: CQC inspection report →
What the evidence base says
The team provides specialist care for adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions, alongside support for those living with dementia. They work with both younger and older adults, bringing experience across different age groups and care needs. For residents living with dementia, the team brings specialist knowledge to support both the person and their family through this journey. They understand the unique challenges dementia presents alongside other complex care needs. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
Every domain was rated Good at the last full inspection in November 2020, which is a positive baseline, but the published report text contains very little specific observational detail, so scores reflect the rating rather than confirmed evidence of what daily life looks like for your parent.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Visitors often mention how personable and approachable they find the staff when they arrive. The atmosphere feels pleasant and welcoming, which can make such a difference when you're visiting someone you care about.
What inspectors have recorded
How it sits against good practice
Getting a feel for daily life here, including activities and routines, will help you decide if it's the right fit for your loved one.
Worth a visit
Acorn Heights Care Home, at 147 Manchester Road, Burnley, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last full inspection in November 2020. This represents a genuine improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, which tells you the home recognised problems and made changes. A named registered manager is recorded as being in post. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a reassessment of that Good rating. The honest caveat is that the published inspection text for this home contains very little observational detail. Scores for staff warmth, food, activities, and dementia-specific care are all based on the Good rating rather than on specific inspector observations or resident testimony, because those details are not in the published record. The home has not had a full inspection since April 2018 for its last rated report, with the November 2020 inspection being the most recent rated inspection and the July 2023 review being a desk-based monitoring exercise only. Before choosing this home, visit in person, ask to see a recent week's staffing rota (counting permanent versus agency staff on nights), sit in at lunchtime to observe mealtimes, and ask how the home supports the mix of people with dementia, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions living together across 22 beds.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Acorn Heights measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Acorn Heights describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Supporting adults with complex needs in Burnley's welcoming community
Acorn Heights Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
When you're searching for the right support for someone with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, finding a place that truly understands complex care matters deeply. Acorn Heights Care Home in Burnley provides specialist support for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia. The team here focuses on creating a welcoming environment where residents with different needs can feel comfortable.
Who they care for
The team provides specialist care for adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions, alongside support for those living with dementia. They work with both younger and older adults, bringing experience across different age groups and care needs.
For residents living with dementia, the team brings specialist knowledge to support both the person and their family through this journey. They understand the unique challenges dementia presents alongside other complex care needs.
“Getting a feel for daily life here, including activities and routines, will help you decide if it's the right fit for your loved one.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
The DCC Verdict
Our editorial view, built from the three lenses: what families tell us, what inspectors record, and how the home sits against good dementia-care practice.
DCC Family Score
Every domain was rated Good at the last full inspection in November 2020, which is a positive baseline, but the published report text contains very little specific observational detail, so scores reflect the rating rather than confirmed evidence of what daily life looks like for your parent.
Homes in North West typically score 68–82.The three-lens summary
What families tell us
Visitors often mention how personable and approachable they find the staff when they arrive. The atmosphere feels pleasant and welcoming, which can make such a difference when you're visiting someone you care about.
What inspectors have recorded
How it sits against good practice
Getting a feel for daily life here, including activities and routines, will help you decide if it's the right fit for your loved one.
Worth a visit
Acorn Heights Care Home, at 147 Manchester Road, Burnley, was rated Good across all five inspection domains at its last full inspection in November 2020. This represents a genuine improvement from a previous Requires Improvement rating, which tells you the home recognised problems and made changes. A named registered manager is recorded as being in post. A monitoring review in July 2023 found no evidence requiring a reassessment of that Good rating. The honest caveat is that the published inspection text for this home contains very little observational detail. Scores for staff warmth, food, activities, and dementia-specific care are all based on the Good rating rather than on specific inspector observations or resident testimony, because those details are not in the published record. The home has not had a full inspection since April 2018 for its last rated report, with the November 2020 inspection being the most recent rated inspection and the July 2023 review being a desk-based monitoring exercise only. Before choosing this home, visit in person, ask to see a recent week's staffing rota (counting permanent versus agency staff on nights), sit in at lunchtime to observe mealtimes, and ask how the home supports the mix of people with dementia, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions living together across 22 beds.
The three questions to ask when you visitSave this home. Compare it against your shortlist.
Let our analysis show you how Acorn Heights measures up against the other homes you’re considering. Free account.
In Their Own Words
How Acorn Heights describes itself — collected from its own website. DCC has not edited or independently verified the content in this tab.
Supporting adults with complex needs in Burnley's welcoming community
Acorn Heights Care Home – Your Trusted residential home
When you're searching for the right support for someone with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, finding a place that truly understands complex care matters deeply. Acorn Heights Care Home in Burnley provides specialist support for adults of all ages, including those living with dementia. The team here focuses on creating a welcoming environment where residents with different needs can feel comfortable.
Who they care for
The team provides specialist care for adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions, alongside support for those living with dementia. They work with both younger and older adults, bringing experience across different age groups and care needs.
For residents living with dementia, the team brings specialist knowledge to support both the person and their family through this journey. They understand the unique challenges dementia presents alongside other complex care needs.
The home & environment
The food here gets positive mentions from visitors, and the physical environment is described as pleasant. Some families have raised questions about how often residents can access outdoor spaces independently, so it's worth asking about the home's approach to outdoor time and supervision when you visit.
“Getting a feel for daily life here, including activities and routines, will help you decide if it's the right fit for your loved one.”
DCC does not edit or curate content in this tab. For independently curated information, see The Evidence and DCC Verdict.
