How long does it take to move our service across?

Most services are live within two weeks. We import your children, staff and rooms from your current system or a spreadsheet, then run a short session with your team.

Does AcornCloud handle NCS and ECCE?

Yes. Subsidy rates are applied to invoices automatically and reconciled against registered hours, so parent balances stay correct.

Is our data safe and GDPR compliant?

Data is stored in the EU, encrypted in transit and at rest, with role-based access and a full audit trail on every child record.

Do parents have to pay for the app?

Never. The Parents App is free on iOS and Android, for every family in your service.

Can we run more than one site?

Yes. Switch between sites in one login, or view occupancy, staffing and finance across the whole group.

Inspection-Ready Self-Check

Tell us how your service runs and we will ask you only the checks that apply to it. Work down the sections, mark anything that genuinely does not apply, and leave with a plan ordered by what an inspection actually turns on.

145 checks across 16 areas
Progress saved as you go
Stays in your browser

About your service

These answers decide which checks you are asked. Tell us you run a sessional service with no sleep room and you will not be asked to evidence sleep checks you do not carry out.

What kind of service do you run?

Decides which sections you are asked about at all.

Registered children

Across every room. Used to size the plan, not to score you.

Rooms in operation

Each room needs its own ratio evidence and its own daily records.

People on the team

Everyone with access to children, including relief and students.

Do children sleep on the premises?

Turns the sleep and rest checks on or off.

How does food reach the children?

A kitchen that cooks carries obligations a lunchbox service does not.

Outdoor space

Shared space brings its own supervision and inspection questions.

Do you transport children?

School runs and outings bring a separate set of records.

Date of your last inspectionOptional

Optional. Printed on the plan so you can see the gap at a glance.

Actions from that inspectionOptional

Optional. Open actions from a previous visit are looked at first.

129 of 145 checks apply to the service you have described.

Not started

Tick what you have in place to see where you stand.

53Critical
48High
19Medium

120 to work on, in order

Critical items first. These are the ones an inspection turns on.

Critical
Your service is registered, and the certificate is current
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
A person in charge is appointed in writing, and the team knows who it is
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
You are operating within your registered numbers and age ranges
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
Public liability and employer's liability cover are in date
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
Changes that must be notified have been notified
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
Actions from your last inspection are closed out, with evidence
Registration, governance and insurance
Critical
You have one list of every adult with access to children
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
Every person on that list is vetted before starting unsupervised work
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
You hold the certificate for every practitioner's qualification
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
Enough first-aid trained staff are on the floor at all times
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
Everyone has current safeguarding training
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
Students and volunteers are supervised and never counted in ratio
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
Critical
Your child safeguarding statement is current and displayed
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
The written risk assessment of harm is specific to your service
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
A designated liaison person is named, and a deputy is named too
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
Every member of the team can name that person without checking
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
Concerns and disclosures are recorded and stored securely
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
You know the threshold for reporting, and who reports
Safeguarding and child protection
Critical
Ratios are met in every room, at every hour you are open
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Critical
You could show who was in a given room at a given hour last week
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Critical
Ratios hold at opening, closing, lunches and staff breaks
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Critical
The children's daily register is completed as they arrive and leave
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Critical
Only named, authorised adults collect a child
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Critical
A pre-admission record is completed before the first day
Children's records and consents
Critical
Two emergency contacts are held for every child, and they are current
Children's records and consents
Critical
Medical information, allergies and conditions are recorded
Children's records and consents
Critical
Authorised collectors are named in writing for each child
Children's records and consents
Critical
Any court order or custody arrangement is on file and known to the room
Children's records and consents
Critical
You hold every policy your service is required to have
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Critical
What the policies say matches what the rooms actually do
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Critical
Emergency closure and missing child procedures exist and are known
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Critical
No dose is given without written parental consent
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Every dose is recorded with time, amount and who gave it
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Medication is stored safely and out of reach, at the right temperature
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Allergy information is visible to whoever is in the room
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Children with a serious allergy have a written emergency plan
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Staff are trained on any specific device a child needs
Medication, allergies and health needs
Critical
Accidents and incidents are recorded the same day
Accidents, incidents and notifications
Critical
Serious events are notified within the required timeframe
Accidents, incidents and notifications
Critical
Fire drills are carried out and logged with date, time and duration
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
Extinguishers, alarms and emergency lighting are serviced and in date
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
Escape routes are clear, and final exits open easily
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
The evacuation plan accounts for non-mobile children
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
Entry is controlled and nobody reaches the children unannounced
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
Cleaning products and hazards are locked away
Premises, fire safety and risk
Critical
Your food safety management system is written and followed
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
Critical
A written sleep policy states how often checks happen
Sleep and rest
Critical
Sleep checks are recorded at the frequency the policy promises
Sleep and rest
Critical
Safe sleep practice is followed and understood by every practitioner
Sleep and rest
Critical
A sleeping room is never left unsupervised
Sleep and rest
Critical
The outdoor area is secure and cannot be left unnoticed
Space, resources and outdoor play
Critical
Indoor space per child meets the requirement in every room
Space, resources and outdoor play
Critical
Today's register can be produced immediately, and it is accurate
The first thirty minutes
High
Someone is named to act when the person in charge is absent
Registration, governance and insurance
High
A written statement of purpose describes the service you actually run
Registration, governance and insurance
High
Complaints are logged, with what was done and when it was closed
Registration, governance and insurance
High
Vetting renewal dates are tracked somewhere you will actually look
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
High
Fire safety and manual handling training are in date
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
High
Written references were taken up and kept
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
High
New staff complete a recorded induction before working alone
The team: vetting, qualifications and training
High
Staff can describe what happens after they raise a concern
Safeguarding and child protection
High
Your behaviour policy is understood and used consistently
Safeguarding and child protection
High
Intimate care arrangements are written down and agreed with parents
Safeguarding and child protection
High
Photography and device use in rooms is controlled and consented
Safeguarding and child protection
High
Visitors sign in and are never left alone with children
Safeguarding and child protection
High
A staff attendance record shows actual hours on the floor
Ratios, attendance and supervision
High
Supervision is planned for the parts of the building that are hardest to see
Ratios, attendance and supervision
High
Headcounts happen at transitions and are recorded
Ratios, attendance and supervision
High
Written consents are held for outings, photographs and sun cream
Children's records and consents
High
Records are stored securely and only reachable by those who need them
Children's records and consents
High
Each one carries a review date within the last two years
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
High
Staff have signed to say they read the ones relevant to them
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
High
Inclusion and additional needs are covered, with named supports
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
High
Illness and exclusion periods are written and shared with parents
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
High
The room copy matches the office file
Medication, allergies and health needs
High
Emergency medication on site is in date
Medication, allergies and health needs
High
First-aid kits are stocked, checked and dated
Medication, allergies and health needs
High
Parents sign the record
Accidents, incidents and notifications
High
Records say what happened, what was done, and by whom
Accidents, incidents and notifications
High
Actions arising from an incident are recorded and closed
Accidents, incidents and notifications
High
At least one drill was run at a genuinely awkward moment
Premises, fire safety and risk
High
Written risk assessments cover the building, the garden and outings
Premises, fire safety and risk
High
Daily safety checks are logged with a name against them
Premises, fire safety and risk
High
Furniture and equipment are checked and damaged items removed
Premises, fire safety and risk
High
Hot water and heat sources are guarded or limited
Premises, fire safety and risk
High
Fridge, freezer and cooking temperatures are recorded
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
High
Anyone handling food has current food hygiene training
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
High
Menus name allergens and are shared with parents
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
High
Handwashing is routine for staff and children, at the right moments
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
High
You have a written approach to outbreaks and exclusion
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
High
The record holds up in the afternoon as well as the morning
Sleep and rest
High
Cots and mats are clean, sound and appropriately spaced
Sleep and rest
High
Children get outdoors every day the weather allows
Space, resources and outdoor play
High
The area is checked before children use it, and the check is logged
Space, resources and outdoor play
High
Surfaces and equipment suit the ages using them
Space, resources and outdoor play
High
Planning shows how the curriculum framework shapes the day
Curriculum in practice
High
Observations are recorded for each child and are used, not filed
Curriculum in practice
High
Children with additional needs have individual plans in place
Curriculum in practice
High
One folder or screen holds the documents most likely to be requested
The first thirty minutes
High
One page shows every staff member with vetting, qualification and training dates
The first thirty minutes
High
The person in charge can step away from the floor without breaking ratio
The first thirty minutes
Medium
Required ratios are displayed where the team can see them
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Medium
Unexplained absences are followed up and recorded
Ratios, attendance and supervision
Medium
You know how long you keep records, and you actually delete them
Children's records and consents
Medium
Parents can see their own child's records on request
Children's records and consents
Medium
Parents can get to the policies that concern them
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Medium
Admissions and settling-in are written down and applied consistently
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Medium
A data protection policy covers what you hold and why
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Medium
Social media and communication expectations are set for staff
Written policies, and whether anyone uses them
Medium
You review the log for patterns rather than filing it
Accidents, incidents and notifications
Medium
Drinking water is available to children throughout the day
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
Medium
Cleaning schedules exist and are signed off
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
Medium
Toilets and washing facilities suit the age of the children using them
Food, hygiene and nappy changing
Medium
There is shade and shelter for different weather
Space, resources and outdoor play
Medium
Resources are age-appropriate, in good repair and reachable by children
Space, resources and outdoor play
Medium
Planning visibly responds to what individual children are interested in
Curriculum in practice
Medium
Transitions to a new room or to school are prepared for
Curriculum in practice
Medium
Parents see their child's learning regularly
Curriculum in practice
Medium
The team knows who greets an inspector and what happens next
The first thirty minutes
Medium
Parent-facing information on display is current
The first thirty minutes

9 good-practice items are also unticked. These never count against your score - they are the things that separate a compliant service from a well-run one.

An AcornCloud-branded document: your service details, the score, this plan, then every check with its guidance and a box you can tick by hand.

Inspection-Ready Self-Check

Self-assessment

0%readiness

Start with the basics

This is a useful place to be honest. Registration, vetting, ratios and safeguarding come first - the rest gets easier once those four are solid.

0 of 120 scored checks in place · 129 of 145 checks put to this service

Outstanding by severity	Critical	High	Medium	Good practice
Items	53	48	19	9

The service assessed

What kind of service do you run?: Not stated
Registered children: Not stated
Rooms in operation: Not stated
People on the team: Not stated
Do children sleep on the premises?: Not stated
How does food reach the children?: Not stated
Outdoor space: Not stated
Do you transport children?: Not stated
Date of your last inspection: Not stated
Actions from that inspection: Not stated

The full checklist

Every check put to this service, with what counts as evidence. Items marked “Not applicable” were excluded from the score.

Registration, governance and insurance0/9

Who is accountable for the service, and the paperwork that proves it.

Your service is registered, and the certificate is currentCriticalCheck the expiry and the details on it. A registration listing an address, age range or capacity you have since changed is a finding in itself.
A person in charge is appointed in writing, and the team knows who it isCriticalAppointed in writing means a dated letter or contract naming the role, not an understanding.
Someone is named to act when the person in charge is absentHighCover for a day off is not the point. The point is that the service never operates without a named responsible person.
You are operating within your registered numbers and age rangesCriticalCount the busiest hour of your busiest day, not the average.
A written statement of purpose describes the service you actually runHighRead it against your current opening hours, rooms and age groups. These documents date quietly.
Public liability and employer's liability cover are in dateCritical
Changes that must be notified have been notifiedCriticalA change of person in charge, premises, capacity or ownership does not wait until the next inspection.
Actions from your last inspection are closed out, with evidenceCriticalAn inspector who found something last time will look for it first this time.
You review the service against your own standards at least once a yearGood practiceGood practice rather than a floor, but a service that audits itself is visibly different from one that does not.
Complaints are logged, with what was done and when it was closedHighAn empty complaints log is not automatically a good sign; it can read as a log nobody uses.

The team: vetting, qualifications and training0/10

Everyone with access to children, not just the people on payroll.

You have one list of every adult with access to childrenCriticalRelief staff, students on placement, the cleaner, a director who covers a room, a contractor working during opening hours. This list is almost always longer than the payroll.
Every person on that list is vetted before starting unsupervised workCritical
Vetting renewal dates are tracked somewhere you will actually lookHighA date in an individual's paper file is not a tracking system. One list, one view, one reminder.
You hold the certificate for every practitioner's qualificationCriticalHolding the certificate, not believing the qualification exists.
Enough first-aid trained staff are on the floor at all timesCriticalWork it out for your earliest opening and your latest closing, not for the middle of the day.
Everyone has current safeguarding trainingCritical
Fire safety and manual handling training are in dateHigh
Written references were taken up and keptHighTwo references, sought in writing, kept on file. A phone call nobody recorded is not evidence.
New staff complete a recorded induction before working aloneHigh
Students and volunteers are supervised and never counted in ratioCriticalThis is a common finding in services that are otherwise well run.
Staff have regular recorded supervision or check-insGood practice
Continuing development is planned and recorded for the yearGood practice

Safeguarding and child protection0/11

Judged on whether it works on the floor, not on whether the folder exists.

Your child safeguarding statement is current and displayedCriticalCheck the review date on it. A statement more than two years old will be read as neglected.
The written risk assessment of harm is specific to your serviceCriticalA generic template with your name at the top is the single most recognisable shortcut in this area.
A designated liaison person is named, and a deputy is named tooCritical
Every member of the team can name that person without checkingCriticalAsk three people at random. If the answers differ, the process is not embedded yet, whatever the folder says.
Staff can describe what happens after they raise a concernHigh
Concerns and disclosures are recorded and stored securelyCritical
You know the threshold for reporting, and who reportsCritical
Your behaviour policy is understood and used consistentlyHighInspectors watch practice in the room and compare it to what the policy promises.
Intimate care arrangements are written down and agreed with parentsHigh
Photography and device use in rooms is controlled and consentedHighPersonal phones in rooms is the version of this that comes up most often.
Visitors sign in and are never left alone with childrenHigh

Ratios, attendance and supervision0/10

Meeting ratio and being able to prove it are two different things.

Ratios are met in every room, at every hour you are openCritical
You could show who was in a given room at a given hour last weekCriticalThis is the check most services fail on evidence rather than on practice. A rota is a plan; you need what actually happened.
Ratios hold at opening, closing, lunches and staff breaksCriticalThe edges of the day are where the record usually thins out, and inspectors know it.
Required ratios are displayed where the team can see themMedium
The children's daily register is completed as they arrive and leaveCriticalCompleted at the door, not written up at the end of the day. A reconstructed register is no use in an evacuation.
A staff attendance record shows actual hours on the floorHigh
Only named, authorised adults collect a childCritical
Unexplained absences are followed up and recordedMedium
Supervision is planned for the parts of the building that are hardest to seeHighCorridors, toilets, the door, and the far corner of the garden.
Headcounts happen at transitions and are recordedHigh

Children's records and consents0/9

One file per child, complete on the day they start.

A pre-admission record is completed before the first dayCritical
Two emergency contacts are held for every child, and they are currentCriticalCurrent is the hard part. Numbers go stale within a year and nobody notices until they are needed.
Medical information, allergies and conditions are recordedCritical
Written consents are held for outings, photographs and sun creamHigh
Authorised collectors are named in writing for each childCritical
Any court order or custody arrangement is on file and known to the roomCriticalThe room needs to know, not just the office. This is one of the few places where getting it wrong is irreversible.
Records are stored securely and only reachable by those who need themHigh
You know how long you keep records, and you actually delete themMedium
Parents can see their own child's records on requestMedium
Information moves with a child when they change roomGood practice

Written policies, and whether anyone uses them0/11

An unread policy fails the conversation an inspector has with your staff.

You hold every policy your service is required to haveCritical
Each one carries a review date within the last two yearsHigh
Staff have signed to say they read the ones relevant to themHighDated signatures, repeated whenever a policy changes. A single induction signature covering everything, forever, is thin.
What the policies say matches what the rooms actually doCriticalWhere they disagree, change one of the two. A policy promising more than you deliver is worse than a modest one kept.
Parents can get to the policies that concern themMedium
Admissions and settling-in are written down and applied consistentlyMedium
Inclusion and additional needs are covered, with named supportsHigh
Illness and exclusion periods are written and shared with parentsHigh
Emergency closure and missing child procedures exist and are knownCritical
A data protection policy covers what you hold and whyMedium
Social media and communication expectations are set for staffMedium
You keep a log of when each policy was reviewed and by whomGood practice

Medication, allergies and health needs0/9

The room needs the information, not the filing cabinet.

No dose is given without written parental consentCritical
Every dose is recorded with time, amount and who gave itCritical
Medication is stored safely and out of reach, at the right temperatureCritical
Allergy information is visible to whoever is in the roomCriticalA plan in the office does not help the relief practitioner covering lunch.
The room copy matches the office fileHighWhere they disagree, the room copy is usually the one that has gone stale.
Children with a serious allergy have a written emergency planCritical
Staff are trained on any specific device a child needsCritical
Emergency medication on site is in dateHigh
First-aid kits are stocked, checked and datedHigh

Accidents, incidents and notifications0/6

The pattern of records matters as much as any single one.

Accidents and incidents are recorded the same dayCriticalBefore the end of the shift. Late entries in a run are what invite a closer look.
Parents sign the recordHighAn unsigned record reads as one that was never shared.
Records say what happened, what was done, and by whomHigh
Serious events are notified within the required timeframeCritical
You review the log for patterns rather than filing itMediumThree bumps at the same corner is an estate problem, not three accidents.
Actions arising from an incident are recorded and closedHigh
Near misses are captured as well as injuriesGood practice

Premises, fire safety and risk0/11

Routine checks are only evidence when they are written down.

Fire drills are carried out and logged with date, time and durationCritical
At least one drill was run at a genuinely awkward momentHighA drill at ten past ten on a quiet Tuesday proves less than one during lunch or sleep time.
Extinguishers, alarms and emergency lighting are serviced and in dateCritical
Escape routes are clear, and final exits open easilyCritical
The evacuation plan accounts for non-mobile childrenCritical
Written risk assessments cover the building, the garden and outingsHigh
Daily safety checks are logged with a name against themHigh
Entry is controlled and nobody reaches the children unannouncedCritical
Cleaning products and hazards are locked awayCritical
Furniture and equipment are checked and damaged items removedHigh
Hot water and heat sources are guarded or limitedHigh
Repairs are logged and closed rather than rememberedGood practice

Food, hygiene and nappy changing0/9

The daily routines that leave the most traceable evidence.

Your food safety management system is written and followedCritical
Fridge, freezer and cooking temperatures are recordedHigh
Anyone handling food has current food hygiene trainingHigh
Menus name allergens and are shared with parentsHigh
Drinking water is available to children throughout the dayMedium
Handwashing is routine for staff and children, at the right momentsHigh
Cleaning schedules exist and are signed offMedium
You have a written approach to outbreaks and exclusionHigh
Toilets and washing facilities suit the age of the children using themMedium

Sleep and rest0/6

Your own policy sets the standard you will be measured against.

A written sleep policy states how often checks happenCritical
Sleep checks are recorded at the frequency the policy promisesCriticalIf the policy says every ten minutes and the record says every twenty, change one of them today.
The record holds up in the afternoon as well as the morningHighLater checks are the ones most often missed once the room gets busy.
Safe sleep practice is followed and understood by every practitionerCritical
Cots and mats are clean, sound and appropriately spacedHigh
A sleeping room is never left unsupervisedCritical
Parents are told about their child's sleep each dayGood practice

Space, resources and outdoor play0/7

The room itself, what is in it, and getting the children outside.

Children get outdoors every day the weather allowsHigh
The outdoor area is secure and cannot be left unnoticedCritical
The area is checked before children use it, and the check is loggedHigh
Surfaces and equipment suit the ages using themHigh
There is shade and shelter for different weatherMedium
Indoor space per child meets the requirement in every roomCritical
Resources are age-appropriate, in good repair and reachable by childrenMedium

Curriculum in practice0/6

Evidence the frameworks are in the room, not only in the folder.

Planning shows how the curriculum framework shapes the dayHigh
Observations are recorded for each child and are used, not filedHigh
Planning visibly responds to what individual children are interested inMedium
Children with additional needs have individual plans in placeHigh
Transitions to a new room or to school are prepared forMedium
Parents see their child's learning regularlyMedium
The team reflects on practice together and records what changesGood practice

The first thirty minutes0/6

What gets asked for before anyone has taken their coat off.

One folder or screen holds the documents most likely to be requestedHighRegistration, insurance, safeguarding statement, staff list with vetting and qualifications, today's register, and the last set of drill records.
Today's register can be produced immediately, and it is accurateCritical
One page shows every staff member with vetting, qualification and training datesHigh
The team knows who greets an inspector and what happens nextMedium
The person in charge can step away from the floor without breaking ratioHighAn inspection takes hours. If the manager is counted in ratio, the visit itself creates a breach.
Parent-facing information on display is currentMedium

The gaps that reopen

Most of what this check asks about is not hard to fix once. It is hard to keep fixed - a vetting renewal that lapses in August, a sleep check missed on a busy Thursday, a policy updated but never re-signed. That is the work AcornCloud is built to take off your desk: ratios recorded as they happen, certificates that warn you before they expire, and records an inspector can be shown rather than reconstructed.

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Platform

Built for

Inspection-Ready Self-Check

About your service

120 to work on, in order

The service assessed

The full checklist

Registration, governance and insurance0/9

The team: vetting, qualifications and training0/10

Safeguarding and child protection0/11

Ratios, attendance and supervision0/10

Children's records and consents0/9

Written policies, and whether anyone uses them0/11

Medication, allergies and health needs0/9

Accidents, incidents and notifications0/6

Premises, fire safety and risk0/11

Food, hygiene and nappy changing0/9

Sleep and rest0/6

Space, resources and outdoor play0/7

Curriculum in practice0/6

The first thirty minutes0/6

The gaps that reopen

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