Our Team

Cass Palmer

Chief Executive Officer

Cass started her Health and Social Care career in 2007. She had finished her Law and Taxation degree and took some time out to travel to prepare for her legal career. After travelling Southeast Asia, she began working in a residential home providing care and support for individuals diagnosed with complex mental health conditions. The rest is history!

With extensive experience in the field, she has run residential, supported living, and community services for both national and smaller providers. Her main focus is ensuring individuals are in the most appropriate settings to meet their physical and psychological health needs. A strong advocate for people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health conditions, she firmly believes that everyone should have an exceptional quality of life and access to meaningful activities and hobbies. Passionate about increasing awareness and understanding of psychological health, she has been a trainer in Mental Health Awareness since 2013. Additionally, she has supported individuals navigating legal processes, striving to make their experience as stress-free as possible.

Health, fitness, and wellbeing are key interests in her life, and Cass continues to study within this field. A qualified personal trainer, nutrition advisor, and health coach, Cass volunteers as a health coach to individuals with various health conditions. Her goal is to help those who may struggle to access the resources needed to achieve their health and fitness goals. Cass also volunteers for Crohn’s and Colitis UK by supporting the charity with the content within their publications.

Sue Vaughan

Founder & Ambassador

Since 1987, Sue has worked in various areas of health and social care across the spectrum of age groups from birth to the elderly. In the eight years prior to founding Acorns Sue was firstly Head of Care for an independent company providing residential care for young people. During her tenure and leadership the company achieved consistent “outstanding” Ofsted inspections at all their homes. She took her outstanding service user led outcomes approach to care to her next post where, in three years, she successfully guided a start-up company providing adult care in growing from four service users to thirty service users across five homes on various types of care packages.

Sue has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the legislation regulating the care industry gained from her breadth of experience at all levels in the sector. She is passionate about the importance of building excellent teams of care workers so that service users are positively supported to achieve “outstanding” outcomes from their individual care plans. Sue’s practical experience is backed up with a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services – Children and Young People’s Residential Management.

“I have always had the ethos that I would care for anyone in a way that I would want my family cared for. This ethos has driven me to expect the highest standard of care from any team that I have led, ensuring that the team works as a ‘we’.”

Amanda Barnwell

Registered Manager & Nominated Individual

Immediately prior to joining Acorns, Amanda was a Deputy Manager and then the Registered Manager across five locations in CQC regulated care homes providing both personal care without nursing and domiciliary care within the Adult Care sector. Prior to that she was a Deputy Residential Care Manager in residential homes for both children and young people.

In all these roles she provided optimum care to children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, emotional behaviour problems, autism and Asperger’s syndrome. She was responsible for many aspects of her previous company’s safeguarding practices which put her at the forefront of protecting service users from abuse and mistreatment. Her experience has equipped her with a proven track record in safeguarding, adhering to laws, regulations, policies and best practices to ensure service users’ dignity, confidentiality, choice, rights, respect and equality.

Helen Green

Office Manager

Helen spent 31 years working in retail banking, followed by 2 years in a GP surgery before joining our Team in January 2020 as Book Keeper and HR Administrator.

She has a vast experience of working within an office environment and has acquired skills relating to the recruitment of care staff as well as a good knowledge of what is required to assist in the staffing of an excellent care staff team due to her previous 3 years with Acorns and now promoted to Office Manager.

“I am incredibly proud to work for Acorns Healthcare and love the passion our whole Team have for supporting our service users in their daily lives”

Hayden Foster

BD Director/Registered Manager

Hayden has grown and developed in Social care starting as a support worker. He is now on his level 6 Diploma leading him into a senior management role.

Hayden has played a big part in growing Acorns as the family business.

Hayden is very caring and will ensure the family ethos is carried forward in the future.

Benjamin Crowcroft

Finance Director

Ben spent 6 years working in practice as an auditor, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at a Big 4 firm, before moving into industry to expand his experience and knowledge. He joined the team in March 2023 as Financial Controller.

Ben has gained experience across many sectors and businesses including hospitality, renewable energy, manufacturing and sport.

He has proven to be a valuable member of the team, bringing insight and value to the business and is thoroughly enjoying putting his skills and experience to good use in the care sector.