Acorn Village – IT Support with a balanced approach

Acorn Village offers high quality care and accommodation to adults with learning disabilities. As well as providing residential and supported living services, Acorn Village also offers day service provision to residents, tenants and clients who visit and take part in workshops.

Strident was asked to help support Acorn Village and its 50 users as well as assist with its Cyber Essentials re-certification and security enhancements.

Support with balance

"We were very fortunate to have a knowledgeable IT manager on staff, but when they moved on, we realised we needed support to meet our obligations and needs," explains Michelle Cook, Chief Executive at Acorn Village. "From the moment Chris Joberns came to see us, he and the engineers at Strident have been very helpful. They resolve any problems we have very quickly and suggest ways we can further improve the way our IT operates."

Michelle adds that "you don't know what you don't know, so it was essential for us to work with a partner that would not only support us but also advise us of the best practices and services to help our organisation. This balanced approach helps us to plan."

Cyber Essentials and beyond

Acorn Village operates on the Microsoft 365 platform so working with a Microsoft Solutions Partner was a clear choice. "We have a colleague who provides our first line of IT support, and she is backed up by Strident when necessary. As with many organisations, data security is critical and being Cyber Essentials certified is a requirement of our contracts with the County Council. Strident performed an exhaustive review of our network and not only ensured we completed our Cyber Essential certification but they were able to make a number of recommendations to improve the way we worked."

During this process it was noted that there were possible security risks with the way remote working had been initially setup during the Covid-19 crisis. "Strident were very quick and efficient to ensure this was rectified and implemented a new system which increases the flexibility our colleagues have while ensuring our data remains safe."

To find out more about Cyber Essentials and professional IT Support for your business, call Strident on 01473 835 280.