Children's Home run by Utopia Children’s Services Ltd in North Somerset

Inspection report children's home: 2820336 1 Registered provider: Utopia Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns the home. It offers care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered in October 2025, and this was the first inspection after registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2820336 2

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Summary of findings

Children are mainly settled and making progress, with reduced risks and improved stability. Overall, safeguarding practice is effective, supported by clear plans and strong multi ‑ agency working. Leaders understand the home’s strengths and areas for development and are taking appropriate action. Children benefit from warm relationships with some staff, although inconsistencies in routines, education and some aspects of practice remain.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have begun to make progress since moving into the home and are becoming more settled. There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from care compared to before they moved in, resulting in improved stability. However, education arrangements are not yet fully in place or consistently encouraged. Daily routines and structures to support learning remain underdeveloped, meaning children do not always receive consistent support or encouragement to engage in education or learning activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, transitions are managed in a child ‑ focused way and take place at a pace that meets their individual needs. In one example, this approach supported a positive move over a period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, warm, and welcoming, with children’s belongings visible throughout, reflecting that this is their space. Bedrooms are personalised and reflect children’s individual preferences. One child keeps the home’s guinea pigs in their bedroom and is being supported to care for them, helping to develop a sense of responsibility and independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s families value the communication they receive from the home and recognise the progress that children are making. Families and friends are welcomed into the home for meals and celebrations and are encouraged to remain involved in children’s lives. This supports children to maintain important relationships and promotes a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements and milestones are celebrated, including birthday celebrations, meals out and treats such as having nail appointments. Memory books are maintained to capture their experiences of living in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a range of activities, including horse riding and going to the gym, as well as opportunities to develop skills in preparation for adulthood. There are some positive examples of this, such as a child beginning to learn cooking and budgeting skills. However, this is not yet consistently supported through clear routines or structured Inspection report children's home: 2820336 3 planning. The manager recognises this and has put plans in place to strengthen this area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children have formed positive relationships with staff, and report feeling supported. However, there are some inconsistencies in the way support is provided. Both children have expressed views that staff show favouritism, which they feel impacts on the quality of their relationships with staff and the level of support they receive. Leaders and managers recognise these concerns and have begun to take steps to improve consistency in staff practice and the quality of relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals speak positively about the home, describing staff as patient, committed and proactive in meeting children’s needs. They report effective communication, strong multi-agency working and regular attendance at meetings. Professionals highlight that staff promote stability, build relationships and support family time. However, some professionals did report some gaps in children’s attendance and engagement in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational arrangements are not yet fully in place or consistently encouraged. Daily routines and structures to support children’s learning remain underdeveloped, meaning children do not always receive consistent support or encouragement to engage in education or learning activities.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual needs and risks. Staff share information effectively with partner agencies, supporting a coordinated approach to managing and reducing risks to children. This has contributed to a reduction in incidents of children going missing, as well as some progress in reducing substance misuse and children’s involvement in unsafe relationships.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Missing protocols, and safety plans are up to date and clearly outline the actions staff must take to safeguard children and respond to concerns in a timely and consistent way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff talk with children about a range of important topics, including online safety, substance misuse, healthy relationships and education. This helps children to develop their understanding of risk. However, support to help children reduce and stop smoking and vaping is not consistent. Some staff challenge and address this behaviour, while others are less proactive, meaning responses are not always clear or aligned. As a result, children receive mixed messages about expectations and risks, and there has been limited progress in reducing smoking and vaping.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Concerns about staff are addressed in a timely way, with effective management oversight. Leaders and managers take concerns seriously and respond promptly, following safeguarding procedures and reporting to relevant professionals. External advice is sought to ensure that children’s welfare is prioritised, and children are kept informed throughout. Leaders and managers also reflect on incidents to support learning and improve staff practice. Inspection report children's home: 2820336 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They have identified key priorities, including improving the consistency of staff responses to smoking and vaping, strengthening children’s engagement in education, and developing independence skills and daily routines. Actions have been put in place, and there is evidence of some progress. However, these actions are not yet consistently embedded, and this leads to some variation in how well children’s needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff advocate for children and work with professionals to ensure their views are heard, including in relation to college placements. They support children to share their wishes, such as seeing friends and family more often. This helps ensure children’s views inform decisions about their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are followed. All necessary checks are completed before staff commence employment, helping to ensure that suitable and safe individuals are recruited to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training for staff is tailored to meet the needs of the children. Staff benefit from learning that reflects the complexities of the children they support, which helps to build confidence in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the culture of the home and the relationships they develop with children. They feel well supported by managers, and their induction to work in the home is thorough, with a clear focus on the home’s therapeutic approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As this is a newly opened home, the development of the home and the care children receive remains ongoing. The registered manager is focused on strengthening the staff team and helping to embed a stable and consistent environment. There has been some instability within the staff team due to staff leaving or not joining following their successful recruitment which has resulted in the use of agency staff and support from other homes. However, action has been taken to recruit a permanent staff, and a more stable team is now in place. Inspection report children's home: 2820336 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to The Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is not in school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff consistently support children's learning through educational activities during periods of non-attendance. 26 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans; 26 June 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2820336 6 understand the child's health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child's well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure staff provide consistent support and actively help children understand the risks of vaping and smoking, including the impact on their health and safety.

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that staff provide the child a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that all staff provide consistent boundaries so the expectations for the children are clear, and they do not feel that staff have favourites, and they feel a sense of security. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or to live independently. In particular, staff need to be consistent in providing support with skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting routines with clearly set out goals and evidence of progress and outcomes. ('Guide to the Children's

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. Inspection report children's home: 2820336 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Utopia Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 9, Wheatstone Court, Davy Way, Waterwells Business Park, Quedgeley, Gloucester GL2 2AQ

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2820336 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding, and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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