Children's Home run by Within Reach Services Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 1 Registered provider: Within Reach Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It can provide care for up to 2 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. They both spent time talking with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since January 2026. The area manager was present throughout the inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 3

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Summary of findings

Children are well supported by nurturing, skilled and committed staff who respond quickly to keep them safe. One child moved into the home 6 months ago and the other child has lived in the home for 18 months. Careful consideration was given to the second child moving in to ensure that staff could meet both children’s needs.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are committed to the children and work closely with professionals and family members to support them. The inspection identified some areas for improvement. However, the impact on children’s care has been limited and managers and leaders were receptive to learning during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attuned to children and they have developed positive relationships with them. Staff respond with patience, nurture and care, creating a supportive and welcoming environment. Staff help one non-verbal child to share their views, wishes and feelings using alternative communication methods. This supports the child’s understanding and reduces their anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in relation to their education and development. One child is engaging well with a mentor. They have started attending tutoring sessions and benefit from weekly physical exercise with a personal trainer. The other child attends education 3 days a week, and staff creatively support the child’s development through planned sensory activities such as messy play.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager prioritises children’s health needs to ensure they access the right support. He understands the barriers to attending appointments for one child and arranged for medical professionals to come to the home to reduce their anxiety. Children have healthy diets and staff have implemented a structured daily routine for one child, resulting in improved sleep.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have positive and enriching experiences. One child enjoys visits to soft-play facilities and regularly attends the park. Staff understand the risks for another child and clear plans are in place to support them to access the community safely. Consequently, the child can regularly attend the gym and go on activities with staff. Children’s memories are captured in weekly reports and memory books.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean and well presented throughout. Children have access to a range of communal spaces that provide opportunities for both social interaction and relaxation. Photographs of children and staff are displayed throughout the home, helping to create a warm and welcoming environment that promotes a sense of belonging. However, the use Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 4 of toughened plastic cutlery and staff wearing uniform-style bum bags detracts from the otherwise homely atmosphere.

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

Managers and staff have a good understanding of children’s lived experiences and their needs, risks and vulnerabilities. Managers routinely and dynamically assess risks to ensure that plans provide clear guidance to staff on how to keep children safe. When risks arise during activities, managers review and update documents promptly to ensure that children can continue to access and enjoy experiences safely.

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

One child knows how to make a complaint, and staff support them to express their views. Managers acknowledge complaints and investigate these thoroughly. Children are updated when an outcome has been reached and receive written responses from the manager, which shows they are listened to. For another child, staff ensure they share information quickly if they observe any changes in the child’s behaviour. Staff liaise with parents and the social worker to keep them updated and to seek their input.

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

Staff use physical interventions when necessary and proportionate to prevent children from sustaining injuries or serious harm. Staff’s response during these incidents has resulted in a significant reduction in hospital admissions for one child. Records provide sufficient detail about children’s experiences prior to incidents and detail strategies used by staff to help children calm. Following incidents, staff provide nurture and support to help children settle back into their routines. Management oversight identifies key learning, which is shared with staff.

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

Restrictions are in place for both children to keep them safe. These align with court orders and parent’s views. Leaders and managers carefully consider staffing ratios. This has enabled a reduction in support for one child and is sensitively considered for another child. Managers regularly review the restrictions. However, there is not a clear step-down plan in place to reduce restrictions and support for one child, and this limits their opportunities to independently manage their risks and vulnerabilities.

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

Leaders and managers investigate concerns about staff practice and take appropriate action to safeguard children. The manager shares outcomes and learning with all relevant professionals to ensure transparency. However, there is inconsistency when informing agencies about notifiable events and there are some delays in processes being followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are committed to ensuring that children receive good care and support. They know the children well and ensure that staff deliver individualised care. Children’s plans are regularly reviewed, and the manager encourages children and their parents to contribute to their plans to ensure that the children’s wishes and feelings are incorporated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 5 The manager understands the progress children are making. This progress is also recognised by professionals, staff and family members. A range of systems are in place to review and track incidents to help identify patterns and trends. This helps managers to review and monitor the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have demonstrated strong collaborative working with families and external professionals. This helps to ensure children are safe and continue to make progress. For one child, managers are working closely with CAMHS to ensure that the child can access therapy. Feedback from professionals and family members is overwhelmingly positive. They speak highly of the progress children have made and the good communication with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for staff. Managers have a strong presence in the home and staff say they feel well supported by colleagues and managers. Staff attend regular supervision and team meetings. These provide reflective spaces for staff to talk about the children and learn from practice. The manager has oversight of staff training and ensures that staff are equipped to fulfil their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff are offered debriefs following incidents. However, due to the frequency of high-risk incidents involving one child, staff do not consistently have opportunities to reflect on their practice. This limits their opportunities to process the emotional impact of caring for children with high needs and to support deeper reflection and learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets children’s needs. The registered person should review all areas of restrictive practice to maintain a homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should discuss with the child, their placing authority and other relevant professionals to ensure there is a clear plan in place to reduce restrictions and support children to develop strategies to safely manage their risks independently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  The registered person should have a system in place that ensures that serious notifiable events are consistently shared with relevant agencies, including Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63,

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Recommendations

paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice with appropriate qualified and experienced professionals to understand the emotional impact of their role and support their learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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 for children’s home: 2808008 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Within Reach Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/O Hazlewoods LLP, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham GL50 3AT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Ridgewell

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Austin Sutton-Jennings

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Inspectors

Carly Parry, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Nickie Doney, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2808008 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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