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“Impressive” Eden House Approved Premises in Bristol, rated ‘Outstanding’ following inspection 

Published:

Eden House Approved Premises (AP) in Bristol has received an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. Eden House is a women-only and independent AP.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “Eden House exemplifies the rehabilitative culture we expect to see in approved premises, with a blend of recreational and educational activities on offer. Staff showed a deep understanding of the needs of the women in their care.”

Inspectors praised the leadership who encouraged openness and transparency across the team. Relationships between staff and leaders were positive and there was a commitment to listening to and acting on residents’ feedback. Arrangements for managing suicide and self-harm were robust, and the wellbeing of residents was consistently discussed during staff handovers. Public protection work was strong, with enforcement decisions appropriately balanced and consistently recorded.

Mr Jones continued, “While our recommendations primarily address system-wide issues, there is a need to strengthen trauma-informed practice further, to ensure work with women continues to be grounded in research and evidence. This rating of ‘Outstanding’ reflects the impressive leadership, strong rehabilitative activities, and effective partnership arrangements, and the team at Eden House should rightfully be proud of the work they are doing.”

The Inspectorate’s report makes six recommendations. Three are for the Eden House leadership team, including to establish systems and processes for dealing with short-notice referrals. There are also three recommendations for HM Prison and Probation Service, including to develop evidence-based guidance for room-sharing arrangements, informed by research on the needs of women in the criminal justice system.

ENDS 

Notes to editor 

  1. Approved Premises (APs) are residential units which provide temporary placements in the community for high-risk and complex people on probation. They offer enhanced supervision and rehabilitative support to individuals following release from prison.
  2. Eden House is an independent AP.
  3. At the time of our inspection in October 2025, Eden House had 13 residents in placement.
  4. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’, rating specific aspects of each service (for APs – leadership, staffing, safety, public protection, and rehabilitation) and giving an overall rating.
  5. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 10 December 2025 at 00.01.
  6. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  7. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications: media@hmiprobation.gov.uk