Reset exists to transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable children who are subject to, or at risk of, Deprivation of Liberty orders.
Now
Containment. Physical restraint. Isolation.
These are not words we should be using for any traumatised, vulnerable child. Yet for some children today, being kept safe means a Deprivation of Liberty order imposed by the Family Court. Often living in isolation and physical containment.
Future
Reset offers an ambitious alternative.
We are determined to change how society supports highly vulnerable children with complex lives. We know that by providing safety through trusted, consistent relationships, instead of highly restrictive settings, no child should need to be securely contained in the future.
Reset exists to break this destructive cycle. We are creating wider systemic change so that children can be supported and cared for within families and communities, wherever possible.
Our vision is that no child needs to be placed on a Deprivation of Liberty order to keep them safe.
Why
Breaking a destructive cycle of harm.
A growing number of children in England are at risk of repeated Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) orders. This means the child's freedom is severely restricted for their own safety.
Many have experienced chronic neglect, abuse and trauma. While secure containment may manage the immediate risk, it does not resolve the underlying causes. So, for some of the country's most vulnerable children, the harmful cycle continues.
Ineffective and unsustainable.
The current system is costly, and not working for our most vulnerable children.
Nadia is 16.
She has lived in isolation for three years. The only people she sees are staff on a rota, monitoring her around the clock.
At 11, Jane began to go missing.
She was self-harming, overwhelmed, drawn in by adult men who gave her attention and gifts. They exploited her. She thought it was love.
Isaac is 16.
There was nowhere safe for him to go. He had six adults supervising him. He became withdrawn and depressed, spending hours alone, desperate for help.
How
A radical new solution rooted in expertise and experience.
Designed to provide intensive and specialised support, Reset is an 18-month programme with three key elements. It removes traditional, restrictive boundaries to deliver sustainable positive change.
Reset Partner
Making the connection
Each child is supported by a highly skilled and experienced practitioner who becomes their go-to-person throughout the programme. From day one, they get alongside the child and everybody in their world to understand ‘who’ they are, their hopes and their aspirations.
Reset Retreat
Nurturing and settling
All children experience a three-month residential retreat focused on nourishment, love and care through developing a strong, trusting relationship with their Reset Partner, and the multi-disciplinary team. Together they learn, create and develop a positive, achievable way forward.
Building the Future
Creating a way forward
Over the next 12 months, the Reset Partner works with the child, their family, and the wider system to put the plan into action – and keep it steady. This tailored, tenacious approach ensures each child – and those who love and care for them – get support that works. The Reset Retreat is available throughout a child’s time with Reset.
Measurable. Replicable. Proven.
At the heart of everything Reset is and does is Breaking Cycles – a dynamic and evidenced approach to enabling systemic change, created and pioneered by Reset Founder, Sophie Humphreys OBE.
This practitioner-led approach has already been successfully applied at SHiFT – breaking the destructive cycle of children at risk of or caught up in crime – and Pause, working to prevent the repeated removal of children into care.
The Breaking Cycles ingredients are reshaping how public services and society respond to some of the most vulnerable people today.
Reset is ready to go.
We open doors to our first Reset Practice in Autumn 2026, in partnership with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.
Philanthropy plays a pivotal role in scaling Reset nationwide to create wider system change. So that no child needs to be placed on a Deprivation of Liberty order to keep them safe. With your help we can drive real and lasting change by doing things differently.
To transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in the country today, we need visionary thinkers.
We are grateful to our philanthropic partners for their early commitment to change the current situation and for coming on this journey with us.
To find out more and to support our work, contact Reset directly at [email protected]