A Rutland woman has reached the finals of the UK Small Business Awards for her work in the social care sector.

Rhiannon Hughes, a 31-year-old from Uppingham, runs two businesses with her husband Rhys.

The first business is Residential Recruitment, which specialises in recruitment within children's residential care.

They are also in the process of opening Hive Lodge, a specialist children's therapeutic home in Leicestershire.

Rhiannon has a very personal connection to the social care sector, having spent a lot of her own childhood in care.

This means working with children and young people who have experienced trauma, instability and difficult circumstances has always been very close to her heart.

Rhiannon and Rhys started Residential Recruitment during Covid, initially working from home, building the business around Rhiannon's own lived experience in the care sector and a genuine understanding of the people they recruit and support through their work.

This year, Rhiannon and Rhys took a huge step and set out to open their own children's home.

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Hive Lodge is designed to be a 'safe, therapeutic and homely environment for children who need more specialised support,' explains Rhiannon, 'particularly those who may have experienced a breakdown in previous homes on foster placements and need somewhere to stabilise before moving on.'

Rhiannon has recently been named a finalist for Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the UK Small Business Awards, which she describes as 'a huge surprise and something I'm incredibly proud of.'

'To me,' she said, 'the award would mean much more than simply winning a business award - it would be recognition of everything that has gone into building these businesses; the risks, the long hours, the setbacks and the personal journey behind them.

'I'd also love it to shine a light on what care-experienced people can go on to achieve. My background has shaped the way I work but it hasn't defined what I can achieve.'