Ofsted has brought the first successful prosecution of its type against a company for operating unregistered children’s homes. Loading…Ofsted has been granted new powers through the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Act 2026 to help tackle illegal children’s homes. They include the introduction of financial penalties, which will allow it to issue fines to illegal children’s homes. The regulator is also consulting on changes to its inspections of local authorities’ children’s services, including how it evaluates the use of unregistered children’s homes. Children’s minister Josh MacAlister said: “This prosecution is a welcome start to our wider crackdown on illegal children’s homes, and we have given Ofsted new powers to issue fines under the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Act.