Opal HousingOfsted inspection, 7 Sept 2026

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 1 Opal Housing Registered provider: Opal Housing Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This service is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers accommodation for up to 8 children and young people in one shared or group-living home that is used exclusively for accommodating looked-after children and care leavers.

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provider

At the time of this inspection, this service was providing accommodation for 5 children.

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provider

The service manager registered with Ofsted when the provider registered in February 2025.

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provider

Inspection dates: The inspection was announced on 7 September 2026 and started that day. One inspector was on site on 9 and 10 September 2026.

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Outcome

Consistently strong service delivery leads to typically positive experiences and progress for children. Where improvements are needed, leaders and managers take timely and effective action. The next inspection will be within approximately 3 years.

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Summary of findings

Children are well supported to develop their independence. They benefit from positive relationships with a stable and experienced team of staff who know them well.

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Summary of findings

Children are encouraged to make decisions about their lives and to progress at their own pace. This helps them to feel listened to and safe in the home.

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Summary of findings

Staff lead group sessions that focus on developing children’s independent living skills. This helps to create a sense of community in the home.

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Summary of findings

Positive leadership from a dedicated management team promotes a child-centred culture throughout the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children

The service provides a welcoming and stable home for children. One child described their home as being a ‘calm and peaceful environment’. Children live in a supportive home where managers and staff ensure that they receive nurturing support as they work towards developing their independent living skills. When asked what they liked about the home, a child answered ‘the staff’. Another child commented that living in the home is like being ‘with a bunch of my aunties’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children benefit from staff’s efforts to create a sense of community in the home. Children often spend time with one another and staff playing games and talking. Group sessions on developing independent living skills are held regularly, which enable children to learn together and further strengthen their relationships with staff. One child commented on the ‘close-knit and welcoming atmosphere’ in the home. Ensuring that children experience a sense of belonging is very much central to the ethos of the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Staff create opportunities for children to develop responsibility and build empathy for others. A house representative role has been created, where children take turns to contribute to the organisation of communal house activities. Children are supported to have and care for pets. A hamster has become an integral part of the home and provides children with opportunities to learn about taking responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Most children are in education, training or employment. When this is not the case, staff proactively support children to identify courses, apprenticeships or employment opportunities that are in line with their interests and skills. Children access and enjoy a range of social and recreational activities. Staff support children in joining local gyms, and they accompany them on outings to places such as the seaside and London. Children build their confidence in using public transport to attend their personal and health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children

Children’s relationships with their family members and friends are fully supported by staff. Children maintain meaningful connections with their families, including through frequent visits to the home. A parent spoken to commented positively on the good communication they have with staff and described the positive progress their child has made since moving into the home.

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How well children are helped and protected

Children feel safe where they live. There is a culture of long-term stability, reflected in both the length of children’s placements and the consistency of the staff who support them. As a result, children benefit greatly from being supported by a consistent team of staff who know them well. A social worker described one of the home’s greatest strengths as the staff team’s ability to develop ‘strong and trusting relationships’ with all children. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 3 Staff ensure that children’s safety is paramount. Staff are trained in safeguarding so that they can identify risks that could affect children. When there are concerns for children, staff act quickly and work closely with other professionals to help keep children safe. One professional said about staff’s contribution to safeguarding, ‘They are not simply attending meetings, they are an important source of information and

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How well children are helped and protected

contribute significantly to the professional understanding of children’s needs.’ However, Ofsted has not been notified of all serious incidents, such as children harming themselves and police involvement. This limits oversight by the regulatory body.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff prioritise children’s physical and mental health. When children require additional treatment, such as surgery, staff work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure that children understand their treatment and recovery process. An oral hygiene and health workshop was held in the home to help children develop their knowledge and understanding of dental care. Staff work closely with therapeutic agencies to ensure that children’s mental health needs are fully supported.

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How well children are helped and protected

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of whistleblowing policies and safeguarding procedures. This is particularly important given that senior managers in the organisation are related.

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How well children are helped and protected

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practices to help ensure that employees are suitable to work with children. Staff receive a comprehensive induction and ongoing training to strengthen their knowledge and skills in supporting children. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities, including trauma-informed practice, de-escalation techniques and specialist training tailored to the individual needs of the children they support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The nominated individual and the registered service manager are both actively involved in the running of the service. They bring a wealth of skills and experience to their roles and are dedicated individuals who continually strive to provide children with high-quality support, enabling them to develop the skills they need to live independently. Working together, they have fostered an ethos of respect in the service that helps to ensure that children feel important and seen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered service manager knows the staff and the children well. They are aware of the strengths of the service and areas for continued development. They are focused on maintaining a culture where staff consistently demonstrate professional curiosity and can work creatively to support children individually. One professional said that managers and staff ‘go the extra mile’ to understand and meet individual needs. They said that managers and staff are not afraid to think creatively and explore alternative options where appropriate’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff turnover is low. Staff report feeling supported by managers. They receive regular reflective supervision and training that helps them to develop their skills and Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 4 confidence in working with children. One staff member said, ‘I have never worked anywhere where I have been so happy coming into work.’ Children benefit from being supported by a workforce that enjoys spending time with children and is motivated to meet children’s individual support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Professionals involved in children’s lives provided positive feedback about the support children receive. They recognise the benefits of children having positive relationships with staff who are committed to providing them with the guidance and encouragement needed to help them achieve greater independence. A professional said that staff demonstrate excellent skills in building strong, trusting and respectful relationships with young people while maintaining appropriate and healthy professional boundaries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The nominated individual and the registered service manager are related, which has the potential to create a conflict of interest and does not ensure that the registered service manager receives supervision from an independent professional. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify the CIECSS and any relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child and the registered person considers that incident to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the supported accommodation undertaking or a person working for it;

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry);

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Requirement Due date

there is an incident involving the use of a measure of restraint of a child;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 27 (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(f)) 15 October 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that systems are in place to ensure that all staff, including the registered service manager, receive supervision from an appropriately skilled and experienced professional, allowing them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children who are accommodated. (‘Guide to Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 6 the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’, page 51)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children 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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 7

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Muna Mohamed

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Inspector

Julie Cresswell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider: Opal Housing 8 to 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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