Hazelmont (Kent) Limited v Ofsted

Facts

Hazelmont (Kent) Limited was the registered provider of a children's home. On 8 May 2026 Ofsted made a decision under section 20B of the Care Standards Act to cancel the company's registration to carry on the home, and the Notice of Decision was delivered by courier to the company's registered office on 11 May, where it was signed for. Mrs Bal, one of the company's two directors and the person who had notified Ofsted that she would become the Responsible Individual for the setting from 7 April, said the notice was not brought to her attention by her co-director, Mr Manjit Virdi, who controlled the registered office. She learned of it on 22 May, when Ofsted emailed her copies of the notice to cancel and a notice to suspend dated 20 May; she sent detailed representations to Ofsted on 26 May. Her father-in-law, who had been admitted to hospital on 11 May, died on 28 May, and the funeral took place on 10 June. The 28-day appeal period expired on 9 June. An appeal lodged on 15 June was mistakenly directed at the suspension notice, and the appeal against the cancellation decision was lodged only on 25 June. The Tribunal heard the preliminary issue of whether time should be extended.