Children's Home run by KDB Care Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 1 Registered provider: KDB Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of inspection, no children have been living at the home since 01 May 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an interim manager who has applied to register with Ofsted. The responsible individual has been assessed suitable for the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged inadequate at the previous full inspection on 28 and 29 April 2026. Compliance notices were issued requiring the provider to address breaches of regulations 12 and 13. A restriction of accommodation notice was also issued, preventing the provider from admitting any new children to the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 2 On 8 July 2026, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the actions taken by leaders and managers to meet the requirements set out in the compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider had met the requirements of both compliance notices. The restriction of accommodation was lifted on 23 July 2026. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/04/2026 Full Inadequate 08/04/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 4

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Summary of findings

Managers and staff have engaged positively in training, learning and reflection to strengthen their knowledge and skills. Furthermore, managers and staff have gained a better understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. They demonstrate a commitment to provide safe, nurturing and consistent care. However, these arrangements are in their infancy and not yet tested in practice.

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Summary of findings

Staff demonstrate professional curiosity and understanding of their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Processes are now in place to support effective multi agency working, to care for children.

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Summary of findings

Staff demonstrate a strong culture of ownership, accountability and commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children. They feel supported and confident that their development and progression are valued. Also, staff share the same high expectations and aspirations of the manager for children, having positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

No children have been living at the home since the last full inspection.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is warm and welcoming and thoughtfully presented. It has undergone redecoration alongside other improvements such as, displays of wall art, new soft furnishings and personalised welcome boxes in each child’s bedroom. A sensory room has been created that is multi-functional and child focussed.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have reviewed all children’s placements since registration. They have strengthened referral and compatibility assessments, improved the children’s guide and ensured complaints procedures are child friendly and accessible. Furthermore, staff have engaged in workshops to consider how best to support children moving into the home. This provides a framework to help children feel prepared, understood and supported when moving in.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have established processes to ensure that relevant information is obtained and considered from the placing authority before children move into the home. This will inform care planning and ensure that each child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities are understood and support their independence into adulthood. These arrangements have yet to be tested and fully embedded into practice

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff have access to therapeutic support. This enables them to reflect on past experiences, take ownership of their roles and develop positive relationships between existing and new staff. Furthermore, therapeutic assessments are accessible for Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 5 children’s individual support, ensuring their emotional and psychological needs are understood and responded to effectively.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have reviewed all incidents and used the learning identified to inform their practice. This has been supported through face-to-face training, supervisions, workshops, quizzes and team meetings. Staff engagement and participation have been extremely positive. Whilst these arrangements provide some assurance that staff understand risk and have been supported to learn from incidents, their effectiveness cannot be fully evaluated at this stage.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff demonstrate a clear understanding of exploitation, missing from care procedures and the actions required, to escalate concerns within appropriate time scales, if children go missing. They demonstrate an understanding of effective multi agency working together to safeguard children. There are processes in place to support children to feel safe and valued on their return. However, these arrangements are untested.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff demonstrate an understanding of risks associated with children accessing harmful online material. Staff demonstrate insight of the importance of keeping children safe. They recognise the need to balance safeguarding concerns against supporting children to develop their independence skills to make the right choices. Agreements are in place with those who hold parental responsibility to support safe and appropriate online access when children.

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improvement to be good

Managers have reviewed their whistleblowing, recording and reporting procedures. Staff now demonstrate a good understanding how to escalate, if they have concerns.

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improvement to be good

The manager has completed safer recruitment training. However, recruitment processes require further organisation to ensure that they are consistently robust and safe. This is essential to ensure suitable staff are appointed and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is passionate; child focused and has high expectations for both children and staff. She is committed to creating an environment where children feel safe, supported, and thrive to reach their full potential. She is supported by a responsible individual and a deputy manager who shares the same values and aspirations for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feedback is unanimously positive. They confirm leaders and managers have a clearer focus, direction and improvement to leadership within the home. Staff speak positively about the quality of the training they receive and how this is linked to their practice. This approach has supported their understanding to apply their learning Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 6 effectively. One staff member stated, ‘there is much greater transparency within the team, and increased professional awareness, this has created a positive and safer working environment to prevent issues arising again’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from regular, reflective supervision with clear actions identified to improve practice. Induction processes have been reviewed and strengthened, while proactive recruitment has enabled the home to build a staff team with a diverse range of skills and qualifications. They are committed to developing a child focused culture to provide the best possible care for children. This demonstrates strong accountability, reflection and ownership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have established processes to provide effective oversight, to review and monitor practice as well as identify areas of strength and development. Staff views are actively sought and considered, supporting a culture where they feel listened to and respected. These positive relationships between leaders and staff build a strong base in preparation for when children move in. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Avon House, 435 Stratford Road, Solihull B90 4AA

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Inspector

Mandy Wake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2813382 9 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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Inspector

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