Children's Home run by The Drive Care Homes Ltd in Bexley

Inspection report children's home: 2692918 1 Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 4 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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Information about this children's home

There were 3 children and 1 young adult living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 05/09/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled in the home and enjoy living with their peers. Two children and one young adult have lived together for nearly three years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is proactive in seeking advice and support from a range of medical professionals, to ensure the individual health needs of children are met. Staff use a range of communication tools, for example, social stories, health passports and picture cards to help prepare children for their appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children attend school or college locally. Staff have good working relationships with the children's teachers. One child had a planned move to a school nearer to the home to reduce their traveling time, and another child has started college, staff supported children to understand and manage these transitions. Children's attendance at their education provision is good and they make steady progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive experiences, including holidays, trips to the cable car, ferry and trampoline parks. Children use public transport to help prepare them for independence. However, opportunities for children to engage in activities alongside other children outside of school are limited. This reduces the children's opportunities to develop friendships and social interactions outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain meaningful relationships with their families who are welcomed into the home and supported to spend time with the children. The parents of the young adult visit several times each week and they speak highly of the support and care provided by the staff. One child has been able to continue at their previous school, enabling them to see their sister.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are consistent in their approach to encourage children to take responsibility for everyday chores. For examples children help prepare food, clearing away and washing their dishes, helping with their laundry and tidying their rooms. As a result, the children have made progress in these areas and are proud of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure transition plans are in place when children move on from the home. For one child with complex needs staff worked alongside the new placement, the child's parents and social worker at a pace that the child was comfortable with. As a result, the child was well prepared for the move and experienced a smooth and positive transition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Preparation for independence for another child has not been so well developed. The child's individual needs require careful assessment to identify both their strengths and the areas in which support will be required. Delays in progressing independence work limits the child's opportunities to develop independence skills. Consequently, the child will not receive the support they will need as they approach adulthood. Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand children's individual vulnerabilities and care for them attentively through close supervision, consistent routines, clear boundaries and respectful interactions help children to feel safe and settled. Staff support children at times of emotional distress and physical intervention are rarely used.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know how to raise concerns, including through whistleblowing procedures. Safer recruitment practices ensure that suitable adults work with children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Health and safety arrangements promote children's welfare. Children's risk assessments are in place and regularly reviewed. Staff follow clear procedures in relation to fire safety and the administration of medication. One child is supported to assist with regular fire checks and drills as part of their preparation for independence.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recording systems for incidents and concerns is not consistent and the reports lack detail. There is no clear system in place for management oversight and review therefore, patterns and progress are hard to identify. Agreed strategies and guidance for staff to support children are not always identified and clearly set out in children's plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The planned absence of the registered manager and deputy manager was well managed for the children and staff. A senior member of staff had oversight of the day to day running of the home, supported by the responsible individual and a manager from another service. Staff prepared children well for these changes. Therefore, children's care remained consistent, and they experienced stability during this period of time. Children benefit from committed and caring staff who provide stable and consistent support. A core group of experienced staff provide continuity of care for children. New staff are supported through a structured induction programme before starting work, including safeguarding, first aid and -specific training to meet the children's needs. Leaders and managers have not ensured staff receive behaviour management training during the induction period. Therefore, new staff are not confident and prepared when

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

responding to children's behaviours in the community. As a result, children did not always receive the support quickly when outside of the home. These situations were appropriately managed and children remained supported. However, records show that some staff were not fully prepared for these situations during the early stages of their employment. Staff report that they feel supported and work effectively together. The registered manager provides regular supervision and annual appraisal, which promotes professional development and opportunities to reflect on practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2) (f) (i) (h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that recording is consistent and detailed and there is a system for management oversight and review. Ensuring reports fully capture all the facts and staff strategies to manage incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is an agreed timescales for newly recruited staff to achieve core training (such as deescalation and safe holds). 19 May 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they proactively seek opportunities to extend children's social interactions beyond the home and have planned programmes of work to avoid delays and support them to develop their independence. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: 2692918 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Cyrinus House, 18 Hatherley Road, Sidcup DA14 4BG

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2692918 8 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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