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

Inspection report children's home: SC063689 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

SC063689 Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 6 children with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, 5 children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager, who also manages another setting, registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC063689 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2025 Full Good 05/09/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC063689 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy warm and nurturing relationships with staff who understand their needs well and provide individualised care. The relationships children have with staff help them to feel secure, make progress in areas such as communication, self-care, and emotional regulation and to prepare for the next steps in their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good knowledge of how children prefer to communicate and apply this well. They use a variety of communication techniques informed by children’s needs and persevere gently if they are not sure what children are trying to communicate. As a result, children are understood and helped to make progress with their communication skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and promote learning. Most children attend specialist education provisions full time. For those that do not, staff provide them with constructive alternative activities and work with education colleagues to negotiate barriers. Staff and managers communicate well with education professionals and advocate for children’s needs if they are concerned about the support they are receiving. This helps children to make progress with education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively seek children’s views. In day-to-day interactions, one-to-one time, and regular house meetings, they help children to share their wishes and feelings and exercise choice about things like meals and activities. Where possible, staff support children to take part in meetings about them so that their plans are informed by their voices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s important relationships are nurtured and promoted. Staff maintain good communication with family members and placing authorities to ensure time with family goes as well as possible for children. Family members say that they and their children are valued and respected by staff and managers. This supports children’s identity needs and means they benefit from positive relationships between adults in their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. This move was well planned and supported. Managers carefully considered if they could meet the child’s needs alongside those of children already living in the home. There was thorough, responsive planning with the child, their family and professional network and staff conducted sensitive preparation work with existing children. The child’s Social Worker said ‘(the child) was anxious in the initial days and did need adjustments as they moved in, however they always have a smile on their face when visited at (the home).’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children moved out of the home following carefully planning which involved the children and professionals supporting them. Their time at the home was acknowledged and celebrated. The care and stability they experienced while living there helped them to make successful moves into suitable adult settings. Inspection report children's home: SC063689 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and furnished in a child friendly manner. Children benefit from outside space and space for relaxation. Staff support children to personalise their bedrooms and communal areas are decorated with photographs of children and their experiences which all helps to give children a sense of ownership of their environment.

p.4

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

The use of positive behaviour support alongside staff’s detailed knowledge of children’s needs underpins a preventative approach to incidents. Staff ensure children have clear and consistent routines and boundaries and initiate sensitive, positive interactions. As a result, incidents of behaviour that challenges are rare and there has been no use of physical intervention since the last inspection.

p.4

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

The manager recognises the additional vulnerabilities of the children. They have taken action to embed opportunities for children to share worries and concerns with staff, such as in house meetings and individual sessions. This helps maximise opportunities for children to seek help if they feel unsafe.

p.4

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

When there are incidents of concern, managers provide prompt and helpful oversight and direction to guide how children are supported. They ensure information is shared with all relevant professionals. Children’s risk assessments and safety plans are reviewed following incidents and are informed by regular analysis of patterns and trends. There is highly effective use of social stories to support children to understand expectations and promote safe, positive behaviour.

p.4

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

There has been one allegation from a child since the last inspection. Managers ensured that the allegation was followed up swiftly and investigated thoroughly in liaison with other relevant professionals. There was a sharp focus on the experiences and needs of the child during the investigation, and the process was used helpfully to consider issues impacting on their emotional well-being and behaviour.

p.4

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

On one occasion, managers did not communicate effectively with other professionals to clarify information and actions relating to an allegation about a member of education staff. Managers have not challenged partner agencies when they experienced difficulty obtaining this information. This meant there were missed opportunities to ensure that staff supporting the child were fully informed to provide support to the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager leads the home alongside an able assistant manager. Managers are experienced, knowledgeable, and aspirational for children and staff. They lead by example in the way they communicate with children and support staff. This underpins a child-centred positive culture of care for all. Staff say they are well supported by managers and colleagues and that team morale is positive. Inspection report children's home: SC063689 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of the home is effective. Managers ensured that action was taken to address the requirements from the last inspection. This included introducing a new process for regularly tracking progress of children which has helped managers to have a clearer picture of this.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Well-developed structures are in place for support of staff through regular supervision and appraisal. Supervision records demonstrate managers using this time positively to provide staff with constructive feedback and opportunities for reflection which support implementation of the company ethos as outlined in the statement of purpose.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete a suitable variety of training to support them in their roles. This includes core training such as safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management. The manager facilitates additional training targeted at areas for development - for example, the use of communication tools and sensory play. Staff are enrolled promptly on the required qualification where required. Managers’ systems for oversight and tracking of progress with qualifications and training are effective.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain effective working relationships with children’s personal and professional networks. These relationships are supported through routine communication as well other initiatives such as an annual celebration day. Social care professionals and family members provided consistently positive feedback about communication and the care of children. This supports co-ordinated care for children. Inspection report children's home: SC063689 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (c)(d)) 13 May 2026

p.6

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 children's home: SC063689 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Drive Care Homes Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC063689 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.7

Inspector

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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8