Drive

What Drive does

Drive is a registered charity (Charity No. 703002) and Company Limited by Guarantee, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Nantgarw, South Wales. It provides person-centred supported living, home care, short-term respite, community hubs, and the E.C.O horticultural project for people with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and complex needs across six South Wales local authority areas (Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly). The organisation operates 75+ supported living houses, six office/care sites, and employs 617 staff, the majority of whom are women, with an all-female Senior Leadership Team.

The business model is commissioned social care: services are paid for by Welsh Local Authorities and Housing Associations under block and per-hour contracts, with staff support worker rates of £14.10-£16.17 per hour, plus sleep-in, waking night, and mileage premiums. Distribution is direct sales to government buyers, supplemented by volunteer engagement and donation channels. The technology stack is operational rather than productised — assistive and enabling technology for end users, an in-house City & Guilds accredited training centre, and accreditations including Care Inspectorate Wales registration, National Autistic Society Autism Accreditation, Cyber Essentials Plus, Investors in People Gold, and Real Living Wage employer status.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but 617 headcount in a UK learning disability supported living context implies annual revenue in the £20M-£30M range (~$25M-$40M). The organisation has no external investors, no parent company, and operates under a Management Board of trustees; strategic positioning emphasises Positive Behaviour Support, restraint reduction, net zero by 2050, and digital inclusion funded by a three-year National Lottery Community Fund grant announced in February 2022.

Name

Drive

Legal name

Drive

Website

https://drive-wales.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Drive is a Welsh registered charity, founded in 1981, providing commissioned supported living, home care, respite, and community services for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs across six South Wales local authority areas, employing 617 staff across 75+ houses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990), Home Health Care Services (6216)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Residential Care Homes (RCFE/Board & Care) (HLADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Care / Non-Medical Home Care (Private Duty) (HLAFAEAB), Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI)

Keywords

• Supported living services
• Social care charity
• Home care support
• Learning disability services
• Community-based care

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantgarw

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social Care Contract Services: Drive provides commissioned social care services to local authorities, supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and complex needs in supported living and community settings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Drive delivers commissioned social care services to people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and complex needs across South Wales. The portfolio comprises Supported Living (over 75 houses), Home Care (sessional support in own homes), Short Term/Respite Care, the E.C.O horticultural and creative activities project, and Community Hubs. Services are procured primarily through Local Authority contracts and Housing Association partnerships.

Product overview

Drive is a social care charity offering a unified portfolio of five interconnected support services for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and complex needs across South Wales. The core services include Supported Living (housing and 24/7 care in shared homes), Home Care (sessional support in people's own homes), the E.C.O horticultural project, Short Term Respite Care, and Community Hubs for social inclusion. These services work together to enable people to live independently in their local communities with personalized, person-centered support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supported Living

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction in behaviour incidents for all people supported with Positive Behaviour Support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tai PawbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership organisation advancing equality and social justice in housing in Wales. Partnership actively reflects Drive's dedication to equality and diversity, enabling Drive to help shape policy and influence decision-makers.
• The Carbon Literacy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote and raise awareness of carbon emissions and net zero initiatives, upskilling and educating staff and people supported to become carbon aware and carbon literate.
• Ynni CymruminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focusing on generating electricity from renewable sources such as sunlight, wind, and waves, supporting Drive's commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on autumn conference exploring sight loss impact on people with learning disabilities, working with Maggie Woodhouse at Cardiff University School of Optometry.
• Restraint Reduction NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership providing standards and practical tools to support the reduction of all forms of restrictive practice, aligned with Welsh Government's Reducing Restrictive Practice Framework.
• Cardiff and Valleys Regional Partnership BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced 'My Dream Home' booklet with people with learning disabilities, parents, and carers to provide information about living independently.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: UK's largest learning disability charity, providing supported living, residential services, advocacy, and information across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Operates at significantly greater scale than Drive but in the same specialism and commissioning environment.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, deafblindness, and autism. Operates supported living and residential services nationally; broader scope and scale than Drive.

Direct peers

• Lifeways: One of the UK's largest supported living providers, operating thousands of homes for people with learning disabilities and complex needs. Direct competitor in the same commissioned supported living space as Drive.
• Voyage Care: Major UK provider of supported living, residential care, and home care for people with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Directly competes with Drive for local authority contracts across England and Wales.
• Dimensions: UK charity providing person-centred support for people with learning disabilities and autism, focused on supported living and community-based services. Closely aligned with Drive's operational model and specialism.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): Long-established UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities through supported living, residential care, and home share schemes. Comparable in mission, geographic spread, and charity structure.
• United Response: UK charity providing supported living and home care for people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs. Most directly comparable to Drive in mission, service mix, and commissioned-revenue model.
• MacIntyre: National UK charity providing learning disability support including supported living, residential care, and domiciliary care. Comparable scale and service mix with strong sector reputation.

Others

• National Autistic Society: UK charity providing autism services, accreditation, and information. Directly relevant as the accreditation body Drive uses (NAS Autism Accreditation), and provides adjacent autism-specialist services overlapping with Drive's autism segment.
• Welsh Local Authority Social Services (representative): Local authorities in Wales act as both primary commissioner (customer) and direct provider of some social care services. Welsh Government and individual councils shape the commissioning environment Drive operates within, and are partial competitors where councils retain in-house provision.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DriveWalesUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drivewalesuk
• Xx.com/drivewalesuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drive