Phoenix Futures National Specialist Family Service

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating remained good.
This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.
Clients were seen as individuals and were treated with dignity and respect. Client care was person-centred and tailored to meet individual needs. They were encouraged and supported to be involved in their care and treatment planning.
Resources and equipment were available to allow the service to respond promptly to the needs of the clients. Clients told us that staff were caring and compassionate and sought their feedback on the quality of care provided.
Staff were visible and available to clients, supporting them to maintain and build upon their independence, promoting choice and control. Staff engaged with clients in a kind, compassionate, and caring way and clients received outstanding quality care and support, and staff sought their feedback to improve the quality of care they provided.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Clients gave overwhelmingly positive feedback about the service. They said they were optimistic about their treatment and felt included in their care. They told us they felt listened to by staff and that staff treated clients with dignity and respect, and that they felt safe. They also said that staff “saved my life”, “staff are very supportive”, “never feel judged”, that staff “go out of their way to help” and that they “were supported from day one”.
Clients commented on the homeliness of the service and the comfortable facilities, saying it was “a lovely place”. Staff attitudes and behaviours when interacting with clients showed that they were discreet, respectful and responsive, providing clients with help, emotional support and advice at the time they needed it. Clients told us that “staff were lovely and helpful”.
One client told us that they had “made memory’s that will never be forgotten” and another client told us “I thought Phoenix futures really had the right balance, it works with recovery and the staff make you feel so comfortable, you want to be there, you want to be there off your own back, they make you feel like it is home”.
Staff supported clients to understand and manage their care and treatment. Staff supported clients to access other services such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, Peri-natal mental health services and local support groups.
Staff understood the individual needs of clients, including their personal, cultural, social and religious needs.

Clients were provided with a 'starter pack' upon arrival which consisted of items such as toiletries, sanitary products, food, clothes and baby products. We also saw evidence of Christmas presents being provided to clients by the service as well as birthdays and other celebrations taking place.

Staff said they could raise concerns about disrespectful, discriminatory or abusive behaviour or attitudes towards clients without fear of the consequences. Staff maintained the confidentiality of information about clients that use the service.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, goals, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.


Staff ensured that clients could obtain information on treatments, local services, clients’ rights, and how to complain. There was signage displayed throughout the service and clients were given information on how to complain on admission as part of their welcome pack. Translation services and easy read documents could be sourced if clients required. The service provided an adapted assessment form to assist clients with any additional needs as well as having access to learning aids.

The service made adjustments for disabled clients, for example, there were access ramps to the ground floor of the premises. However, there was no lift within the building to access upper floors. The service was explicitly clear that they could not accommodate clients with increased mobility needs on their website and throughout the triage and admission process.

Staff ensured that clients had access to appropriate spiritual support and would assist clients to their preferred place of worship as well as providing a designated space within the building for people to follow their faith. There were notice boards throughout the building demonstrating different cultural celebrations such as Diwali, black history month and pride.

Care plans demonstrated people were actively involved in decision making and were supported to make their own choices about their care. People were supported to maintain networks that were important to them.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Prior to admission clients were required to accept the rules of the service and a welcome pack received on arrival also outlined any restrictions. We saw evidence that clients signed to say they accepted these rules before arrival and that staff ensured rules were enforced but with compassion and on occasions applied with appropriate flexibility.

Clients were able to decide whether this service was the right place for them to receive treatment and were assisted throughout to make this decision for themselves.

The service advocated and promoted parental rights and responsibilities and supported clients with independent parenting and assisted clients to navigate any care proceedings and to have a voice throughout complex proceedings.

The service supported clients to maintain relationships and access friends and family whilst using the service by facilitating visits from arrival at the service.

One family member explained how the service facilitated a visit for a client’s family member who had recently become unwell. The service received positive feedback saying, “Thank you and your team for the fantastic work that you are doing in helping to change people's lives.”

The service actively promoted clients’ independence, choice, and control over their care, as they were actively involved in decision-making, and their preferences were respected with care plans including the clients’ choices and preferences.
Staff supported clients and their children to access activities such as bowling, crazy golf, fine arts and pottery painting classes, cinema trips and days out to local petting zoos and other local attractions.
Staff also assisted clients to access multiple local support services including mutual aid groups and women’s health drop-in sessions which formed part of women’s health week. We received feedback informing us that clients were educated around women’s health and signs and symptoms of cancer. One client told us “I enjoyed the week because I wouldn’t have known about half the things we covered; it was really good”.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were aware of and dealt with any specific risks, such as safeguarding issues, physical health issues and any mental health concerns. They worked collaboratively with relevant external agencies such as the local authority safeguarding teams, local GP’s, midwives and perinatal mental health teams.

Staff identified and responded to changing risks to, or posed by clients such as a change in presentation and any signs of medical or mental health emergency. They escalated these changes to the appropriate services and ensured care plans and risk assessments were reflective of any changing risks. The service had devised an 'unplanned departure pack' to support and advise clients if they were to unexpectedly leave treatment.

The services’ drug and alcohol prevention strategy ensured that staff were equipped to support clients at increased risk by ensuring that relevant information was available regarding drug trends, particularly the rise in substances contaminated with Nitazenes and Xylazine. Naloxone kits and emergency equipment were available throughout the building and were easily accessible by staff.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.


Staff told us they felt valued, respected, safe and supported. Staff spoke very positively about managers and said that “they are passionate” and “very approachable and work closely with the staff team”.

Staff fed back that the service supports staff health and well-being. The service provided regular, structured supervision that provided a safe space for staff to debrief incidents and discuss any emotional impact.

Management operated an open-door approach, encouraging transparency and early escalation of concerns.

The service now operates a 6 week rolling rota. This was agreed as a result of a consultation between senior leaders and therapeutic workers. This allows staff additional rest days, a balance of shifts healthier work/life balance and reduces risk of fatigue and burnout.

Staff told us that they were proud to work for the service, it was a happy team and told us “I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else”, “I feel proud that we give women a chance of keeping their children” and “It feels amazing to advocate for a group of people that are very stigmatised”.

Staff had access to support for their own physical and emotional health needs through an occupational health service. The staff team had access to a host of services to support them in their role, including a staff counselling service and access to the providers own occupational health services if required and staff also had access to an employment support allowance.

Staff told us that the provider really valued lived experience of recovery, and this was embedded in the service culture. Staff appraisals included conversations about career development and how it could be supported. Staff were encouraged to develop and progress their career and we saw evidence of external management training taking place as well as additional training outside of the providers own training matrix.

Staff told us that they were always invited to Phoenix Futures roadshows and that staff awards were regularly held.

The most recent staff survey results said that 83.1% of staff reported their contributions were recognised and valued and 83.9% of staff believed there were equal opportunities for career progression and promotion.