Phoenix Futures National Specialist Family Service

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating remained good.

This meant people’s outcomes were consistently better than expected compared to similar services. People’s feedback described it as exceptional and distinctive.

Staff assessed the physical and mental health of all clients. They developed individual care plans which were reviewed regularly through multidisciplinary discussion and updated as needed.
We found the care and treatment provided by the service was effective. It was evidence based, measurable, and effectively monitored client’s outcomes. Processes and training were in place to support staff to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively.
Clients were encouraged and supported to be involved in their care assessments and treatment planning, which promoted a person-centred approach. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of the importance of capacity to consent to treatment. Processes and assessments were in place to safeguard clients and their best interests.
The team included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of clients using the service. Staff from different disciplines worked together as a team to benefit clients.

We have not awarded this service a score for Effective.

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

We scored the service a 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

We found that staff completed a comprehensive mental health assessment of the client prior to, and shortly after admission as well as requesting access to client records and GP summaries.
Staff assessed clients’ physical health needs in a timely manner. This included taking clients’ blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen levels. Staff monitored withdrawal symptoms using recognised scales to ensure medicines for withdrawal were appropriately prescribed and dispensed. We looked at 7 sets of care records on this inspection, staff developed care plans that met the needs identified during assessment.
Care plans were personalised, holistic and recovery oriented. Staff updated care plans when necessary and staff responded promptly to any sudden deterioration in a client's health, for example management and response to relapse or deterioration in mental health.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service always planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation. They worked to develop evidence-based good practice and standards.

Staff provided a range of care and treatment interventions suitable for treating alcohol and drug dependence. The interventions were those recommended by, and were delivered in line with, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). These were delivered with the client's input of what was important to them and were carefully selected to meet individual needs. This included group and individual support sessions as well as support with the effects of withdrawal from substances and the effects this can have on both mental and physical health. The service provided accredited programmes such as the 'Triple P' programme (Positive Parenting Programme), an evidenced based programme that provides practical strategies to help parents and carers manage behaviour, build strong family relationships, and support children's development. The service evaluated the outcomes of this approach prior to our inspection. Of the clients that completed the Triple P programme, Evidence provided showed significant improvement in parenting confidence and managing behaviour and moderate improvement in communication and connection and positive practices.

The service used the 'Therapeutic Community' model. Both staff and clients are part of this community. The main aim of the Therapeutic Community is to bring about positive change in attitudes and behaviours of people that are part of the community and that it is the community that facilitates positive change. This model has been used in substance misuse settings since the 1950's and includes coping strategies such as set boundaries, distraction techniques, rewards, set boundaries, daily structure, thinking skills and asking for help.

The service also facilitated the 'You and Me, Mum' programme. A programme that aims to empower, support and further a mums understanding of the needs of children and young people who have lived with domestic abuse.

Staff ensured that clients had good access to physical healthcare, including access to specialists when needed.

The service routinely offered blood borne virus testing and supported clients to access any treatment if any viruses were detected.

Staff assessed and met clients’ needs for food and drink and for specialist nutrition and hydration. Nutrition was seen as an important part of recovery and staff supported patients to maintain a balanced diet. Clients were supported to provide their own food.

Staff supported clients with education around budgeting, meal prep, batch cooking and advice around healthy diets and nutrition. All clients had access to full kitchen facilities. All clients received a weekly allowance to purchase food and groceries.

Staff participated in clinical audit, benchmarking and quality improvement initiatives. There was a wide range of audits that were carried out by the clinical team, including medicines, care records, and risk assessments audits. Staff used rating scales to track client’s symptoms and monitor progress.
The service had developed a drug and alcohol death strategy called ‘Hope and Opportunity’ which aimed to deliver actions on emerging trends within drug and alcohol services, with the goal of reducing harm and reducing stigma.
The team included or had access to a range of specialists required to meet the needs of clients in the service. These included access to a specialist substance misuse doctor as well as a local GP practice, therapists, social workers, midwives, peri-natal mental health teams, Health visitors and NHS health workshops.
Staff were experienced and qualified and had the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the client group.
Managers ensured that staff had access to regular team meetings. Minutes of these were shared with staff and a review of these showed that actions were completed, and feedback was provided to staff at the next meeting.
The percentage of staff that had had an appraisal in the last 12 months was 97%. The percentage of staff that received regular supervision was 100%.
Managers identified the learning needs of staff and provided them with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. We saw examples whereby staff had requested training courses appropriate for the service they worked in, and these had been agreed to by the management team. Managers ensured that staff received the necessary specialist training for their roles.
Managers dealt with poor staff performance promptly and effectively.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service always worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared thorough assessments of people’s needs when they moved between different services, so people only needed to tell their story once.

Staff held regular and effective multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. Staff shared information about clients at effective handover meetings within the team. The teams had effective working relationships with other relevant teams within the organisation for example through service wide meetings and community team meetings.
The team had effective working relationships with teams outside the organisation including the local authority safeguarding team, social services, GP practices, Dentists, perinatal mental health service, local midwives, local acute hospitals, solicitors and local support groups and charities.
We saw evidence of positive feedback from external services of how effective and valued the service was. For example, a local midwife and substance misuse specialist said “The staff are knowledgeable about pregnancy and will help facilitate medical care when the women have health worries. Any concerns are always shared with midwifery. The women speak highly of the service when I see them, and many manage to turn their lives around to ensure their baby remains in their care. My involvement with Phoenix overall is always a positive one and I see how amazing this service is”

One adult social care provider fed back that "Phoenix Futures National Specialist Family service always communicated in a timely, professional and robust manner and "would have no hesitation to continue to refer to the service when appropriate".

The service had effective links with other local and national substance misuse services. One substance misuse practitioner told us " Phoenix Futures in Sheffield has provided excellent support to service users we work with. I have seen parents leave the service feeling more emotionally and practically stable in their recovery, with increased confidence and strengthened parenting skills as a result of the structured support offered. The programme supports parents not only to address their substance use, but also to reflect on their parenting and family relationships in a meaningful way".


The service carried out thorough assessments and shared these with relevant external services, so clients only had to share their story once.

The service has an effective partnership with an independent domestic abuse service who told us, "over the past six months, IDAS and Phoenix Futures have developed a strong and effective partnership, working collaboratively to support individuals experiencing both domestic abuse and substance misuse. Through this partnership, we have successfully coordinated support for service users transitioning out of Phoenix Futures. To date, two referrals have been received, with one individual supported to move into safe accommodation through IDAS SafeZones, and another currently engaging with ongoing support. This demonstrates effective joint working to ensure continuity of care and safe, planned transitions".

The service has also worked in collaboration with local universities to raise awareness and promote the work at Phoenix Futures National Specialist Family Service.

The service has also worked nationally to support improved access to services for families including work with television and News companies.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff supported clients to live healthier lives. They gave clients advice and education around the importance of healthy eating and its role in recovery. Nutrition was a key part of the detoxification process and the service ensured that education around healthy diets was provided in group and 1:1 sessions. Staff facilitated weekly shopping trips to offer advice to clients regarding healthy diets and budgeting.

The service provided breastfeeding education and advice to clients including nutritional support and the benefits of breastfeeding during detox.

All women within the service were engaged in prenatal and perinatal healthcare with support from health visitors and midwives.

Staff identified clients’ physical health needs and recorded these in care plans. Staff conducted checks of each client’s pulse, temperature, weight, height and blood pressure upon admission or soon afterwards and these were further undertaken as individually prescribed. A full nurse led physical health assessment was completed within 7 days of entering the service. Staff made sure clients had access to physical health care, including specialist services where required.

Clients were advised on sun safety for both parents and children and this was monitored with sun safety sheets and provision of sun cream.

Clients had access to a range of activities and groups to promote a healthy lifestyle including swimming, yoga, therapeutic support sessions, escorted trips to local parks and trips to the coast.
Clients were supported to live healthier lives post discharge with an end of treatment pack and access to local support networks.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Staff used recognised rating scales to assess and record severity and outcomes and used recognised withdrawal scales to monitor detox and ensure medicines were reviewed and adjusted accordingly. This included the use of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, Revised (CIW-AR) and the Severity of Alcohol Dependency Questionnaire (SADQ). The service also accessed The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System, a national database used across England to collect anonymised information on adults and young-people receiving treatment for drug and alcohol misuse and allows providers to track whether treatment interventions are successfully helping people achieve recovery.

The service carried out a survey called 'The Footprints Report'. This report gives an in-depth understanding of people accessing services. Each survey covers a core range of topics and also reflects some of the key issues of the time such as poverty and recovery capital, gender and substance type, gender and treatment needed, housing, benefits and crime, stigma and discrimination, reframing addiction as a health issue, ethnic diversity and care experience. Key insights from this report showed a key alignment with other research, of the link between capital, recovery and addiction. This has allowed the service to build on each element of recovery capital during the duration of treatment to ensure that people have the best chance of recovery. As a result of surveys undertaken as part of this report, results showed 83% of people describe their experience of treatment as being Good or Amazing and 95% of respondents would recommend Phoenix Futures as a care provider.

The service have submitted a number of responses to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) through methods such as surveys, focus groups with clients, staff and other professionals and input from senior management and staff teams. These contributions actively raised awareness among staff and clients of the harms associated with the misuse of substances.

Phoenix Futures National Specialist family service have also submitted a number of articles and presentations to improve clients experience and outcomes such as a news piece with Channel 4 called ; reduce sentencing for pregnant women', 'why we must end stigma on women experiencing abuse and 'breaking the generational cycle of trauma and addiction'.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.


Staff took all practical steps to enable clients to make their own decisions. For clients who might have impaired mental capacity, staff assessed and recorded capacity to consent appropriately and would carry this out on a decision specific basis with regards to significant decisions.
Staff monitored clients closely as detox commenced and during post-partum phases of care to understand if clients were still able to consent to treatment and used a specific intoxication and capacity assessment.
Staff were subject to mandatory Mental Capacity Act (MCA) training. At the time of our inspection, the training compliance was 94%.
Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the key principles of the Mental Capacity Act and knew where to get advice from within the provider regarding capacity assessments or how to access pathways into local community mental health teams for support.