- Residential substance misuse service
Phoenix Futures Wirral Residential Service
Assessment report published 24 July 2026
Contents
Ratings - Substance misuse services
Our view of the service
The date of assessment was 21 to 22 January 2026.
Phoenix Futures Wirral Residential Service is a residential substance misuse service. This service is part of a charitable and a not‑for‑profit housing association. The service provides up to 35 places for people, known as community members, to live while they recover from drug or alcohol problems in a therapeutic community. A therapeutic community is designed to encourage the development of life and social skills through daily work, activities, routines and therapeutic groups. Structured groups include cognitive behavioural therapy. The service offered a drug‑ and alcohol‑free setting that focuses mainly on rehabilitation, although it can offer some limited detoxification support. The treatment is medically monitored, meaning healthcare professionals oversee the process, but it is less clinical and more focused on therapy than a fully medically managed service.
Community members stay in a large house in a suburban area of the Wirral, near Liverpool. A team of drug and alcohol recovery workers and volunteers help them through one‑to‑one sessions, group sessions, and alternative therapies.
When community members first arrive, they spend a few weeks in a separate stage of the service called the ‘welcome house’ to help them settle in. After that, they move into the main house for the rest of the programme, which lasts between three and six months.
Community members help run the house each day and support each other. Community members are involved in the domestic, catering and maintenance activities of the building and complete appropriate training to undertake these activities. More experienced residents act as “buddies” for newcomers.
When someone finishes the programme, staff help them move into supported housing or into their own accommodation. Most recovery workers and the management team have graduated through the programme and are employed at the service.
During this assessment we reviewed community members care and treatment records, carried out a tour of the environment and spoke to ten members of staff, including the registered manager, service and operations managers.
Community members’ capacity to understand the rules and boundaries of the therapeutic community was discussed with people prior to admission, so they could understand the treatment model and consent to participating in it. People could access the service through self-referral, their GP or commissioners.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 16 community members during our assessment. Their feedback was consistently positive, and they described staff as supportive, compassionate, responsive and respectful. They said they felt able to speak openly and honestly with staff and within the community group. Community members were also unwaveringly favourable about being involved in their care and treatment and said they could share their views and opinions.
Community members told us the service had changed their lives and outlook for the future giving them hope and developing skills to manage their addictions.
Community members consistently told us that staff were caring, approachable, and understanding. Community members said staff responded quickly to their needs, offered the right support, and provided steady emotional encouragement. Staff were especially appreciated during challenging times when people felt their individual needs were recognised and supported. People described the service as “one large family", “a place where I know I am safe", and “this place has saved me, I have a future”.
During the assessment, we saw that staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported. They showed a calm and empathetic understanding of the therapeutic community, its boundaries, and how the daily routines and interactions were used to encourage emotional growth and social learning. We observed a group session where clients spoke openly, and staff were supportive and respectful.
Community members told us they felt safe in the service. They also said they felt the impact of the therapeutic activities available to them, as well as taking on responsibilities for domestic, catering and maintenance tasks.