Phoenix Community Care

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 1 Phoenix Community Care

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Room 1, 639 The Trampery, 639 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 8AA

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This is a privately owned independent fostering agency based in London. The agency provides foster care placements for unaccompanied children, children with complex health needs, sibling groups and parents with children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the fostering service had 25 approved fostering households and 32 children placed with foster carers. The independent fostering agency registered with Ofsted in July 2004. The agency has two registered managers.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This visit was undertaken to address a specific allegation received by Ofsted. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the service in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken as a result of concerns raised by a local authority designated officer (LADO) about the fostering agency’s response to an allegation made against a foster carer. A child had sustained bruising while in placement with their mother in a parent and child fostering placement. Medical investigations were inconclusive in deciding the exact circumstances of how the baby’s injuries occurred. The baby was removed from their mother’s care, and the placement ended.

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This monitoring visit

Following investigations, the LADO and other involved professionals substantiated an allegation of neglect against the foster carer, and a subsequent Disclosure and Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 2 Barring Service (DBS) referral was made. The professional network recommended the deregistration of the foster carer. The fostering agency continues to find the foster carer suitable to offer foster care placements.

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This monitoring visit

Concerns were expressed about the fostering agency’s failure to respond appropriately to the foster carer’s refusal to cooperate with the police investigation when requested to do so. Managers of the fostering agency comment that, while the agency had signposted the foster carer to independent fostering advocacy for support, the foster carer had acted on the legal advice received at the time. Managers also say that another significant factor is the context of the foster carer being approached by the police, which the foster carer found highly distressing.

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This monitoring visit

The LADO had recommended that the fostering agency conduct an internal investigation alongside other investigations conducted by the professional network. The fostering agency appointed an independent social worker, and their investigation report was presented to the fostering panel in September 2025.

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This monitoring visit

The independent social worker’s assessment concluded that the foster carer was suitable to continue to be approved by the agency and also highlighted several actions to be undertaken by both the foster carer and the fostering agency. This includes the consistent convening of placement planning meetings as a feature of foster care placement negotiations. No placement planning meeting appears to have taken place when the mother and baby were first placed with the foster carer. Failing to ensure adequate placement planning is not in children’s best interests.

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This monitoring visit

The fostering panel’s recommendation is that the foster carer continues to be suitable to provide foster care placements; the agency decision-maker ratified the panel recommendation.

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This monitoring visit

Managers say that they will adhere fully to the independent social worker’s recommendations. However, the appointed independent social worker was known to the fostering agency, as he was a previous employee. This does not demonstrate best practice or promote impartiality.

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This monitoring visit

Minutes of the fostering panel meeting do not highlight panel discussions about the foster carer’s response to the police, which is instrumental to the LADO’s concerns for the conduct of the foster carer. Managers of the fostering agency confirm that a full panel discussion was held in relation to this issue. However, the fostering panel minutes fail to evidence this key discussion. This is despite the panel chair signing off the panel minutes as being accurate.

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This monitoring visit

In implementing the fostering agency’s safeguarding policies and procedures, leaders, managers and decision-makers have failed to take account of the views and actions of partner safeguarding professionals when making decisions about the suitability of foster carers, in particular when the LADO substantiated concerns raised about a foster carer and a referral to DBS was made. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 3 Leaders and managers have not adequately reviewed their assessment of risks posed by a foster carer. This weakens the fostering service’s management of known risks for children placed in foster carers’ households.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers of the fostering service comment that there has been much learning as a result of the incident and the subsequent concerns for their decision- making. Leaders and managers continue to consider lessons learned and are reviewing key processes in place to promote the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit did not review the fostering agency’s efforts to address areas identified for improvement at the last full inspection, and so these are restated in this report. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children placed with foster parents from abuse or neglect, and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for—

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Requirement Due date

liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is, or may be, making child protection enquiries in relation to any child placed by the fostering service provider,

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Requirement Due date

notification of the instigation and outcome of any child protection enquiries involving a child placed by the fostering service provider, to the Chief Inspector. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(c)) 11 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times. (Regulation 11 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that leaders and managers review their assessments of known risks for individuals who foster. Leaders and managers must review the assessments made of the management of known risks for children placed in foster carers’ households. 11 January 2026 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 5 If any of the events listed in Column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that safeguarding incidents are notified to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the welfare of children placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times. (Regulation 11 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that placement planning meetings are held as a feature of the arrangements of foster care placements and that independent social workers appointed to conduct investigations have no previous relationship or work history with the fostering service. 1 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

In considering what recommendation to make under paragraph (1), the fostering panel—

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Requirement Due date

must consider and take into account all of the information passed to it in accordance with regulation 26, 27 or 28 (as the case may be) (Regulation 25 (2)(a)) 1 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all records kept by the service are regularly monitored to ensure compliance with the service’s policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action should be taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring visit. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.2)  The registered person should ensure that assessment and appraisal of all staff involved in fostering work takes account of identified skills needed for particular roles and is used to identify individuals’ learning and development needs. This relates to all panel members having annual appraisals and identifying any training needs. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 23.5) Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 6  The registered person should ensure that the foster carer is given a copy of the

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Recommendations

child’s placement plan as soon as this is provided to them by the responsible authority. If provision of the care plan by the responsible authority is delayed, the fostering service should follow this up with the responsible authority. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 31.2)  The registered person should ensure that the fostering service only suggests foster carers to local authorities as a potential match for a child if the foster carer can reasonably be expected to meet the child’s assessed needs and the impact of the placement on existing household members has been considered. This specifically relates to all supervising social workers ensuring that they understand the matching process completed for new children with foster carers. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 15.1)  The panel chair should ensure that written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel members

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Recommendations

and record the reasons for its recommendation. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 14.7)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the independent fostering agency since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Phoenix Community Care 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Phoenix Community Care Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: The Trampery, 639 High Road, London N17 8AA

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered managers : Pauline Hawkes, Jeffrey Coates

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector

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Inspector

to 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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

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