Phoenix Community Care

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring visit: 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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This monitoring visit

On 29 October 2025, a monitoring visit was carried out to address a specific allegation received by Ofsted. As a result, two compliance notices were issued. These were issued under Regulation 11 (Independent fostering agencies–duty to secure welfare) and Regulation 12 (Arrangements for the protection of children) of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the progress made by the agency in meeting the conditions of the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have enhanced the training available for supervising social workers and foster carers. The delivery of this training has started. This includes ensuring that newly recruited foster carers have a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures, the roles and responsibilities of external professionals and the importance of working collaboratively with partner agencies. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring visit: Phoenix Community Care 2 Foster carers have clear guidance, formalised through a policy update regarding their duty to cooperate with all professionals who may conduct an investigation.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and team meetings have been convened to support staff to reflect on the learning arising from the last monitoring visit. As a result, improved training and policies provide clear expectations, and roles and responsibilities within the team are better defined and understood.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers recognise the importance of clear planning at the beginning of a child’s placement. Updated policies provide guidance on time frames for placement planning meetings and how to escalate matters of concern. Leaders and managers acknowledge the importance of ensuring that there is an agreed understanding about the level of supervision required for parent and baby placements at this planning meeting. This has been conveyed to staff and foster carers.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have strengthened safeguarding practice through updated policies that clarify responsibilities for notifying Ofsted, managing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) referrals and commissioning independent assessors. These changes have been communicated to staff. They reinforce duties, timescales for notification and expectations for decision-making to improve practice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the monitoring visit, the panel adviser has attended external training. Leaders and managers have demonstrated a strong commitment to ensure that the minutes of panel meetings reflect the discussions that are held.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have reviewed the assessments made of the management of known risks for children living in carers’ households. They are in the process of completing a risk assessment for one carer, who has had a change of circumstance. No child is placed with this carer currently.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice under regulation 12 is judged to be met. The compliance notice under regulation 11 is not met. This is because only one out of the two steps for leaders and managers to action is fully complete. The risk assessment for one carer that is in progress is not yet finalised. A requirement has been made to address this ongoing action.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations made at the last full inspection were out of the scope of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring visit: Phoenix Community Care 3

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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 persons must comply with the given timescales.

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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, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers review their assessments of known risks for individuals who foster. 30 March 2026

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

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, the registered person must 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. 30 March 2026 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring visit: Phoenix Community Care 4

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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)  The registered person should ensure that the foster carer is given a copy of the child’s placement plan as soon as this is provided to them by the responsible

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Recommendations

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 and record the reasons for its recommendation. (‘Fostering services: national

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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 children’s home 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 visit: Phoenix Community Care 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Phoenix Community Care Limited

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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 and Jeffrey Coates

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring visit: Phoenix Community Care 6 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

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Inspector

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