Accommodation Provision
Promoting positive outcomes for young people and providing a safe, nurturing and caring environment for young people to thrive.
Achieving Positive Educational Outcomes for Young People
Accommodation Provision
Our properties are maintained to safety and high quality standards. We believe that positive environments impacts positively on outcomes for young people. We therefore ensure that all our properties are compliant to safety regulations with fire doors, alarm systems and 24 hours CCTV facilities in place. We also ensure that all our properties are 24 staffed to ensure that staff responds appropriately to any safety issue or deal with any emergencies that may arise at the placement. Additionally, we have furnished properties for young people with modern kitchen, toilet and lounge facilities.
All young people are provided with keys to their own room and exit doors. Young people also receive a resident’s handbook providing everything need to know about living at Pathfinders; as well as a comprehensive induction within their first two days in placement.
A telephone is available to residents for incoming calls only however they will be able to make 999 calls. Residents can purchase telephone cards from local shops in order to make personal calls.
Calls to social workers or other professionals can be made from the office telephone, upon request to staff.
Bedrooms
All our young people’s bedrooms are well furnished with carpets, curtains, single beds, wardrobe and dressing table. Bedrooms are fully furnished and young people are provided with bed linen, towels alarm clock as part of the starter packs.
All the bedrooms have their own locks and young people are giving keys to their bedroom. Staff keeps spare keys for safety reasons in case keyworker needs access the young people bedrooms in times of emergencies.
Some of the bedrooms have TV but this is dependent on the needs of the young person and the provision of TV in bedrooms for young people requires funding approval from Local Authorities. Young people are encouraged to tidy up their own bedrooms and communal areas as part of their semi independence development skills. However, training and support is provided to young people who may need assistance in completing this task.
Lounges
Our lounges are well furnished with carpets/wooden flooring with curtains, sofas, chairs, coffee tables, TVs, and dining tables.
Kitchens
Our kitchen facilities are up to safety standards with fully fitted and equipped to with high-standard fridge freezers, washing machines, cookers, microwaves, kettles, toasters, sandwich makers etc.
We ensure that young people have their allocated cupboards where they store their cooking utensils etc. to avoid conflict and friction among young people.
Laundry
We provide young people with well-equipped communal laundry rooms with washing machines and tumble dryers in our properties.
Pathfinders residents are encouraged to do their own laundry as part of their semi-independent development plan.
Staff Accommodation
We provide our sleeping in staff with one bedroom with toilet and bathroom facilities.
Office Accommodation
All our placements are 24-hour staff. Staff presence is always visible on our premises.
Car Parking & Garden
Some of our placements have large gardens. Our young people use the garden during good weather times for outdoor games. Some of our properties have driveway parking for staff and visitors. Other properties also have front and back parking facilities for staff and visitors.
Security / Safety
Pathfinders ensure that:
- All our placements are HMO certificated
- All our placements meet current concern health and safety requirements
- All our houses have fitted fire detection systems which are tested regularly
- An electrical certificate is provided by an NICEIC registered electrician confirming that all electrical wiring complies with current regulations
- All electrical appliances are either new or tested annually in line with current regulations
- A gas safety certificate is provided by a gas-registered engineer confirming that all gas appliances comply with gas safety regulations
- All project staff and residents receive a comprehensive induction to all Pathfinders Health and Safety Policies and Procedures upon arrival
- All project staff go through a rigorous recruitment process, DBS clearance and must provide satisfactory employment references
Our properties have 24 hours CCTV facilities. The CCTV cameras are strategically positioned covering communal areas, lounges, gardens and outside the building. We also have an intruder alarm in place at our facilities. Our staff are first aid trained to respond appropriately to any health and safety issues. We try our best to maintain client confidentiality in our operations. We also ensure that our CCTV facilities are not intrusive. At Pathfinders, we respect the rights and dignity of our young people and CCTV’s are not fixed in young people’s bedrooms.
The CCTV footages are shared with relevant authorities only when the needs arises. We ensure that all our properties are complaint with health and safety checks and regulations. We operate a zero tolerance ‘no smoking’ policy in our facilities. We do not allow our young people to smoke in the bedrooms or at the placement due to health and safety considerations.