Services & Facilities

Among the range of other services that we provide to our young people includes:

• Working with Social Workers and young people to complete pathway plans, CSE risk assessments and safety plans.
• Registration of young people with local Optician, Dentist and GP.
• Taking young people to their routine LAC health appointments, routine LAC dental and optician assessments
• Taking young people to sexual health clinics, CAMHS meeting where appropriate in consultation with the young person and their Social Workers.
• Engaging young people in discussions about health & well-being during key working sessions in relation to issues around the negative effects of drugs and substance misuse
• Engaging young people in sessions on the negative impact of forming a negative network of associations.
• Weekly and monthly placement report on request by the Local Authority
• Completing Placement Planning Meeting (PPM) with young people and their Social Workers five days after a young person is placed with Pathfinders.
• Preparation for young people to move to greater independent living.
• Engaging young people in direct work
• Completing life story work with young people.
• Drawing weekly activities programmes for young people; registering young people with local gyms and encouraging young people to engage in exercises to promote healthy lifestyles.
• Working in partnership with agencies to safeguard young people from harm or abuse.
• Sign posting young people and their families to relevant agencies for example counselling services, mediation services to meet the identified needs of young people and their families
• Supporting young people to complete housing application forms and to bid for their permanent accommodation online.
• Up to 5 hours per week one to one keyworking support sessions
• 24 hours support staff on duty (including sleep-in/waking)
• Out of hours contact; on call manager.
• Out of hours unannounced manager/s
• Quality assured assessments quality assured by a Qualified Social Work Manager
• Practical support in helping young people to move to their permanent accommodation post 18 years by helping them to set up their homes after funding has been approved by the Local Authority.
• Assist Young people to set up home, i.e. searching for and viewing accommodations, shopping for furniture and electrical goods, setting up utilities and completing benefit forms.

Each young person will be allocated a keyworker / support worker, irrespective of their level of independence.  Areas of to be covered as part of the independence living plan during keyworking sessions will include:

• Budgeting and managing limited finances
• Wise/ reasonable shopping on a low budget
• Maintaining healthy lifestyle including healthy eating and hygiene
• Cooking sessions and cooking low budget meals
• Keeping safe, impact of going missing and how to promote health and safety
• How to live and manage living independently
• Managing self-care and hygiene issues
• General household hygiene
• Staying healthy- promoting a healthy lifestyle and importance of exercising
• Dealing with anger, stress and how to manage emotional wellbeing
• Developing social skills for community interrogation
• Managing appointments and dealing with organisations
• Identifying and accessing community resources
• Setting up home skills

Support sessions will usually be held weekly (or more if required) and will focus on young people’s lives as a whole; facilitating and developing insight and confidence, whilst accentuating the positives and addressing difficult aspects of young people’s lives. This may cover areas such as substance misuse, criminal activity, anger management, self-awareness and identity. Staff will also attend relevant meetings and appointments with young people.

House meetings will be held once a month and all young people are encouraged to attend and participate.

Project staff are on site throughout the week and all houses have sleep in staff. There is also an out of hours on call staff.

Young people moving on from Pathfinders into their own independent accommodation will be offered up to three outreach sessions in their new home as part of their transitional process and to manage any initial issues and alleviate isolation and anxieties likely to be faced by young people who move on to their own permanent accommodation