Local Authorities

We may not be the biggest Independent Fostering Agency but we aim to be the one that has the greatest impact for children in terms of practice, carer quality, achieving outcomes, Local Authority engagement and many other areas. 

Through consultation with Local Authority partners we aim to develop additional specialist services for children that better meet individual needs of LA's and which are complementary to our existing skillsets and focus.

We strive to ensure that as an organisation, we are meeting the needs of our Local Authority partners and drive through these local needs within the Strategic Framework of the Pathway Care Organisation.  This will involve, where appropriate, input from the Senior Management Group, Board of Directors and Central Services Team, including Quality Assurance, Training and Development and Recruitment and Service Development.

 Service improvement is led through direct consultation with external and internal service users.  A number of groups led by staff have now been successfully established with Looked after children and birth children of foster carers.   

We are also keen to promote the expertise of foster carers through direct participation and leadership of carer proposition work and driving forward new service development.

Through strategically focused and continuous recruitment activity we ensure that the foster carers recruited reflect the needs, culture and diversity of the children and young people for whom we care.

 This allows Pathway Care to apply the utmost rigour in safely matching the needs of the child or young person with the skills and attributes of locally based foster carers. ‘We are passionately committed to local placements for local children.’ 

Pathway Care’s approach to the provision of foster care services is to provide transforming care in the lives of vulnerable children by providing:

•  Children in care an experience of a stable and nurturing family environment in which they can thrive grow and achieve.
• Foster carers with excellent support and training to enable them to provide and maintain such a stable, transforming environment.
• Local Authority partners high quality, value-for-money children’s services delivered effectively in partnership and with tangible outcomes for children.  

Our 4 Core Values are;

• We put children and young people first: We will be measured ultimately by our commitment to the children and young people in our care and the outcomes we achieve.
• We keep a local focus to achieve a national vision: Our focus is local and individual, backed by building national strength, standards and support.
• We strive for excellence in all we do: We set high standards for ourselves and others to ensure that we are delivering the best service.
• Provide best value: We will provide services that our Local Authority partners value in terms of impact and cost.

• To provide the Local Authority with a choice of services that can be tailored to best fit the needs of the child or young person and through close consultation, be pro–active when it comes to the placement needs of looked after children.
• To undertake continuous foster carer recruitment activity to ensure our register of foster carers reflects the needs, culture and diversity of the children and young people for whom we care.
• To apply the utmost rigour in matching the needs of the child or young person with the skills and personal attributes of our foster carers.
• To deliver localised and qualified support, training and development opportunities for foster carers enabling them to provide the highest quality alternative family, creating and maintaining a stable, transforming environment.
• To enable children or young people to benefit from good healthcare and education and take the next step to building a more secure future, achieving their full potential.
• To facilitate and promote contact with the birth family, where and when appropriate.
• To create and facilitate a culture of continuous improvement in everything we do.