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The Pathfinder supports children and families facing adversity in south Birmingham. We take a relationship-first approach to support, so that it is trusted and sustained. We call this ‘support on tap’. From this position of trust we can call in specialist advisors, counsellors and supporters as needed.

We work through schools so we can make the most of the potential there for long-term relationships.

We are very much a collaborative programme – partnership is woven into our approach.

Our keystone values are nurture, social justice and ‘shared authority’, meaning we support the leadership of the families we work with.

We are ambitious for change in the way systems work. We show it is possible to do things differently.

Why we exist

The Birmingham Pathfinder was established in 2016 by an experienced social worker, Rob McCabe, as a practical response to 30 years of witnessing systemic failings affecting the city’s most marginalised children.

The spark for the development of the Pathfinder was the negative trajectories of children at one ‘special school’ for children with ‘SEMH’ (social, emotional and mental health problems).

In 2012 and 2014, Rob undertook research to put figures to the extremely high financial costs to the criminal justice system of these negative trajectories. He used case studies to catalogue the terrible human costs to the children and families involved. A key issue was found to be the revolving door of repeated referrals to various agencies, meaning that families experienced a ‘carousel effect’, damaging their trust and sense of agency.

The Pathfinder emerged as a response to this and starts by recognising that a young person’s involvement in crime, with Children’s Services, homelessness and/or school exclusion is often a consequence of more entrenched challenges facing their family.

The Pathfinder also recognises that there is huge potential for schools as a place where family support can be situated. With the right resourcing and support, schools have the potential to really capitalise on the relationships they build throughout the 12 years of a child’s statutory school life.

30

Schools currently involved

6

Shared Authority families’ groups established to date

15

PIE and NVR courses offered to families to date

1370

Numbers of families supported since 2021

13.7

Number of FTE match-funded school-based workers

10

Number of years operational

Our Testimonials

Kind words families and other stakeholders have said about us:

"[Mum] is starting to grow in confidence and is now beginning to see a future for herself in terms of a career and with her children. I’ve had to have some difficult conversations with mom but she has discussed very openly and worked through them with [PF Worker]." - Mum

"Pathfinder has the understanding that it wasn't quite as simple as 'just doing it'." - Mum

"It is good to be working alongside Pathfinder to be able to help build the resilience of families we are working with." - School