Research & Evidence

In 2021 Lankelly Chase Foundation (a longstanding supporter of the Pathfinder) commissioned Social Finance to conduct an independent rapid evaluation of our approach.

Outcomes for children and families

Social Finance found that:

• The Pathfinder significantly reduced fixed-term exclusions from mainstream schools
• The Pathfinder reduced referrals to Children’s Social Care
• The Pathfinder reduced how many children and young people need a social worker

(This was based on an analysis of the cases of 181 Pathfinder students and compared their journeys with a control group of families facing similar adversity elsewhere in Birmingham, who did not get Pathfinder support).

The qualitative element of the research found a broad range of benefits including improved family engagement with schools and statutory services, improved attendance at school, families being able to meet their basic needs, prevention of escalation of issues to crisis point, improved physical and mental health and overall greater resilience, autonomy, and wellbeing.

“The families referred to the Pathfinder often have broken relationships with public services, from social care to schools. Our interviews showed a transformation of this relationship, with families seeing Pathfinder workers as trusted equals, enabling them to provide help and rebuild connections with other services”.

Outcomes for schools

The Pathfinder does not exist as an ‘addon’ to the school system, but becomes a part of it. The evaluation describes benefits for schools as a result including improvements to their knowledge of and direct contacts with external services, increased understanding of the social/familial context of students, more effective safeguarding and better access to/use of data.

Wider cultural and systemic change

The evaluation describes examples of the Pathfinder contributing to wider systems change through helping services (including schools) join-up around families, see needs more holistically, understand the social context of children’s behaviour and adopt more relational and trauma-informed approaches themselves.

There is much existing research that supports relational, holistic approaches like the Pathfinder.

Literature review

In a literature review as part of the evaluation, Social Finance concluded “the importance of multi-disciplinary and holistic interventions, connecting entire families and schools, is noted throughout the literature as having strong potential for improving outcomes for children and families with complex needs. The need for a joined up approach to support vulnerable families is vital”.

Commission on Young Lives (2022)

In her report, former Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield says “it is essential to not address a young person’s issue (for example, persistent low attendance) in isolation. A whole-family approach is needed to ensure the family is worked with and supported as a unit, given issues impact a family as a collective”. She calls for “a new era of inclusive education” and recommends support for “a greater focus on nurture and therapeutic support for vulnerable children.”

She also advocates for a model she calls ‘Sure Start Plus’ – “a mechanism for bringing local services together and providing bespoke services for families and children who need it” which would take place in and around schools.

MacAlister Review of Children’s Social Care (2022)

Josh MacAlister recommends a new model of multi-disciplinary early help called Family Help, “delivered by multidisciplinary teams made up of professionals such as family support workers, domestic abuse workers and mental health practitioners – who, alongside social workers, would provide support and cut down on referring families onto other services. These Family Help Teams would be based in community settings, like schools and family hubs”.