Pathfinder Online

The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 put a statutory duty on all local authorities to have in place a robust pathway plan for all Looked After Children who would leave their care after the age of 16. The first pathway plan has to be in place by the time the young person has reached the age of 16 and 3 months and must be a comprehensive plan ensuring that the young person`s needs and wishes are taken into account.

It must be clear to all involved with the Pathway Plan how the local authority and others will offer support to help the young person achieve their aspirations and greater independence. Although the Government offered guidance on which areas must be covered in the Pathway Plan it did not develop a suggested pro forma (this however is likely to emerge from current work taking place to develop the integrated children`s system).

The Pathway Plan must be informed by a comprehensive assessment which can be built on previous or ongoing assessments but must concentrate on the particular issues to be addressed and must involve a marrying of the young person`s self assessment and the views of all professionals involved.

There are a number of problems in carrying out such a comprehensive assessment in a tight time scale for a Personal Adviser who is new to the young person.  These include the fact that a young person`s anxieties are likely to be heightened by the presence of someone who they feel may "force" them to leave care before they are ready and by the sensitive nature of some of the questions necessary within the assessment. Carrying out a comprehensive assessment within a time scale is also more difficult if the young person has communication or learning difficulties. Bearing these issues in mind, Youth Media is pioneering a tool with local Councils and authorities who are working with us, as well as care leavers, to develop an interactive assessment tool, which is much more young person centred.  The tool allows rehearsal of assessment questions with trusted carers, offers different mediums of communication where appropriate and can both educate and reassure young people about issues and concerns they may have.

Central Government is extremely anxious for Local Authorities to develop tools and systems that are young person friendly. "They are therefore certain to endorse the development of Pathfinder".

What is Pathfinder Online?

Pathfinder Online is the world’s first customised totally interactive pathway assessment program for young people in care. Pathfinder Online assesses the strengths and weakness by engaging young people to customise their own virtual advisor using cutting edge technology. Pathfinder Online is a self contained online program which provides an exciting and unique opportunity for a young person and Social Worker to communicate on difficult and subjects and matters through the use of technology. 

Pathfinder Online Therapeutic Intervention

Pathfinder Online allows a child or young person to interact and choose what character, male or female, ethnic background and culture they would like. We believe it is important to provide the power for the young person to express their individuality and personal style. Clothing and hair can also be uniquely changed on any of the characters to suit different youth cultures i.e. Gothic, Skater, Mosher, Pop, and Afro. Pathfinder Online also has animated interchangeable backgrounds behind the characters to provide individual virtual and localised environments.

Pathfinder Online Speech Technology

Pathfinder Online new speech technology offers people with reading and hearing difficulties a solution. At the touch of a button they can select an audio speech facility for spoken questions, including electronic subtitles for the hard of hearing. Pathfinder Online explains difficult wording and terminology verbally via the chosen character.    

Linguistic Technology

Different multi cultural languages can be chosen to overcome communication difficulties for the Social Workers and young people. Pathfinder Online allows you to print documentation in different languages if required.

Electronic Assessment Reports

All information entered into the Pathfinder Online assessment program can be easily printed off as a hard copy for the young person by the Social Worker. Assessment reports and entered information can be easily obtained via username and password to be updated by the Social Worker. Statistics and performance reviews for the young person can also be automatically generated so that a Personal Advisor or Social Worker can effectively log contact and evaluate the young person`s requirements. Pathfinder Online has been developed to easily link into any existing database system to organise assessments stored electronically without duplicating information.

Pathfinder Online Customisation

The Pathfinder Online Assessment can be tailored to adopt individual assessment styles and techniques currently in operation. The Pathfinder Online program framework has been developed with young people and professionals from different cultures, backgrounds and professions. This investment has ensured Pathfinder Online includes therapeutic intervention and deals with issues surrounding intimidation and communication. 

Who is Pathfinder Online For? 

Pathfinder Online has been designed primarily for all UK children in public care.

How Will Pathfinder Online Assessment Be Accessed?

The aim is to provide anytime, anywhere, anyhow access via the Pathfinder Online web address. Pathfinder Online will allow a young person to view and interact with the assessment to find information and useful contacts. However Pathfinder Online will prompt the user for a username and password when attempting to enter information into the assessment. Pathfinder Online allows Social Workers to easily create usernames and individual passwords for each user. Pathfinder Online is tailored to each authority to incorporate different authorisation levels.

How is an Assessment Completed? 

Pathfinder Online is a self contained web-based program which provides an exciting and unique opportunity for a young person and Social Worker to communicate on difficult subjects and matters using technology.  The Pathfinder Online program has been developed for the young person as an assessment only. The Pathfinder Online program collates the young person’s entered response with the Social Worker and saves it to their computer.

The Pathfinder Online assessment can be printed as a hard copy at any completed stage. This will ensure that Pathfinder Online can meet the needs of children in different circumstances and increase usability. The printed assessment will be tailored to each authority including local contacts, organisation and support groups. Pathfinder Online automatically detects the strengths and weakness of the user in the entered information by the user and Social Worker. Pathfinder Online prompts useful information and contacts if required and includes this information within the hard printed copy for useful reference.

Can Pathfinder Online Deliver a Secure Environment?

A young person can load and explore Pathfinder Online on their own computer to prepare them for sometimes difficult and awkward questions.

The Pathfinder Online program can also be loaded on a Social Workers laptop or office computer. This will provide a totally secure environment and will enhance the Social Workers ability to engage with the young person to evoke and deliver questions and answers.

Pathfinder Online has been constructed in partnership with public and private sector professionals to maximize security with the latest user name and password technology. Pathfinder Online provides the answers to the next generation of safe and secure environments that are much more secure than existing ways currently in operation for a child in the UK to access information.

We are using tried and tested software and materials of the highest quality.  A whole range of security techniques are being embedded into the design of Pathfinder Online. Consequently there are many layers of security within Pathfinder Online , combined with an innovative range of unique safety features that have been designed specifically to protect the care population.  

Why is Pathfinder Online Necessary?

Pathfinder Online will respond to the frequent requests from children and young people for interactivity.  Pathfinder Online assessment immerses a young person in a relaxed and friendly virtual environment. Pathfinder Online provides a real voice, real choices and confidentiality.  Pathfinder Online will be a model of social inclusion, aiming to prevent an ICT underclass amongst children in public care. Pathfinder Online will significantly reduce their often intense feeling of isolation and intimidation.

Will Pathfinder Online Help Meet Statutory Requirements?

Pathfinder Online will help deliver specifically designed information and interactive services responsively and directly to children and young people in public care.

Useful information will be provided for the child.  Pathfinder Online will therefore help local authorities to fulfil their obligations under legislation and policy including The Children Act, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Quality Protects, and the Children`s (Leaving Care) Act Young People in Public Care.

Pathfinder Online will help children tackle issues concerning their education, health, life skills employability and legal issues. Pathfinder Online will encourage peer support wherever possible and easily link information into existing data bases.

How Do We Know Content Will Be Appropriate?

Pathfinder Online has been designed by young people for young people of all ages and levels of ability.  Developmental stages, language, ethnicity, and relevance to gender, sexual orientation, in accordance with the established principles and views of experienced advisors. 

How will Pathfinder Online Deal With A Child In Desperate Need Of Help?

Pathfinder Online assessment provides instant, effective information and links to local support groups and organisations customized to different criteria’s and areas.

Pathfinder Online delivers this response verbally including subtitles for the hard of hearing.

How will Pathfinder Online Prevent Children From Giving Away Their Access Details?

Pathfinder Online incorporates the deepest level of security, so access to personal data will be by means of passwords and user IDs.  We will be using `random scripted authentication` methods to confirm children`s identities (similar to those used by a bank when you call them on the phone) before allowing access to sensitive information. Pathfinder Online saves the assessment to the computer which will also require individual username and password details to update records and to gain access. 

All adults having contact with a child through Pathfinder Online will have been police checked, be registered as users in order to maintain security, and be vetted and authenticated through a range of Pathfinder Online security features uniquely to each authority.

How Does The Interactive Virtual Character Work?

The character has scripted `intelligence` and other software features that enable the character to interact with young people and act as a facilitator between young person and the Social Worker. Pathfinder Online is uniquely different to any other assessment as it accommodates local customisation    

Does Pathfinder Online Provide Value For Money?

Because Pathfinder Online is designed for all children in public care in the UK, the quality of service and economies of dissemination to each authority will be kept to a minimum. This will mean that Pathfinder Online provides the best possible front line tool to be used to centre and empower each individual young person or child. Pathfinder Online is user friendly and easy to understand. Pathfinder Online has been developed to save time and easily share information electronically saving duplication. Pathfinder Online engages and invokes information from young people with technology and increases communication.

Pathfinder Online can be customised to benefit local authorities with local resource whilst keeping costs affordable.  

How Will Pathfinder Online Benefit Carers?

Carers will be able to use Pathfinder Online to support their work with young people on an equal playing field.  Pathfinder Online helps Social Workers to provide factual information and to deliver difficult questions.  Pathfinder Online assessment can be left with the young person so that they can familiarise themselves with the questions that will be asked about them.  Pathfinder Online is a new and exciting approach for young people who have reading difficulties.  Pathfinder Online also allows Social Workers to communicate in different languages.    

How Will You Ensure Quality And Consistency?

Through constant monitoring, by updating Pathfinder Online at all levels and by involving all users and stakeholders who form the Pathfinder Online support resource database. 

How Will A Balance Be Maintained Between Security And Accessibility?

Pathfinder Online will use various methods of security passwords. Depending on the local authority from which a user is accessing Pathfinder Online and the appliance available, different levels of security will give the user access to different facilities.

A user will only require a username and password to enter personal information. If they don’t have a user name and password, the program will instantly permit user access to limited areas. Pathfinder Online disables data entry input and personal record data access until contact has been established with their Social Worker for username and password access.

Is Pathfinder Online Only For Children?

Pathfinder Online is an entirely powerful and exciting breakthrough in technology which supports adults in playing a positive role in supporting children and young people in public care. Pathfinder Online technology can be customised to suit Carers` and professionals` needs, provide comprehensive information and enhance knowledge and abilities to support anybody in care.

What Does The Pathfinder Online Package Include?

Pathfinder Online Assessment Program User Licence per authority.

Onsite Pathfinder Online File Management Integration programmed onto existing computer framework and administration training
 
Regional customisation to Pathfinder Online assessment pathway
 
12 months Pathfinder Online support and updates

 
Additional Options

Annual Pathfinder Online File Management support and maintenance contract

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