Who we are
Pathways to Independence UK (PTI UK) is a social purpose organisation with over 22 years of history supporting young people who have experienced disadvantage, exclusion, and systemic barriers.
We began in 2003 as a leading provider of specialist supported accommodation for young people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds, and, care-experienced youth. Over two decades, we built a strong reputation with local authorities and partners for delivering trauma-informed, person-centred support and for pioneering tools such as the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Outcome Star – Planning Star™.
Today, PTI UK continues as a family of services with shared values:
PTI UK CIC – our community-facing arm, focused on mentoring, outreach, and knowledge-sharing projects that amplify lived experience and influence systemic change.
PTI UK Property – our property arm, acquiring and managing buildings with social purpose, creating spaces that can sustain and support community work.
Learn more about Our services
At our heart, we remain guided by the same values that have shaped our work since the beginning:
✦ Justice and equity – tackling exclusion and building fairer systems.
✦ Trauma-informed practice – recognising the impact of adversity and creating safe, supportive environments.
✦ Belonging and connection – strengthening the ties between individuals, communities, and wider systems.
✦ Voice and agency – ensuring young people are not only supported but heard, and that their perspectives influence change.
Together, these values underpin our vision: a world in which young people can fulfil their potential and thrive in inclusive communities that value connection and belonging — where difference is recognised as strength, lived experience shapes systems, and justice is embedded in practice.
“My real journey started with Pathways when I felt I could really be the person I wanted to. Pathways helped me see the bright light, the pathway clearly. I felt like I was going from zero to something, from dark to light and from emptiness to fulfilment.”
— Pathways Young Person
Aims & Values
Aims & Principles
We co-produce our aims with the people we serve. Together, we commit to:
Empower people to shape their futures
✦ Provide accessible, tailored support that builds on strengths.
✦ Offer advocacy and guidance that fosters autonomy and confidence.
Foster inclusion and belonging
✦ Create opportunities for genuine participation in decisions that affect lives.
✦ Strengthen community connections and promote shared belonging.
Drive systemic change
✦ Amplify lived experience to influence policy and practice.
✦ Share best practice and collaborate to challenge inequality and create fairer systems.
Core Values
✦ Justice & Equity – tackling exclusion and building fairer systems.
✦ Trauma-Informed Practice – recognising the impact of adversity and creating safe, supportive environments.
✦ Belonging & Connection – strengthening ties between individuals, communities, and wider systems.
✦ Voice & Agency – ensuring people are not only supported but heard, and that their perspectives influence change.
✦ Co-Production & Participation – working alongside those with lived experience to design meaningful initiatives.
✦ Community – valuing diversity, encouraging individuality, and celebrating difference as sources of strength.
✦ Empathy – fostering mutual understanding and respect in all interactions.
“…you couldn’t ask for a better team, dedicated, well trained and they know the process inside out, it’s so vital as we are not experts, they led on everything…”
— Professional