Best Practice

Pathways to Independence CIC has always operated with a commitment to best practice, ensuring that our work is impactful, inclusive, and grounded in evidence. This ethos, embedded since 2003, continues to guide us as we focus on community impact, storytelling, and systemic change.

Best Practice

At Pathways to Independence, best practice is more than a standard — it’s the foundation of everything we do. For over 22 years, we’ve combined lived experience, trauma-informed approaches, and evidence-based methods to create services that are inclusive, effective, and transformative.

Our Approach to Best Practice

We are guided by a set of core principles that ensure our work remains impactful and forward-looking:

Co-Production and Inclusion: Embedding participatory methods so lived experience informs design and delivery.

Trauma-Informed and Inclusive Practice: Creating safe, responsive, and affirming environments.

Evidence and Learning: Using robust frameworks to track progress, share learning, and improve outcomes.

Research Partnerships: Collaborating with universities, networks, and communities to strengthen practice and innovation.

Continuous Adaptation: Remaining flexible and responsive to emerging needs and systemic challenges.

Best Practice in Action: The Planning Star™

One of our most recognised contributions is the UASC Outcome Star – Planning Star™, used nationally to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).

In the early days of PTI, our founder, Alice Conroy, approached Sarah Burns, Director and Founder of Triangle Consulting, with the idea of creating a bespoke tool to help UASC articulate their progress and needs. That idea became reality — and one day Alice’s dream came true.

The Planning Star™ was co-developed in partnership with Triangle Consulting and the Home Office. This tool helps unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) articulate their progress and needs in a structured, accessible way. It has since been adopted nationally, influencing how agencies support young refugees across the UK.It has since become a pioneering framework, enabling young refugees to express their journeys in ways that are meaningful to them and accessible to professionals.

This innovation is a powerful example of how PTI has transformed lived experience into tools that not only support individuals but also shape better systems and practice across the UK.