The Hostels Pathway
your guide
The Hostels Pathway
Hostels and supported accommodation for homeless people in Camden have joined
together to offer a ‘Pathway’ towards independent living. This means that as your
needs change you can move to the Pathway service best able to support you.
The aim is to help you move to lower levels of support. Within one to two years you
should be able to move out of the Pathway altogether and into your own
accommodation. If at any time you need, and are willing to accept, a higher level of
support, you can move back along the Pathway.
If you do not accept the support that you need, or do not pay rent and service
charges, you may – as a last resort – be evicted from your Pathway accommodation.
Stages in the Hostels Pathway
Every Pathway bed falls into one of four stages:

Assessment

Specialist

Progress

Move through
Some of the larger hostels have beds in two or more stages.
Everybody is different and you do not have to go through all four stages to leave the
Pathway. You should know what stage you are at now and when you are likely to be
moving to the next stage or on to independent living. Please ask you key worker if
you are not sure.
Last revised July 2012
A Pathway to independence
Your assessment will be completed within two months. You may stay in a specialist
bed space and/or other bed spaces and your whole Pathway journey will normally
take between six and 24 months.
Move through
Where you can learn and
practice independent
living skills
Progress
These bed spaces help
you to maintain progress
and consider future
housing and work
options
Specialist support
Provide support if you
have specific alcohol,
drug or mental health
needs
Assessment
Assessment places will
help you to sort out
immediate needs and
find the right service for
you
Last revised July 2012
Specialist support services
The Pathway has services specially designed to support needs you may have arising
from:

Homelessness and rough sleeping

Your continuing use of alcohol and drugs or staying off them

Your mental health support needs
If you are not in one of these places but think you need specialist help talk to your
key worker.
Supporting you to achieve personal targets
All Pathway services can support you to:

Find independent accommodation

Get identification and benefits if you need them

Reduce the harm caused by your alcohol or drug use

Improve your physical and mental health

Get new skills and qualifications

Find voluntary work or a paid job

Change any behaviour that causes problems

Improve relationships that are important to you
Your key worker will work with you to agree personal goals and a support plan to
help you achieve them. You can measure the progress you make by using an
‘outcome star’ or similar record of personal change and achievement.
Last revised July 2012
Standards and principles
The Pathway values people’s differences and promotes equal opportunities. You
have the right not to be discriminated against by staff and residents. We ask you in
turn to respect these standards. If you do not, you may have to leave the Pathway
accommodation.
You can expect all Pathway services to treat all residents in an open, fair and
consistent way:

We will not tolerate antisocial behaviour by you or other people inside or outside
the service

If you are bullied, the service will support you and investigate in a way that does
not put you at further risk

The service will work with other agencies, including the police, to prevent
nuisance and illegal street activity by you or other people. This may include using
Acceptable Behaviour Agreements and Antisocial Behaviour Orders.

There is a zero tolerance towards producing, supplying or dealing in drugs in the
service

Your service will be managed in accordance with the law regarding misuse of
drugs

You will be encouraged and supported to achieve personal aims and take part in
activities that benefit you and the community.
Moving on
Social housing is in short supply and hard to get. Private renting may be the only
way you can get your own home. It is our policy to evict people who are ready to
move to independent living and reject two offers of private rented sector
accommodation.
Last revised July 2012
Your involvement in the Pathway
At each stage of the Pathway you will have the opportunity to get involved in
residents’ meetings and influence how the service is managed.
Making a complaint
We want to provide good quality services for everyone. However, things can go
wrong and we need to know if they do, so we can put them right and learn from
them.
If you have a complaint you should use your service’s complaints procedure. If the
complaint is not easily resolved, the service should involve a person not connected
with your support. You can get independent advice from citizens’ advice bureaux and
other local agencies.
If, after going through all stages of the service’s complaints procedure you are not
satisfied, you may contact the Housing Commissioning team who will explain further
options.
Last revised July 2012
For further information contact:
Housing Commissioning Team
Housing and Adult Social Care
London Borough of Camden
Bidborough House
38-50 Bidborough Street
London WC1H 9DB
Phone: 020 7974 5519
Last revised July 2012