Pathways Handbook

This Handbook accompanies the Pathways materials. These materials provide a framework for needs assessment and action planning for young people who have been looked after. Under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, all Scottish Local Authorities have a duty to ensure that young people are prepared for the time when they will no longer be looked after and that an assessment of their aftercare needs is carried out. Plans should be made and put into action to ensure that a young person receives the support and assistance that they are entitled to. This handbook should be read in conjunction with ‘Supporting Young People Leaving Care in Scotland: Regulations and Guidance on Services for Young People Ceasing to be Looked After by Local Authorities’. Where possible, the appropriate reference to the Regulations and Guidance is highlighted in the Pathways Handbook. The purpose of this Handbook is to try and ensure that everyone can make best use of the Pathways process in order to achieve the best outcomes for the young person.