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Commissioners
Everything you need before you contact us.
For Westmorland and Furness Council, Schools, the Youth Justice Service, Probation, Cumbria Constabulary, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria, employers and grant funders.
Why a local provider
We are already here.
Barrow sits at the end of a peninsula, an hour from the M6 and further from any large provider’s base. Cohorts in Furness are small enough that a national organisation cannot build a viable delivery model here, and large enough that people go without support when nobody local steps in.
That is our case. Not scale, but presence. We live here, we know the town, and we can hold a caseload that would be uneconomic for anyone travelling in.
What we deliver are Structured Intervention Programmes (SIPs): defined curricula, fixed durations, small group delivery and outcome measurement at three points. Programmes are adapted to cohort and setting, but the structure and reporting stay consistent.
The reasonable objection to a small local provider is organisational risk. This page exists to answer that before you have to ask.
Safeguarding
Named designated lead, written policy, annual review.
Staff
Enhanced DBS, qualified, trained, supervised.
Insurance
Public liability and professional indemnity in place.
Reporting
In your format, at your intervals.
Referral process
How referrals work.
Initial contact
By phone, email or the form at the bottom of this page. Tell us the cohort, the numbers and the timescale.
Response within 2 working daysScoping conversation
We confirm whether we are the right fit. If we are not, we will say so and suggest who might be.
Within 1 weekProposal
Written proposal covering delivery model, staffing, outcomes framework, reporting schedule and cost.
Within 10 working daysAgreement & mobilisation
Contract, data sharing agreement, safeguarding protocols and first cohort dates confirmed.
2–4 weeks depending on scaleDelivery & reporting
Baseline, midpoint and exit data, reported at agreed intervals, with a named contact throughout.
OngoingTimescales are indicative and confirmed in writing at proposal stage.
Social value
What commissioning us puts back into Furness.
Under the Social Value Act, spend placed with Clear Pathways stays in the local economy. Our staff live here. Our venues are local. Our supply chain is local.
Beyond that, our employability work connects directly to the largest recruitment pipeline in the area. As roles open across the shipyard and its supply chain, they open further down too. And those are exactly the roles our participants are working towards.
Please note: specific social value commitments and any local employment figures should be verified and quantified before being used in a tender response.
Case studies
Evidence on request.
Written case studies are available to commissioners and funders on request. We don’t publish them openly because they contain detail that would identify participants.
References from current partners can be provided at proposal stage.
Questions
Things commissioners usually ask.
What geographic area do you cover?
Barrow-in-Furness, the Furness peninsula and South Cumbria. We will consider delivery elsewhere in Cumbria where travel is workable and the cohort justifies it.
What contract sizes can you take on?
We have the scope to deliver contracts of most sizes, and we are honest about our limits. Rather than quoting a figure here, we would rather have that conversation with you directly, so we can be clear about what we can deliver well and what would need building up to.
What is your lead-in time?
Typically two to four weeks from agreement to first cohort, depending on scale, venue and whether new staff need recruiting.
Are your staff DBS checked?
Yes. All delivery staff hold enhanced DBS certificates and work under written safeguarding procedures with a named designated safeguarding lead.
How do you handle safeguarding concerns?
Concerns are escalated to our designated safeguarding lead the same day and reported to the relevant local authority team in line with Westmorland and Furness safeguarding procedures. Referrers are informed in line with the agreed information sharing protocol.
Can you report in our format?
Yes. We agree the reporting template, measures and intervals at proposal stage and report against those rather than asking you to work from ours.
Do you subcontract delivery?
Occasionally, where a specialism is needed that we do not hold in-house. Any partner we work with is held to the same safeguarding, governance and quality standards we apply to our own delivery, and we remain accountable for the contract.
Can you provide references?
Yes. Referee details from current partners are provided at proposal stage.
What insurance do you hold?
Public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Certificates are available on request and provided as standard at proposal stage.
How do you share data?
Under a written information sharing agreement, with a lawful basis identified for each data flow and retention periods agreed in advance.
Get in touch
Talk to a person, not a form.
Commissioning enquiries come straight to our founder. If it is easier to pick up the phone, please do.