Renfrewshire

Care leavers receive priority for social housing

Priority is offered up to the age of: 26

Banding priority is: 3A

Additional information / how to qualify:
We have a housing protocol with our local Housing Department and Care Leavers receive priority status. Their allocated worker supports them to a meeting with The Housing Department or they can apply directly to The Housing Departments Youth Homelessness Service.

Care leavers get to practice independent living with taster flats

Additional information:
We have 10 individual satellite flats and 7 two-bedroom flats for this purpose. In addition, we have our own supported accommodation which has 10 flats available with 24-hour support.

Renfrewshire will not in principle assist as a guarantor for care leavers in private rented property

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with providing a deposit for care leavers in private rented property

Details:
Where care leavers are in education, we pay their rent and deposit for a flat or for halls of residence.

Care leavers are provided with a setting up allowance

Allowance amount: ££2500

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with support to pay at least the first year TV licence for care leavers

Renfrewshire will not in principle assist with support to pay at least the first year home contents insurance for care leavers

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with support to pay for redecoration costs of a care leavers first flat

Renfrewshire will not in principle assist with support with broadband costs for care leavers

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with support with mobile phone costs for care leavers

Renfrewshire will pay towards cooking equipment for care leavers

Renfrewshire offers work experience within the council for care leavers

Number of places per year: This will vary each year depending on the number of care leavers who are looking to move into employment and the roles / sectors which are of interest.

Renfrewshire will pay for work/interview clothes

Renfrewshire will pay towards travel to work or training

There are no ringfenced apprenticeship vacancies for care leavers at Renfrewshire

Care leavers are working as apprenticeships within Renfrewshire

Number per year: 3 this year. This varies on any given year, depending on recruitment and completers.

Additional information about work and training:
We have previously ringfenced apprenticeships for care experienced young people,
especially within Early Years. However, despite our best efforts we did not get the take up,
as expected.
We now take positive action within our recruitment processes to support care experienced
young people.

Renfrewshire will ensure each young person has ID documents when they leave care

Passport: Yes

Provisional Driving Licence: Yes

Birth Certificate: Yes

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with driving lessons

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with driving theory tests

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with driving tests

Renfrewshire in principle will assist with CBT tests

Partners local to Renfrewshire offer support with free travel for care leavers

Bus: Yes

Train / Tram: Yes

Additional details:
Youth Services have paid for free bus travel. Additionally, both Throughcare Services and
Invest, Renfrewshire’s in house employability service can provide bus/train tickets to support
employment, training or education if required

Care leavers have the opportunity to meet with their corporate parents (councillors)

Care leavers have the opportunity for mentoring with any of the senior leadership team

Additional details:
We have a Children’s Champion Board that meets with senior leaders.

Renfrewshire has a children in care and care leavers council

Details of council:
We have a Champions Board. The membership for this varies, at the moment we have three
young people on this board. They are aged 18 and two are 21 years old. We cannot provide
their direct details however Donald Walker, is the Who Cares (Scotland) worker who
supports this group. His contact details are: [email protected] 07712865958
0141 226 4441

Children in care and care leavers council does not have its own bank account

Children in care and care leavers council does not have its own constitution

Renfrewshire does not have peer mentors (other care leavers)

Renfrewshire has other mentoring schemes

Details:
We have partnered with Aberlour to offer a mentoring service to care experienced children and young people. Renfrewshire Council employees are encouraged to become mentors as part of the council’s wider corporate parenting strategy.

Young people do not have to go through the complaints dept to access their care files

Young people who access their care files get emotional support before, during and after disclosure

Details:
Care leavers are supported to access their care file via the subject access request workers.
Renfrewshire Council has a dedicated SARS officer who is an experienced children and
families social worker.