Supported Care
Find out about supported care, the criteria and how to take the next steps.
Could you be the person to make a difference in a young person's life? Have you ever thought about doing something truly rewarding? Being a supported carer makes a positive difference not only to a young person's life but also yours.
What is Supported Care?
Supported Care is a quality, nurturing care service for young people. providing them somewhere to live at a time of need. It takes place in carers own homes.
Young people aged 16 to 26, who are accessing throughcare or aftercare support, can request a placement with a supported carer.
Supported Carers play an integral role in providing essential care and support to young people who are in need. Carers can help young people develop the practical skills required for adult life, such as cooking, housekeeping and budgeting.
We know that moving on from being looked after can be a big step for our young people and supported care can provide a supportive transition to independent living.
Who can provide Supported Care?
There's no such thing as typical supported carer, and we welcome enquiries from people who are motivated to help provide guidance and support for young people at an important stage of their life.
Criteria:
- All enquirers must be aged 21 years, there's no upper age limit for supported carers
- You can enquire if you're single, or a couple. You can be married, in a civil partnership or co-habituating
- Couples must have lived together in a stable relationship for a minimum of two years
- You'll need a spare bedroom, however, you don't have to own your own property
What is the process to become a supported carer?
- Fill out our online form to register your enquiry
- One of our helpful family placement team will be in touch and carry out an initial enquiry call with you
- We'll arrange a home visit and share some more details about supported care and find out more about you, your motivation, skills and experience
- Our supported carers will be available to answer any questions from enquirers
- You'll be invited to move to the next stage of the process and complete an application form to become a supported carer
- You'll be allocated a social worker to undertake your supported carer assessment, which typically takes 4 to 6 months to complete
Support service for Supported Carers
Supporting young people can be rewarding as you watch them grow and flourish. We have a highly experienced team who understand the challenges, so you won't be alone.
You'll be able to access:
- Professional help and advice from a dedicated supervising social worker
- Monthly supervision from a supervising social worker for supported carers
- Support from education, health services and a range of other professionals
- Membership to the Fostering Network who provide independent advice, support and guidance to supported carers in Scotland
We provide monthly support groups to carers which provides an opportunity to meet with other carers within East Renfrewshire. We organise guest speakers to cover various topics from finance to mental health. Support groups are a great opportunity to build your network of support.
Our Carers' Feedback
We asked some of our carers what to tell us there experience's and how it can make an impact on their lives and the young people they care for.
The satisfaction knowing you are making a difference in a young person's life by providing a safe place for them to live, emotional support and some life skills.
For me the impact has been through the training and support I was given. It's given me a deeper understanding of trauma and hopefully made me a more compassionate person.
To see a young person start to make positive differences in their lives is very rewarding
Definitely do it!! Be prepared for the unexpected. There can be times of trauma. but by showing love, acceptance, nurture and good communication skills you can equip a young person with life skills.
