Renfrewshire Council

What a supported carer is

Supported carers provide care leavers in Renfrewshire with an accommodation placement in their home. 

Young people in these placements benefit from living with a supported carer who can support them to acquire independent living skills, give them advice and guidance, and perhaps most importantly, emotional support when they need it. 

The main aim of the scheme is to prepare young people for living on their own, and supported carers achieve this by providing a caring, secure environment whilst also allowing young people independence to carry out household tasks, such as cooking and washing clothes, and to undertake other work and social commitments.

What a supported carer needs to provide for a care leaver

Supported carers need to offer young people a bedroom of their own within their home.

Young people must also have access to cooking and washing facilities to allow them to develop independent living skills. 

Supported carers should be prepared to offer young people practical and emotional support to young people when they need it, and will be supported by the Throughcare team to so this. 

What a Supported Carer does

Supported carers are expected to:

• help young people to develop practical skills needed to run a home such as cooking, budgeting, cleaning, operating household appliances etc.
• encourage young people to engage in a healthy and productive daily routine, and to sustain work, training or education placements
• listen to young people, and offer emotional support when required
• support young people to develop a positive social network and lead an active fulfilling life
• have a non-judgmental attitude and respect the young person's right to privacy, dignity and freedom of choice. 

What you will get as a Supported Carer

Supported carers will get:

• training and support from the Throughcare team
• a weekly allowance.

How to apply

If you are interested in becoming a supported carer, you should contact the Throughcare team on 0141 618 4531 to discuss your suitability for the role in more depth.

What happens next

Following this, a member of the Throughcare team will visit your home to check the suitability of the accommodation to be offered to young people, and to discuss the assessment process in more detail. 

Assessments typically take between three and six months, and all applications are reviewed by a panel of senior managers from social work and independent representatives from external organisations. 

The aim of the assessment is to clarify the role of a supported carer, assess the applicant's suitability for the role, and identify training and support needs.