Befriending Youth Scheme - information for young people

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What is the befriending scheme?

• we try to find volunteer befrienders for children and young people living in Renfrewshire who are between 10 and16 years old
• children and young people using the service will be having some problems at home, school or in their local area, with early and minor offending, that is - vandalism, fighting, stealing.

Who are befrienders?

• people who care about children and young people. They want to help by spending time with you
• befrienders are volunteers - they do not get paid but are given expenses to spend while you are out together
• all different types of people do befriending. They are checked out carefully by the scheme and given training
• befriending scheme staff will meet regularly with the befrienders to check that everything is going well

What do befrienders do?

• they will meet with you once a week
• you can do something you both enjoy such as swimming or ice skating - or you may prefer to just go for something to eat/drink and talk
• befrienders cannot take you to their house. This is to protect your own, your befrienders and your family's privacy (confidentiality).

What about you?

• your social worker or project worker will visit you/your family before you get a befriender, to tell you more about befriending
• befriending is voluntary - nobody can force you to have a befriender or to tell you more about befriending
• what you tell your befriender is private between you and the befriender. They will not tell anyone else unless they think you are at risk.

For further information please email: sw.paisley@renfrewshire.gov.uk

or phone: 0141 842 4160

or write to us at:

Befriending Youth Scheme
Abbey House
8 Seedhill Road
Paisley
PA1 1AJ

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