Renfrewshire Council

Get in Touch

Donald Walker

• 07712 865958
• dwalker@whocaresscotland.org

Kirsty Gibson

• 0141 618 6548
• kirsty.gibson@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Twitter @RenChampions

What is the Champions' Board?

We are a group of care-experienced young people that meet to improve the experiences of children and young people just like you.

We have grown-up living in care, such as foster care, residential care, kinship care (living with extended family) or just having a social worker and living at home, and we know how it feels to live away from family and have experienced a lot of what you might be experiencing just now. 

We want to:

• Hear your thoughts and views on different themes and what is important to you
• Represent your views by talking to the people that make decisions at the council
• Make things better for care-experienced young people across Renfrewshire

Tell us your views by filling out our surveys - see the section on getting involved below.

Who are the Champions' board reps?

Here's what interests us, details of our care experience and some facts about us. 

Toni

My care experience:

• 14 years in foster care

Facts about me:

• I love sport
• I'm terrified of heights
• I can play the trombone

What's important to me:

• Throughcare
• Brothers and sisters being kept together
• Social worker changes, placement moves, accessing records

Theighan

My care experience:

• Residential care
• Foster care
• Kinship care
• Having a social worker and living at home

Facts about me:

• I love reading (I read 175 books last year)
• I love ABBA

What's important to me:

• Keeping brothers and sisters together
• Continuing care
• The use of restraint
• The Children's Hearing System
• The number of placements and social workers people have

Thomas

My care experience:

• 12 years in kinship care
• Seven years in residential care

Facts about me:

• I have delivered a speech on care-experienced young people directly to the First Minister and two members of her cabinet!
• I love snowboarding!
• I love reading and movies!

What's important to me:

• Social work changes
• Quality of social workers and relationships
• Throughcare
• Mental health

Lee

My care experience:

• Four years in foster care

Facts about me:

• I'm a clean freak
• I love to colour in
• I love dogs

What's important to me:

• Keeping brothers and sisters together
• Health and well-being of children in the care system
• The importance of young people's voice

How can I get involved?

Fill in our surveys

We have put together a short online survey that you can fill out. It will take 2 mins to give your thoughts and views. There will be a new survey every few months, focusing on what's important to young people. You can get the link on our Twitter profile or from your social worker.

This first survey asks questions about 'brothers and sisters staying together'.  When brothers and sisters come into care, they don't always get to stay together and are sometimes separated from one another, and we want to know what you think about that? 

Survey on Sibling Relationships in Care

Share your views with us

We believe that you are the experts of your own lives and of what it feels like to be you. So, your voice and views REALLY!! matter and we want to hear what you have to say.  The more of you that get involved the better, so please get fill out the survey and let us know what you think.

Come along to our events

You can also get involved by following us on Twitter and checking the pagee to stay up-to-date with news and events.

What's on?

Art Boss - Free producer training

• For young people aged between 14 and 18 
• Part of the Young Creative Producers programme and runs throughout 2020
• Includes workshops and professional mentorship
• Also gives you the chance to take part in a range of exciting cultural events in Renfrewshire  

The intro session date is:

• Friday 24 January 2020, 4.30pm to 6.30pm
• Paisley Arts Centre
• Come for free pizza!

Let us know you are coming - call 0141 889 1110 or email siobhan.gray@renfrewhsire.gov.uk. We can arrange support for travel, just let us know.

Breakthrough Newsletter Group

• First Wednesday of the month, 6.00pm to 7.30pm
• For young people in foster care aged 10+
• St James Centre, 10 St James Street, Paisley, PA3 2HT
• Contact Donald Walker for more info/to get involved

Champions' Board Rep's Meeting

• Meet every month

We will also list special and national events here and on our Twitter profile @RenChampions.

Last updated: Friday 10 January 2020.