Your Resources Results

Aberlour supports children, young people, and families across Scotland with practical and emotional help. Services include:

• Support for families affected by addiction

• Residential care and fostering

• Early years and disability support

• Early intervention

• Urgent Assistance Fund – providing emergency cash grants for families struggling with food, heating, clothing, and other essentials. Families must have a child under 21 and be facing extreme hardship. Applications are made by a professional (e.g. social worker or health visitor) through the Aberlour website.

Action for Children supports children, young people, and families across the UK by providing practical and emotional support. They help with issues like mental health, disability, fostering, and early years care, aiming to ensure every child has a safe and happy childhood.

Includes 'Parent Talk' page - down-to-earth parenting advice you can trust. 

Beyond Your Limits is a free two-year programme by the EY Foundation supporting care-experienced young people (16–19) with paid work experience, training, mentoring, and personal development. It helps boost skills and employment chances. 

Children First works to keep children safe, loved and well and together with their families. They offer practical, emotional and financial support to prevent and protect children and their families from harm and to support them to recover from trauma and abuse. If your family are feeling stressed or anxious Children First Support Line can help.

Future Pathways supports adults who were subject to abuse in a care setting as children by providing support with work and education, housing and benefits, counselling and trauma support, and access to records.

Scotland’s national mentoring programme for young people aged 7–18 who are in, or at risk of, care. It helps children, young people, and their families build and maintain positive, trusting relationships while supporting confidence and opportunities to thrive. In West Dunbartonshire, the intandem service is delivered by Y Sort It.

Scotland’s Redress Scheme is for survivors of historical child abuse in care in Scotland. It has been set up to recognise and acknowledge what happened, and the harm this abuse caused. The scheme covers: physical abuse sexual abuse emotional abuse neglect You can apply for Scotland’s Redress Scheme if you were abused: as a child (when you were 17 years old or younger) before 1 December 2004 in Scotland in a relevant care setting.

The Champions Board is a platform for care experienced young people to get to know, and build strong positive relationships with those who make decisions about the care system and other professionals. The ultimate aim of the Champions Board is for those care experienced young people to help to change and develop policies and procedures in relation to their care, and to the care of future young people.

The Throughcare and Aftercare Team prepares young people for leaving local authority care and provides support, advice and guidance throughout that transition and beyond. The team manages a resource known as supported lodgings which enables young people to gain necessary skills and experience to eventually live independently in the community.

Who Cares? Scotland supports care experienced people to have their voice heard and we make that happen in a number of ways. Website includes a page for children under 11 years.

Young People in Mind (YPIM) supports young people aged 0–21 in care or accommodation in West Dunbartonshire, and those aged 16–25 at risk of homelessness. The service provides therapeutic support to help with emotional and mental health, promoting wellbeing through one-to-one sessions and collaboration with other professionals.

Your Right to Continuing Care (CELCIS) empowers care-experienced young people in Scotland to stay in foster, kinship, or residential care until age 21 if that’s right for them. It explains legal rights, what support should be provided, and encourages young people to take time exploring their options before leaving care. Aimed at ages 16–21, it helps ensure more confident, supported transitions into adulthood .

The only charity in Scotland dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children and young people with health conditions. They provide information, support, and self-management programmes for young people and families, including help with anxiety, hospital stays, and healthcare rights. The charity also works with professionals to promote child-friendly, rights-based healthcare across Scotland.

Provides support for kinship carers in West Dunbartonshire. They offer a network of resources, advice and community connections to help those raising children who cannot live with their parents.

STAF is Scotland's national membership organisation for all of those involved in the lives of young people leaving care. The site includes a page with information on financial support for both care leavers and care experienced young people.

The Promise Scotland supports Scotland to keep its promise to care experienced children and families. The promise is that Scotland's children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected. To keep it, Scotland must bring about the change demanded by the Independent Care Review, built on what children and young people had to say.

Benefits, support and places to go for help if you've been in care or are a care leaver in Scotland.

dedicated to helping children and young people aged 3-18 stay safe online. They provide free, expert-backed resources tailored to different ages, online activities, and specific needs, including support for neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and care-experienced children. Their tools include age-specific guides, conversation starters, and digital safety checklists, all designed to empower parents, carers, and professionals to navigate the digital world confidently 

Compass is for young people preparing for change, and for parents and carers of young people aged 14-26 who have additional support needs of any kind, including learning disabilities, physical or mental health difficulties, autism, complex or profound disabilities, and experience of care (either as a young carer or a care experienced young person). Compass helps you explore choices and make confident decisions about your future.

Compass also supports parents and carers of young people in Scotland who need help as they make the transition to young adult life.

There is also a version of Compass for professionals and practitioners who are supporting young people and their families through the transition to young adult life.