Fostering in West and Central Scotland
“This is a fantastic company to work for. Lots of support, superb training. Always someone on the end of the phone if needed.”
Welcome to the Swiis fostering team, covering West & Central Scotland.
Our Glasgow Team was set up in 2009. We support our carers to provide loving family homes to care experienced children and young people for as long they need it. If you foster with Swiis, you will be given an allocated Supervising Social Worker who will meet with you regularly and offer you advice and guidance. We have a dedicated ‘on call’ service so you will always get the help you need when you need it regardless of what time of day or night. We also have therapists, involvement officers and resource workers who can provide extra support by agreement.
Alongside the personal support you will receive, you will also be offered lots of opportunities to learn and develop as a carer. Our training is available face to face, online, self-directive and via podcasts available to you on your very own carer’s portal. Whatever your learning style, there will always be something for you.
Although foster care takes place in your home, you will never be alone. You will have the chance to meet and build relationships with other carers formally and informally. We run regular support groups and various exciting activities throughout the year which you will be invited to. If you have children of your own, it is important to us that they feel supported to. They will also be invited and included in the different opportunities we provide. We have a Young Champions Group for our care experienced children and young people as it is very important to us that we hear about what is important to them.
Our office is based close to the city centre and has excellent transport links to all areas we support. We have a dedicated child friendly space within our office to support children and young people to spend time with people who are important to them. Together, we work in partnership to provide the best possible care for children and young people. We also have strong links within the local communities and a strong focus on providing care for children as close to their local area as possible.
Who works in Glasgow?
Management Team
Ailsa Thom
Team Manager
Ailsa is the Team Manager for the West team in Glasgow. She is responsible for managing the team and working in a developmental way with them.
Eilidh Macdonald
Deputy Team Manager
Eilidh holds a Diploma in Social Work and has over 16 years’ experience of working with children and families within independent, voluntary and local authority settings.
Supervising Social Workers
These are the people that offer help and support to our foster carers, meeting periodically to discuss problems, successes and everything in between.
Michael Birk
Laura Wood
David Shields
Jenna Docherty
Kirsty White
Resource Workers
These are the people that offer emotional and practical support to young people, ensuring the safeguarding and smooth running of placement.
Linzi Daldry
Lorna Wilson
Involvement Officer
Involvement Officers promote achievement and attainment, continuity of learning and stability in educational placement for children in permanent foster placements.
Allison McKirdy
Administrator
Administrators at Swiis not only look after the day-to-day requirements of the office, organize foster carer reviews and panel administration, but also act as the first point of contact to our carers and are an integral part of the team in ensuring all our carers are fully supported and very much a part of the Swiis family from the word go.
Lesley Gilbert
Team Administrator
Support Group
We organise monthly support groups in Alloa and rotate monthly support groups in Glasgow and Ayrshire to ensure all our carers within the geographical areas have an opportunity to meet with staff and other carers for ongoing support. Periodic ‘Men in Foster’ activity-based sessions also take place.
Awards
Opportunities for children and young people to achieve accredited awards is very important to us – it develops their talents and skills. The following awards and training opportunities are on offer to them –
- Volunteering Skills Awards at Levels 3 and 4
- Personal Achievement Awards at Level 1 and 2
- Sports Leader from Playmaker up to Level 5
- Hi5 Youth Scotland Awards
- Dynamic Youth Awards
- Asdan Awards
- Certified online First Aid Training
- Certified Equality and Diversity Training
Regions covered
Clackmannanshire | Dumfries & Galloway | East Ayrshire | East Dunbartonshire | East Renfrewshire | Falkirk | Glasgow City | Inverclyde | North Ayrshire | North Lanarkshire | Renfrewshire | South Ayrshire | South Lanarkshire | Stirling | West Dunbartonshire
Start Your Fostering Journey
With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.
Refer a Friend
Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?
