Renfrewshire Council launch care experienced guaranteed interview scheme

Renfrewshire Council is launching a Care Experienced Guaranteed Interview Scheme, to help people with care experience into employment.

The initiative – shaped directly by feedback from the council’s care experienced employee network – aims to remove the barriers faced by those entering the workforce and ensure fair, supportive access to Renfrewshire Council jobs.

Under the new scheme, any care-experienced applicant who meets the essential criteria for a post will be offered an interview.

In Scotland, care-experienced is defined as those who have been formally looked after by a local authority, in the family home (with support from social services or a social worker), in kinship care with family, friends or relatives (including informal kinship care), foster care, residential or secure care or legally adopted.

The council will also make sure that everyone involved in the interview process understands the commitment to supporting care experienced people, not just during recruitment but throughout their employment, providing tailored support where needed.

Councillor Emma Rodden, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Policy Board, said: “I’m delighted to see the introduction of the guaranteed interview scheme, which directly responds to what our care-experienced colleagues told us about the challenges they have faced.

“Too often, care-experienced people face significant barriers when applying for jobs, including disrupted education, gaps in employment and limited access to informal networks that others often rely on.

“This new scheme will help to level the playing field for care experienced candidates. It does not guarantee a job as they must still perform well at interview and demonstrate they are the best fit for the role—but it does help create fairer access to opportunities.

“We want to make Renfrewshire Council a place where people with care experience feel welcomed and valued for their unique perspective and diverse skillset that would be an asset to any organisation.”

Maurice Gilligan, Promise manager at Renfrewshire Council: “The new Guaranteed Interview Scheme is a fantastic step forward in opening doors for people with care experience. By ensuring eligible candidates are automatically offered an interview, the scheme helps unlock potential that may otherwise go unseen, especially for those whose strengths and abilities aren’t always reflected through traditional recruitment routes.

“While candidates will still shine through their performance at interview and demonstrate their suitability for the role, this scheme ensures they have fair access to showcase their talent. It’s a meaningful way of creating more equitable opportunities and recognising the value and potential that care experienced individuals bring.”

The guaranteed interview scheme forms part of Renfrewshire Council’s long-term commitment to #KeepThePromise—Scotland’s pledge to ensure that care experienced children and young people are loved, safe, and respected and realise their full potential.

Work is already well underway across Renfrewshire; to embed the principles of The Promise and ensure they remain at the forefront of our service delivery and design.

The council’s Promise Manager and Promise Ambassador, Sam MacRae work across services to ensure the needs of care experienced people are considered in policy and planning, while the growing network of over 400 Promise Keepers across the council and partner organisations, continues to drive awareness, understanding and a commitment to listening to and acting on the voices of care experienced people.

You can get more background and information on the wider strategy and The Promise frameworks, on The Promise Scotland’s website.