Democracy Spraffa

Service Update Report

Renfrewshire Council · 18 August 2026
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 18 August 2026 and its agenda

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___________________________________________________________________   
To:    Communities and Housing Policy Board     
On:               18 August 2026    
___________________________________________________________________   
Report by:   Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure      
___________________________________________________________________   
Heading:    Service Update Report      
___________________________________________________________________   
1.  Summary     
1.1  This report provides an overview of key service activities since the last Policy
Board report on 19 May 2026 and an update on the services and key projects
delivered during this period.       
___________________________________________________________________   
2. Recommendations     
It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board:   
2.1      Note the contents of this report.    
___________________________________________________________________   
Updates for Communities and Housing Policy Board     
3. Housing Services     
3.1  Housing Management 
Income Advice     
3.1.1 Information from advice interviews at the end of July 2026 confirms that over
2,005 income advice cases involved households from Council tenancies this
financial year.     
3.1.2 During these interviews staff assess any entitlements to assistance that are
due and support people to access benefits they are eligible for, alongside
giving advice on all money matters and budgeting.

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3.1.3  There are several sources of additional assistance accessed which can
include universal credit/ housing benefit, attendance allowance and disability
payment, food vouchers and many more. 
3.1.4 In monetary terms this equates to £1,129,274.96 between 1st April 2026 and
31st July 2026. 
3.1.5 Between 1st April 2026 and 31st July 2026 149 tenants were referred for
Tenant Support Fund assessment, which have the added value of full income
assessment and advice provision. 
3.1.6  Of the referrals 135 have engaged with Specialist Income Advisors and 93
have qualified for assistance from the fund. 
Housing Perks App 
3.1.7 The Housing Service is currently exploring the potential introduction of the
Housing Perks App for Renfrewshire Council tenants. Housing Perks is a
social enterprise mobile application, available through Apple and Google app
stores, which provides access to savings of between 3% and 12% with over
200 retailers. The app also allows tenants to allocate savings generated
through their purchases directly to their rent account, helping to support
tenancy sustainment and reduce financial pressures on households. 
3.1.8  The service is assessing the viability of implementing Housing Perks locally
and reviewing the potential benefits for tenants, particularly in relation to
managing household costs and preventing rent arrears. The application is
already used by more than 70 social landlords, including housing providers
within Renfrewshire, and has over one million registered tenancies. 
3.1.9 Subject to the outcome of this assessment, consideration will be given to
introducing a pilot scheme. A further report will be brought to the Communities
and Housing Policy Board in due course setting out the findings of the
assessment and recommendations on next steps. 
3.2 Housing Innovation Project (HIP)     
3.2.1  Phase 1 of the project continues to progress well and has just entered the
second cycle of testing. A nine-week training programme for all staff who will
use the new system begins in August 2026. The anticipated go live for Phase
1 remains Quarter 3 2026. 
3.2.2  Phase 2 is gathering momentum and continues to progress in line with the
agreed project timescales, with design workshops underway across both
housing repairs and housing assets workstreams. 
3.3  Homeless Services 
3.3.1  Homeless demand levels are continuing to be challenging, with the number of
households who were statutorily homeless in Renfrewshire at the end of June
2026 being 524 (a 42% increase since April 2023).

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3.3.2  The impact of this increase in demand is felt across the service and has seen
a rise in the number of households placed in temporary accommodation to
305.   
3.3.3  The ‘Homelessness Action Plan for Renfrewshire’ which was approved by the
Policy Board in May 2026 now provides a comprehensive route-map for the
Council and partners, which will ensure that all possible measures are being
implemented to provide everyone with temporary accommodation who needs
it, and that the time they spend in temporary accommodation is minimised. 
3.3.4  Our Action Plan was discussed and reviewed with the Scottish Housing
Regulator at a meeting held in May 2026 and will be jointly reviewed with them
again later in the year. Independent consultants, ‘Scotland’s Housing Network’
have now been appointed to critically evaluate our Action Plan, as well as
support us in the delivery of the key measures.     
3.3.5  A review of the progress with the first 6 months implementation of the
Homelessness Action Plan for Renfrewshire will be provided to the Policy
Board in January 2027. 
3.4.  Refugee Resettlement 
3.4.1 The Service continues to respond to national/local priorities and has recently
worked in partnership with the British Red Cross and neighbouring councils to
develop trauma-informed support for families affected by the conflict in Gaza,
with family support sessions carried out in July 2026. 
3.4.2  Our Wellbeing Hub continues to deliver activities that promote integration and
strengthen community cohesion. As part of the national Refugee Week, it
showcased artwork at an exhibition held at ‘Off the High Street’ in the Paisley
Centre, on people’s journeys to Renfrewshire and their experiences of living
here. The artwork was created through sessions delivered with partners such
as Open Aye, Made in Paisley, Impact Arts, and our own health and wellbeing
support staff. 
3.4.3 The continued development and enhancement of the provision of English-
speaking lessons (ESOL) remains a core focus for the service, and in
collaboration with West College and Community Learning and Development
(CLAD) colleagues, there will be a further expansion of targeted ESOL
provision.               
3.5 Housing Support Team 
3.5.1 Our ‘New Harbour Project’ continues to provide housing support to individuals
at risk of homelessness - with a particular focus on those experiencing
complex needs associated with alcohol use.

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3.5.2 The initiative now supports 27 service users (20 men and 7 women), with
referrals coming from Homeless Services, Alcohol Drugs and Recovery
Services (ADRS), and Criminal Justice Social Work. Established partnerships
with Kairos Women's Group, Circle, RCA Trust and Street Connect continue to
strengthen the provision of specialist support and improved access to
services. 
3.5.3 Sustaining settled housing continues to be a key priority for the New Harbour
Project, with tailored support provided around budgeting, benefits, and
tenancy related matters. Close collaboration with Local Housing Teams and
the Repairs service has enabled accommodation issues to be resolved
promptly, supporting tenancy sustainment. 
3.5.4 Performance during the first four months of the New Harbour project has been
particularly encouraging, with client numbers doubling and no tenancy
breakdowns recorded among services users. 
3.5.5 A review on the impact of this project, which has been funded by the Council
and the Alcohol & Drug Partnership, will be carried out in early 2027. 
3.6 Sheltered Housing 
3.6.1 The Sheltered and Amenity Housing Service continues to support the national
analogue-to-digital transition and are currently working with partners to scope
out options for replacing the existing ‘warden call’ system at our 10 complexes
with a more modern, flexible, resilient and person-centred digital solution. This
will help ensure tenants continue to receive safe, reliable support while
improving the customer experience and reducing reliance on outdated
systems. 
3.6.2 A key priority is to engage tenants, families and staff throughout the
programme of change. Consultation events, information sessions and
opportunities for feedback will help ensure tenants understand the proposed
developments and can influence how services are delivered. 
3.7  Service Improvement:  Renfrewshire Council’s Scottish Secure Tenancy
(SST) Agreement 
3.7.1  Renfrewshire Council’s Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) Agreement has been
updated to take account of a number of statutory provisions coming into force
on 1 August 2026 and the final provisions that will come into effect on 6
October 2026.  These provisions include: 
• Part 2 (Section 22) of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021
(termination of tenancies in cases involving abusive behaviour) from 1
August 2026.
• Section 49 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 (qualifying period for
succession) from 1 August 2026.
• Section 50 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 (delivery of notices) from 1
August 2026; and

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• Regulation 4 of The Investigation and Commencement of Repair
(Scotland) Regulations 2026 (Awaab’s Law) from 6 October 2026. 
3.7.2 The main changes reflected in the updated Renfrewshire Council Scottish
Secure Tenancy (SST) Agreement relate to: 
• Recently enacted powers that will enable landlords in certain domestic
abuse related cases to pursue an ‘Order for Termination’ of a joint tenant’s
interest in a tenancy.  
• Succession timeframes changing from 12 months to 6 months.
• Clarity in terms of the delivery and service of documents and Notices; and  
• New duties on landlords in relation to rising damp and penetrating mould,
which come into effect on 6 October 2026, including targeted timescales
for investigation, reporting and remediation. 
3.7.3  In addition to the changes arising from the Domestic Abuse (Protection)
(Scotland) Act 2021; the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025; and The Investigation
and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, minor
amendments have also been made to the Agreement to clarify tenant and
landlord rights and responsibilities in relation to withholding rent and online
harassment. 
3.8  Housing Asset and Investment 
Single Building Assessments Progress (SBAs) 
3.8.1  SBAs are a comprehensive, whole-building safety evaluation, for multi
residential buildings in Scotland with external cladding, to assess risks to
human life from the building's external wall system and any necessary
remediation work. This standardised assessment evaluates the entire
building's fire safety, including internal measures, and structural soundness,
providing a consistent report to determine what work is needed to reduce any
safety concerns to an acceptable level. 
3.8.2 Grant funding of £800,000 from the Scottish Government’s Cladding
Remediation Programme was received in 2025 and the first two SBAs were
commissioned for Nethercraigs and Gleniffer Courts. Initial SBAs reports have
been received and submitted for review by the Scottish Government. 
3.8.3  The remaining twelve multi storeys and two mid-rise blocks are currently being
surveyed by Firntec, and it is anticipated the draft reports will be ready by the
end of October 2026. The draft reports will be submitted to the Scottish
Government for review, in line with the process set out by the Scottish
Government.

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3.8.4 We continue to liaise with the Scottish Government on SBAs progress and the
availability of funding to carry out certain remedial works. The Scottish
Government have advised that once all SBAs in Scotland have been
completed, reviewed and approved, a matrix of all remedial actions will be
designed to inform the allocation of funding based on prioritising those
properties with the highest level of risk and urgency of remedial measures
required. 
3.8.5  Additional fire safety measures have been undertaken in all high-rise blocks to
gather information on vulnerable tenants and to carry out fire safety checks
including ensuring smoke detection devices are operational. Information on
vulnerable tenants is held in in fire safety boxes at each block which can be
accessed by Scottish Fire & Rescue in the event of an incident requiring
evacuation. These records will be updated regularly to ensure changes in
tenancy and changes in vulnerability are kept up to date. 
4. YouDecide Tenant Fund Update 
4.1 A report to Policy Board on 16th May outlined the approach to Year 1 and Year
2 of the YouDecide Tenant Fund, together with a summary of the number of
successful projects. The YouDecide Tenant Fund project and voting process
was widely publicised, with all Council tenants receiving details of the online
portal and unique login credentials for submissions and voting. Elected
Members and Housing Services officers were also pre-registered to support
participation where required. Leaflets and posters were displayed within local
communities to raise awareness of the initiative. 
4.2 30 projects were identified, with 16 projects voted to proceed by Council
tenants in Year 1. Ahead of works commencing, signage is erected to highlight
that the improvements are being delivered through the YouDecide Tenant
Fund programme. Project information is available on the YouDecide portal and
the Council’s website and, going forward, local elected members will also be
notified directly of projects progressing within their ward areas. 
Area Project Description Current Stage
Johnstone &
Villages
The Oaks New paths either
tarred or resin
leading to seating
areas at the
communal garden
at The Oaks
sheltered housing
complex.
Works being tendered. 
Start date TBC.
Johnstone &
Villages
Altpatrick
Gardens
Improve Area
Upgrade of patio
area.
Start date to be agreed
on appointment of
contractor.
Johnstone &
Villages
Provost
Close
Seating bench and
planters.
Start date to be agreed
on appointment of
contractor.

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Area Project Description Current Stage
Johnstone &
Villages
Our Bridge of
Weir Art
Installation
Notice board to
display 4x A3
artwork under the
banner “Our
Bridge of Weir”.
Notice board currently
being manufactured.
Works will commence
within the next 2
months.
Johnstone &
Villages
Bin Area
Slabs for
MacDowall
Street
Create new
slabbed areas for
bins in the back
garden.
Contractor appointed.
Start date 25/08/26
Johnstone &
Villages
21
MacDowall
Street - Clean
and Paint
close 
Clean and paint
close at 21
MacDowall Street.
Contractor appointed.
Start date to be
agreed.
Paisley North Bin Area for
Ferguslie
Walk, Paisley
New recycle bin
shed area for 16–
22 Ferguslie Walk.
Currently being
manufactured.
Expected to be
installed early
September 2026
Paisley North New Bin
Storage Area
at 120-126
Ferguslie
Main Road
Remove hedges
and wheelie bins
and replace with
new bin storage
area.
Contractor appointed.
Start date to be
agreed.
Paisley North 13-31 Glen
Street –
Clean and
Paint Close
Clean and paint
the close.
Contractor appointed.
Start date to be
agreed. 
Paisley South Slabbed Bin
Area Rowan
Court
Slabbed area for
communal bins
surrounded by
fencing.
Works commenced on
site. 
Paisley South Slabbed Bin
Area
Hamilton
Court
Slabbed area for
communal bins
surrounded by
fencing.
Works commenced on
site. 
Paisley South Recreational
Area, rear of
21 Neilston
Road
Paved seating
areas for tenants.
Contractor appointed.
Start date to be
agreed. 
Paisley South Bin Area for
18 Achray
Drive, Foxbar
Create designated
bin area.
Works commenced on
site. 
Paisley South Bin Area for
14 Achray
Drive, Foxbar 
Create designated
bin area.
Works commenced on
site.

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Area Project Description Current Stage
Renfrew &
Gallowhill
Car Park
Spaces
Maximisation
– Arkleston
Re-lining of three
car parks in the
Arkleston area.
Works scheduled to be
completed by Roads
team alongside
ongoing works.
Renfrew &
Gallowhill
3 Leven
Square –
Clean & Paint
Close
Clean and paint
the close.
Contractor appointed.
Start date to be
agreed. 
5. Public Protection         
5.1 Community Safety 
5.1.1  The Community Support Service will move to a new operating model in the
Autumn and will be rebranded as the Environmental Enforcement and Parking
Service.  New Environmental Compliance Officers will have a focus on a
number of environmental issues such as dog fouling, litter control, abandoned
vehicles, smoking, parking enforcement and other public health nuisance. A
data informed approach will be taken to proactively plan resources.
Recruitment is currently underway to  enhance the staffing compliment with
the filling of a number of vacancies arising from the new service model. 
5.1.2 The Service will operate between 8am-6pm seven days along with a standby
service for any emergencies. 
5.1.3  A new Environmental Crime Team has replaced the previous Environmental
Task Force. This team now sits within Environmental Health and will have a
focus on fly-tipping and Waste Duty of Care compliance.  A review of the
current fly-tipping process is currently underway to identify where
improvements to enforcement can be made. Following this review a
communications campaign will launch later in the year. 
5.2  Environmental Health     
5.2.1 Officers have carried out Health and Safety Interventions in three hotels which
hosted guests for the Commonwealth Games.  This intervention considered
legionella controls, infection control, bedbug prevention, food safety as well as
general health and safety issued. 
5.2.2    Officers continue to undertake health and safety interventions in relation to  
gas safety in catering establishments and electrical safety in outdoor
establishments.

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5.2.3  A key area of concern in recent times has been electrical safety in retail
premises, over the course of this year officers will be undertaking interventions
in retail premises regarding the inappropriate use of electrical equipment,
installation and maintenance by non-competent persons giving rise to potential
electric shock and fire risks. We will be working in partnership with the Scottish
Fire and Rescue Service to ensure businesses are given the necessary
support and guidance on their responsibilities in relation to fire safety.
Communications materials are being developed jointly between the Council
and SFRS to distribute to businesses during these interventions. 
5.3  Trading Standards 
5.3.1  Operation CECE work on illicit tobacco continues to make up a large part of
the Team’s activities.  One member of the Team has now taken up a post
within the Scottish Illegal Tobacco Team, which is a central Team, hosted
within North Lanarkshire Council Trading Standards service, and which is
funded by HMRC to expand on existing Operation CECE success.  The Team
consists of a Manager, two Officers and two tobacco detection dogs and their
handler.  This resource will be available to support recovery activities by Local
Authorities across Scotland and in particular to support authorities where no
illicit tobacco enforcement has been undertaken to date.  The vacant post will
be advertised as soon as possible. 
5.3.2  The Team are currently prioritising visits to independent shops to raise
awareness of, and to recover “Squishies”, which are an emerging toy safety
issue.  These are small, sensory gel or foam toys, often shaped like food or
small animals, and including imitation versions of well-known brands such as
NeeDoh toys. Trading Standards Officers have removed a number of squeezy
dumpling toys (often sold in plastic steamer baskets ) and ‘Salted Butter’ bar
squeezy toys from shops across Renfrewshire. Testing of similar products by
local authorities across UK has revealed serious safety concerns.  The
investigations identified a number of hazards, including: 
• Hazardous chemicals : some products contained excessive levels of toxic
chemicals, including benzene, which can cause skin, eye and respiratory
irritation.
• Missing safety information: many toys lacked legally required safety
warnings, age restrictions, UK importer details and mandatory UKCA or CE
conformity markings
• Strong chemical odours : non-compliant products often give off a strong
synthetic or petrol-like smell, which may indicate the presence of harmful
substances.
• Burn and explosion risks: a worrying social media trend has encouraged
children to heat these toys in microwaves. Several incidents have resulted
in children suffering serious burns after the toys burst, releasing boiling,
glue-like gel that sticks to the skin.

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5.3.3  Just over 770 items have been signed over for destruction, from 12
premises.  Advice on toy safety and importation responsibilities has been
given to a further 77 traders to date.  Work continues on this project, to ensure
as much product is recovered as possible. 
6.  Connected Communities 
6.1.1  Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE)
conducted a follow up visit as part of the inspection of Community Learning
and Development and met with a range of staff and partners involved in CLD
provision in Renfrewshire. Their feedback was positive, noting that partnership
arrangements have been strengthened and the CLD Partnership are working
more effectively to improve reporting arrangements. Moving forward, the
Partnership will continue to consolidate and mature partnership arrangements
and maintain the pace of improvement. HMIE have advised they do not need
to do any further visits. 
6.1.2  Work has now started to introduce the enhanced ESOL (English for Speakers
of Other Languages) provision, following a successful funding bid. The new
ESOL offer will include enhanced partnership coordination of ESOL
opportunities across Renfrewshire, as well as an enhanced and more flexible
programme of ESOL learning opportunities. Recruitment is now underway for
staff, and a new programme is anticipated to be in place in Autumn. 
6.1.3  The review of youth provision in Renfrewshire is making good progress. The
first stage of mapping current activity involving young people and partner
agencies is complete. The next stage will be taking the findings of the mapping
exercise back to focus groups with young people and partners to identify any
gaps in provision either geographically or for communities of interest,
understand key issues and discuss potential solutions and responses. 
6.1.4  As part of the new Connected Communities service structure, two locality
officers have been appointed to the Community Partnerships team within the
service to support community development capacity across a range of
Connected Communities projects. A Connected Communities Officer (Grants
and Investment) has also been appointed to support various funding
programmes delivered across the service. 
6.1.5  A key focus over the summer period has been the delivery of the Summer Fun
programme. Connected Communities deliver a wide range of activities over
the summer, including the summer camp programme and community
programme alongside our third sector partners.

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6.1.6 The summer camp programme was supported by the Summer of Sport and
provided activities for a range of children and young people aged 5 to 14 with
2300 spaces available. The programme included a range of sports, games,
and craft activities, providing opportunities for children and young people to
stay active, socialise and engage in positive activities during the school
holidays. Alongside this, the team also delivered summer programmes for
young people aged 12 and over through our youth centres at Bargarran,
GoZone and Foxbar. Street Stuff also continued to deliver evening community
activities within identified hotspot areas, including Dargavel and the Barsail
Primary School community. 
6.1.7 The Family Learning 4-week programme ran over the summer holidays with 4
sessions per week across communities in Southend, West Johnstone,
Renfrew, and Erskine. A variety of engaging and inclusive activities was
provided, e.g. physical wellbeing activities, creative play through arts and
crafts, outdoor and nature-based experiences, cooking, and baking
opportunities. 
6.2 Other highlights from across the Connected Communities service in the
period include: 
• Renfrewshire’s Safe Kids Programme was delivered again in partnership
with the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership. 2,000 P6 pupils took
part in interactive workshops where they learned about staying safe online,
near water and railways, the risks of drugs and alcohol, gender-based
violence, and how to recognise risks, and how to respond if something
goes wrong.
• 22 young people from Renfrewshire achieved their Duke of Edinburgh's
Gold Award and were recognised at the annual Gold Award Celebration at
Holyrood Palace on 4th July. Achieving a Gold Award is a significant
accomplishment and reflects the commitment and dedication of the young
people involved, and their volunteering contribution to their communities.
• Dreamz and Beanz Coffee Morning was hosted at Foxbar Youth Drop-In by
young people who are supported by the CLD and our Promise Partners at
Throughcare. The young people took part in a 6-week Barista training
programme and are now working on their event planning and service skills
to achieve their DYA's.  The young people are building their communication
skills and confidence and aiming to plan further events in the community.
• The team has continued to offer community-based youth work with regular
provision now being delivered from Glenburn GoZone Youth Centre and
the Foxbar Youth Drop In. As engagement grows, we are working with
young people to identify local needs and shape future provision that
responds directly to the issues and opportunities they identify.

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• Work has continued to improve access to services and opportunities
through local delivery of the National Entitlement Card (NEC) programme. 
During 2026, the team completed the annual P7 bulk process, ensuring
pupils had access to free bus travel ahead of their transition to secondary
school, reducing financial barriers for families, supporting independent
travel, and promoting equitable access to education and wider
opportunities. Of the approximately 1,923 P7 pupils, 1,410 chose to use
the bulk process to either receive their first NEC or upgrade from the Junior
NEC to a Young Scot NEC. This demonstrates continued demand for the
locally supported application process alongside the national self-service
system.
• New Literacies partnerships have also been established with the Job
Centre to help those who have long-term health conditions and are not
ready to look for work.  The Adult and Family Learning Outreach staff have
been meeting with Glenburn Nurseries and Douglas Street Nursery parents
to establish which adult learning groups are of interest and appropriate for
their needs. 
• Community Learning and Development Officer, Emma Muir, was shortlisted
in the YouthLink Youth Worker of the Year Awards in recognition of her
work on gender-based violence delivered through the Young and Equally
Safe in Renfrewshire programme. Emma was named runner up, which is a
fantastic achievement and reflects both her commitment and the positive
impact of this work with young people. 
7.  Justice Social Work (JSW) 
7.1  Prisoner Release Activity 
7.1.1  The Board has been updated over the last year about the significant pressures
brought by a persistently high prison population and the corresponding
Scottish Government actions surrounding the early release of
prisoners.  Passed in late 2024 the Prisoners (Early Release)(Scotland) Act
2025 reduced the release threshold from 50% to 40% for “short term
prisoners” (those serving a custodial sentence under four years).   
7.1.2  Further legislation was recently passed on 12 May 2026 which reduced this
short-term prisoner threshold further, to 30% for eligible individuals. This
change has been applied retrospectively with the intention of having an impact
on prisons’ capacity. Like previous early release programmes, this new change
has been managed across three phased “tranches” to support safe transitions
into the community. The final tranche concluded on 25 June 2026 with
approximately 240 prisoners reported to be released across Scotland. 
7.1.3  In Renfrewshire, 12 people were released. This brought some additional
activity in terms of assessment and support activity for Justice Social Work
(JSW) but was generally manageable due to its short lived and structured
nature.  It is important to note that exclusions remain in place for short term
prisoners convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offences who continue to
serve at least 50% of their sentence prior to release.

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7.2 Caledonian System 
7.2.1 The Caledonian System is Scotland’s accredited integrated practice
intervention approach for men convicted of domestic abuse offences.  This
Court mandated programme aims to improve the lives of women, children and
men impacted by this crime. It provides an intensive, approximately 2-year
programme for sentenced men (individual and groupwork), alongside trauma
informed support for partners and children. 
7.2.2 Positively, recurring funding of £187,826 has now been agreed by the Scottish
Government and internal planning is now well underway to implement the
Caledonian System in Renfrewshire. Although the programme specific funding
being made available does not fully equate to its extensive staffing
requirements, the need, value and importance of having programme provision
that addresses domestic abuse offending available within Renfrewshire is
high. 
7.2.3 By augmenting the service’s specialist Pathway’s team with some additional
professional staff via the new specific grant funding and creatively utilising and
upskilling existing resource via S.27 justice social work ringfenced funding the
programme’s implementation is now underway. There incorporates a clear,
stepped plan to sustainably provide this programme across the JSW service
for the coming years. Extensive specialist staff training, provided by the
national Caledonian team, is scheduled to take place across September and
October this year. Following this, the programme should then be an available
option as a requirement of a Community Payback Order or post release
license condition from November 2026.   
7.3  Third sector partnerships 
7.3.1  JSW continues to strengthen its partnerships with local organisations to
provide community-based support and interventions to justice experienced
people and support future desistance from offending behaviours. Based on
positive, recent service user and professional feedback, the following
partnership agreements have continued: 
• Kairos Women+ “A Place to Be”. 
This project offers trauma-informed, community-based unpaid work
placements for women involved in the justice system. The project supports
women through structured placements, mentoring, and skills development
in a safe, welcoming women only environment.
• Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health (RAMH) – “Trauma to
Recovery”. 
This programme offers a structured 10-week educational programme
delivered through the Recovery College model. By helping justice
experienced people understand how trauma affects the brain and
behaviour, using clear and accessible language it provides an early,
trauma-informed intervention that supports people to stabilise, engage with
services and move towards positive change.

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• The Tannahill Centre - Based in Ferguslie Park 
The community hub supports some people subject to unpaid work
placements, providing a variety of suitable tasks, flexibly over 7 days a
week. Its placements provides wider community benefit through supporting
various local community tasks from gardening and maintenance activities
to local community event support. The model is consistent, staffed, and
well-established. There has also been individual benefit for those
supported by the Centre. For example, it has offered some further
volunteering opportunities after placements have finished and built stronger
local, inclusive community connections.
___________________________________________________________________       
Implications of the Report     
1. Financial – Any financial elements referenced in this report will be progressed
through the Council’s financial & budget planning process.     
2. HR & Organisational Development – None.     
3. Community/Council Planning – The report details a range of activities which
reflect local community and council planning themes.     
4. Legal – None.     
5. Property/Assets – None.     
6. Information Technology – None.     
7. Equality & Human Rights – The recommendations contained within this
report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human
rights.  No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of
individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the
recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation,
the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be
reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published
on the Council’s website.     
8. Health & Safety – None.     
9. Procurement – None.     
10. Risk – None.     
11. Privacy Impact – None..     
12. Climate Risk – there are a range of actions and activities throughout the
Service Update Report which support the Council’s Plan for Net Zero.     
13. Children’s Rights – None.

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14. Cosla Policy Position – None.    
__________________________________________________________________     
List of Background Papers:  None.      
__________________________________________________________________     
Author:  Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure      
Email:  gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk