Service Update Report - Report
Renfrewshire Council · 28 October 2025
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 28 October 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC ____________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 28 October 2025 _________________________________________________________________ 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 August 2025 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. 2.2 Authorise the Head of Housing Services to accept Scottish Government grant funding of £800,000 from the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Fund as set out in paragraph 3.4.17 of this report. 2.3 Authorise the Head of Housing Services to oversee the operational management and delivery of the project. 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 September 2025 confirms that over 3,202 income advice cases involved households from Council tenancies this financial year.
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PUBLIC 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. 3.1.2 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, full details of which were shared with members of the Policy Board following the meeting in March. 3.1.3 In monetary terms this equates to £6,618,958 between April 2025 and September this year. 3.1.4 Between April 2025 and September 2025 there have been 106 tenants referred for Tenant Support Fund assessment, which have the added value of full income assessment and advice provision. Of the referrals 71 have engaged with Specialist Income Advisors and 60 have qualified for assistance from the fund. Anti-Social Behaviour App 3.1.5 A demonstration of the ASB app to elected members was held on 8th September and a recording of the session has been shared with all Elected Members. 3.1.6 An evaluation of the ASB app will be carried out early 2026. The evaluation will assess the app’s impact on service delivery, user experience and operational efficiency. 3.2 Housing Innovation Project (HIP) 3.2.1 The Housing Innovation Project to replace the housing management ICT systems remains on target to go live in April 2026 which encompasses Rents, Housing Applications/Allocations and Servicing. The Phase 1 workshops are now largely complete and other works over this period have included mail merging over 200 standard letters in NEC Housing, specifying and testing our financial interfaces such as housing benefit, and cash receipting/swipe cards, and also testing system integrations to Electronic Document Management (EDM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and bulk printing outlets. 3.2.2 We welcomed a new Training Workstream Lead to the Project in September. Initially the focus will be on provision of a training needs analysis (TNA) for each specific job role/system user. 3.2.3 Preparation for Phase 2 (commencing February 2026) of the project continues, and preparatory work undertaken to identify resource requirements; data migration; project timelines etc have been agreed. 3.3 Housing Support Services Housing Support and Refugee Resettlement Team 3.3.1 The ‘Opening Doors’ service was established in June 2025 to support vulnerable individuals at risk of homelessness or those struggling to maintain a tenancy - due to challenges linked to alcohol, drugs or gambling.
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PUBLIC 3.3.2 The service is delivered in partnership with the RCA Trust and provides practical help, including welfare checks, support to access benefits, tenancy management, budgeting, attendance at key appointments and referrals to wider statutory and voluntary services. 3.3.3 The service has already supported 23 individuals / families to stabilise their housing situation, access wraparound care and achieve personal goals. 3.3.4 Early positive outcomes include a pending eviction being cancelled, helping a mother and child move into appropriate housing, and supporting individuals in recovery to thrive within supported accommodation before then moving on to a settled tenancy. Office Space 3.3.5 Additional office space and meeting rooms for the Refugee Resettlement team and Housing Support service is now being provided at George Street in Paisley, which reflects the additional resources and expanding roles within the teams and will help with the delivery of the broader provision of advice, support and well-being- based activities for service users. Sheltered Housing 3.3.6 Our sheltered housing service continues to promote independent living while addressing tenants individual support needs and encouraging active, healthy lifestyles. 3.3.7 In September 2025, the core team of 11 Sheltered Housing Officers carried out over 5,000 ‘welfare’ checks for our 284 tenants. Alongside this, work with tenants, families and stakeholders is progressing on a “Kindness Statement” to promote wellbeing, reduce stress and anxiety and strengthen the feeling of inclusion within the communal living setting. 3.3.8 Tackling loneliness remains a key priority across the 10 sheltered complexes. A programme of meaningful activities, including parties and theatre trips was delivered throughout the summer, and our autumn/ winter programme already underway. 3.3.9 Digital Notice Boards have been introduced at two larger complexes, and early feedback has been positive, highlighting improved communication, tenant engagement, and accessibility. 3.3.10 Our in-house Befriending Service continues to support tenants who do not have family or friends, and a joint initiative with St. Mirren Football Club - Buddy Big Scran - has resumed for the winter months. This brings older people from across Renfrewshire together for a hot meal, games and social interaction, helping to strengthen social connections and reduce the risk of feelings of isolation.
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PUBLIC 3.4 Housing Asset and Investment External Improvement Works 3.4.1 Investment works are progressing across several key areas: • Johnstone Castle, Foxbar, and the Villages (Lochwinnoch and Bridge of Weir) continue to benefit from ongoing external improvement works. • External block refurbishments have commenced in Auchentorlie and Howard Street regeneration areas. • A window replacement programme is actively underway in: o Auchentorlie o Howard Street o Waverley Road (Foxbar) o With plans to begin in Howwood Road within the next eight weeks. Gallowhill and Glencairn Courts – Ground Source Heating 3.4.2 The Council’s appointed contractor has commenced groundwork borehole drilling in the car park area, as the first phase of the installation of ground source heating. Tenants are being kept updated on the project through regular newsletters and staff from both the Council and the contractor are available to respond to any individual enquiries tenants may have. Internal Improvement Works 3.4.3 The Council’s appointed contractor has completed 75 installations to date. These include: • Kitchen, Bathroom & Rewire (KBR) – 13 • KBR + Heating – 5 • Kitchen & Bathroom – 6 • Kitchen, Bathroom + Heating – 3 • Kitchen + Heating – 5 • Kitchen only – 34 • Bathroom only – 3 • Kitchen & Rewire – 6 3.4.4 The performance of the appointed contractor has been below expected standards with outputs falling short of those expected. Efforts have been made by Housing Services to bring about improvements in the contractor’s performance, however, these have proved unsuccessful. The contract ended on 30th September 2025. Options for the delivery of works to the remaining properties where works have yet to be carried out are currently being considered with a view to minimising delays as far as is practicably possible. 3.4.5 Building Services have commenced their programme of kitchen and boiler installations, and, to date, 6 kitchens and 39 boilers have been completed. 3.4.6 Tender evaluation is underway for a larger contract to deliver approximately 3,200 kitchens, bathrooms and rewire installations over the next four years.
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PUBLIC Stock Condition Survey Programme 3.4.7 Stock condition surveys are being carried out to meet the Scottish Housing Regulator’s requirements for review every five years and to validate our SHQS compliance rates. Whilst the surveys to date have had little impact on overall SHQS compliance rates, the overall accuracy of data held on condition of individual blocks and properties has been improved. This helps to define the future investment requirements and informs our business plan. Year 1 3.4.8 The number of stock condition surveys and Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) completed in Year 1 are as follows: External Surveys 4086 740 Common Blocks surveyed covering 3398 units, plus 688 Houses/Bungalows Internal Surveys 2101 EPCs 1384 Completed for properties with no valid EPC or where due within 2 years. 3.4.9 The data from year 1 surveys has been interfaced into our asset management database system Apex and analysed. For external building condition, the main areas of change to data held in Apex are in relation to the condition of communal doors, door entry systems and communal windows. 3.4.10 Internally it’s a similar pattern with some changes to data for kitchens, bathrooms, heating, smoke and heat detection. Any identification of specific repairs from the surveys, including the identification of mould, will be followed up by our repairs team. 3.4.11 Surveyors are also conducting energy surveys to update EPCs where there is no valid EPC or where there are less than 2 years validity remaining. Year 2 3.4.12 The stock condition survey is now in Year 2 of a 5-year programme, focusing on Paisley and Renfrew across two phases: • Phase 1: Completed (June – September) • Phase 2: Scheduled (October – December) 3.4.13 Year 2 data will be integrated into our asset management system (Apex) to update the SHQS score for the next ARC return. 3.4.14 Whilst access for external surveys is close to 100%, access rates for internal surveys remain lower than expected at around 50% (target: 67%), despite tenant notifications and follow-up calling cards. Surveyors attempt access three times before marking a property as ‘no access’. Optional Years 4 and 5 will allow revisits to be made for these properties.
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PUBLIC Single Building Assessments 3.4.15 The Scottish Government has developed a Single Building Assessment (SBA) survey. 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. 3.4.16 SBAs are required to be undertaken by suitably qualified individuals, such as chartered fire engineers, chartered building surveyors or structural engineers, and require to be peer reviewed. Only a small number of consultants have been assessed as being competent by the Scottish Government to carry out SBAs. 3.4.17 The Council has been notified it will be awarded funding of up to £800,000 plus a possible additional 7% for reasonable costs incurred, from the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Programme to conduct Single Building Assessments of each of its 14 multi storey blocks plus two other blocks which are over 11 metres in height. 3.4.18 The first two SBAs will be undertaken at Nethercraigs Court and Gleniffer Court. This will allow the Council to complete two reviews early and provide opportunities for any lessons learned before initiating the main contract for the remaining blocks. It is anticipated that each SBA will take around 8-12 weeks to complete. 3.4.19 Whilst the funding is solely for the SBA surveys to be carried out, the Scottish Government has provided another fund for any high risk remedials that may be identified and need urgently rectified, which the Council can access. A second open call of funding for all remedial actions from an SBA, has been proposed by the Scottish Government and it has been confirmed that social landlords will be able to apply. We await further details. 3.4.20 The Board is asked to authorise the Head of Housing Services to accept grant funding of £800,000 from the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Programme and authorise the Head of Housing Services to oversee the delivery and operational management of the project. Renfrewshire Private Landlord Forum 3.4.21 Housing Services with assistance from Council Licensing (Landlord Registration team) will host an annual event for registered private landlords in Renfrewshire on the 29 October in Renfrew Town Hall. 3.4.22 This event provides an opportunity for landlords to receive updates from both the Council and partner organisations who also provide training opportunities and information throughout the year. 3.4.23 The event will include updates on the proposed new Housing Bill and new energy efficiency standards affecting the private rented sector; the Council Housing investment programme; training opportunities for landlords available through Landlord Accreditation Scotland and general information updates from Under One Roof on tenement repairs and working with other owners.
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PUBLIC 3.5 Regeneration and Development Update Housing-Led Regeneration and Renewal 3.5.1 Owner acquisitions continue to progress well across each of the areas where acquisition is necessary to allow demolition to take place. 64 of the 89 privately owned properties identified for demolition are now within Council ownership and a further 13 owners have agreed to the sale of their properties. 3.5.2 Tenant rehousing continues on a phased basis and has allowed several phases of demolition of vacant blocks to progress in line with the delivery strategy. 3.5.3 As detailed in section 3.4 above, the window installation programme is underway in several regeneration areas and external works are being progressed on site at Auchentorlie and Howard Street areas at this time. 3.5.4 Several neighbourhood pop up events have taken place in the Auchentorlie and Howard Street areas and further events are being planned for late October for the Howwood Road area and mid-November in the Waverley Road areas before officers reach out to tenants and residents in each of the other regeneration areas in line with the project delivery timeline. Participatory Budgeting – Tenants Decide 3.5.5 Officers from the Housing and Chief Executive’s services have been working with the tenant scrutiny panel and COSLA to develop our participatory budgeting (PB) approach including a new online PB platform that will be used to assist in the delivery of the Tenants Decide Fund. Elected member and staff briefing sessions took place throughout October in advance of the project launch events being planned for early November. 3.5.6 The total allocation for the 3-year Tenants Decide project is £600,000. The initial funding allocation for year one (2025/26) is £150,000 which will be split equally across the four local housing area teams to encourage participation and project delivery across Renfrewshire. Further updates will be provided to the Communities and Housing Policy Board as this initiative develops. 4 Public Protection 4.1 Environmental Health Local Authority Food Law Enforcement Actions Audit 4.1.1 Renfrewshire Council was selected for a Local Authority Food Law Enforcement Actions Audit by Food Standards Scotland. The audit aim was to assess and verify the arrangements in place to ensure the adequate and effective delivery of Official Controls (regulatory activities carried out to ensure food businesses comply with food safety, hygiene, and animal welfare laws) in Local Authority enforced establishments. They included verifying that official controls are carried out in compliance with planned arrangements and assess whether these are suitable to achieve the objectives of the relevant legislation.
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PUBLIC The audit took place between July and September; reviewing management systems, documented policies and procedures, enforcement procedures, Officer authorisation and competency (qualifications, training & experience), the Food Enforcement Database, and legal notices issued. The results of the audit were positive, noting that enforcement taken by the Service was appropriate and effective. Some discrepancies between information on the Scottish National Database and our internal database were noted (primarily due to uploading issues) and these are being investigated. Food Standards Scotland also noted innovative working methods including electronic file storage, use of tablets, emailing inspection reports and use of Power BI to facilitate data- driven decision-making and improve efficiency. It was noted that staff were qualified and appropriately trained, and work to improve staffing levels within the Service are ongoing. Health and Safety Interventions 4.1.2 As part of ongoing efforts to protect health and improve safety standards within the catering industry, Officers are undertaking targeted interventions to address two significant risks: 4.1.3 Carbon Monoxide poisoning where risks arise from the use of solid fuels in environments with inadequate ventilation, as well as from gas systems that are either faulty or poorly installed. In both cases, insufficient ventilation can lead to the accumulation of carbon monoxide, posing serious health risks to staff. 4.1.4 Explosion Risks from LPG Cylinders. A growing number of businesses are opting to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders as a cost-effective alternative to mains gas. However, examples have been identified where they have been either incorrectly installed or used to supply appliances which are not designed for LPG. 4.1.5 Where risks from carbon monoxide or LPG cylinders are identified, appropriate enforcement action is taken to remove these risks. Recruitment 4.1.6 The Public Protection service is currently completing a phase of recruitment to bring in three new Technical Officers who will support the Environmental Health team. In addition, there is also a trainee Environmental Health Officer and a trainee Food Safety Officer working toward professional qualifications. The service has recently taken on a third-year Environmental Health student from the University of the West of Scotland, currently undertaking their placement year with the Council. The student will return to full-time study to complete their Honours degree in September 2026, before rejoining the service in summer 2027 to complete their practical training and sit their professional exams to qualify as an Environmental Health Officer. 4.1.7 The service continues to review recruitment (and development) opportunities for professional staff within the challenges faced by both Environmental Health and Trading Standards to successfully recruit into these professions.
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PUBLIC 4.2 Trading Standards 4.2.1 Following a small number of consumer complaints, Officers from Trading Standards have taken action to remove suspected counterfeit “Labubu” toys and fashion items from sale in retail shops across Renfrewshire. Around 150 items have been recovered so far, including dolls, plushies, keyrings and phone cases. These items are tending to be sold outwith the normal outlets for toys, such as newsagents, corner shops or other standalone retail outlets. While these items breach the intellectual property rights on the brand holder, PopMart, they also pose a significant safety risk to end users who are primarily children. Items have been found to breach toy safety requirements as to markings and labellings as well as choking hazards, or fire safety risks. 4.2.2 Formal warning letters have been issued to premises found to be supplying these items, who have also been provided detailed business advice on compliance. Premises will be monitored to ensure they remain compliant – particularly in the approach to Christmas. 4.2.3 Colleagues in Communications worked with the Team to create a “reel” to raise awareness of the risks of these products, and this has been shared across social media platforms to ensure our citizens are better informed to make safe purchasing choices. 5 Connected Communities Service Update 5.1.1 Information in terms of Community Learning and Development provision is reported in each of these service updates as elected members will be aware. Every 6 months, the service provides a standalone paper on the agenda for consideration by members which summarises the key activities being progressed by our local teams. The most recent 6 monthly update is therefore provided as a separate item on the Board’s agenda and provides a more detailed summary of the work of the Connected Communities Service. 6 Justice Social Work Update 6.1.1 On 8 September the Scottish Government advised local authorities on changes to the national funding formula for Justice Social Work Section 27 ring fenced grant funding to be introduced from 1 April 2026. For Renfrewshire, based on previous activity information, this has indicated a potential reduction of 3.2% (approximately £140,000). The new formula calculates share according to the amount of crime in the area (85.2%), the population (12.2%) and how rural the area is (2.6%). It is indicated that the data that informs the formula will be updated annually, and the funding should be allocated accordingly. Although any potential reduction in funding will provide its challenges, if it does fall to the indicated level, it can be managed without any critical impact on any particular part of the service. 6.1.2 Justice Social Work (JSW) continues to progress well in terms of supporting national justice priorities and meeting trends of growing demand. This was reflected in the Chief Social Work Officer’s report which was presented at the Council Board on 25 September. For example, in comparison to the preceding year in 2024 /25 diversion from prosecution cases rose by 44%, bail supervision cases rose fivefold and the number of same day reports for Court rose by 62%. The service completed 869 Justice Social Work Reports (background reports for sentencers) in 2024/25 which was 19 more than last year and a 24% increase compared to 2022/23.
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PUBLIC There was also a 16% increase for new Community Payback Orders with 522 made in 2024/25, compared to 450 the previous year. 372 of these Orders included an unpaid work and other activity requirement, again a sizeable increase from 338 the previous year. This tangible increase in community-based sentences and activities clearly evidences Renfrewshire’s active commitment to delivering on the national community justice “Vision for Scotland” to shift the balance between the use of custody and justice in the community, where it is safe to do so. 6.1.3 The last Communities and Housing Policy Board was advised of JSW improvement framework now being in place to support areas of quality assurance and improvement. This framework is continuing to strengthen its approach to effective practice. A key priority is developing our workforce. Over the last few months, a Professional Supervision and Development Policy has been implemented across JSW, aligning with the approach in both children and adult social work. As well as providing structured workload and professional supervision to employees it also provides and in-depth quality assurance of casework professional standards, competencies and workloads. The supervision policy has also been recently complemented by a new, comprehensive induction pack for new employees joining Renfrewshire Council’s JSW. Work to establish a specific learning and development pathway for JSW is also well underway. In terms of other quality assurance activity a peer led practice review, via a case sampling approach is being planned for the end of October. This will explore cases where service users did not successfully complete their Court orders and highlight any service barriers and practice learning areas. Work to improve how JSW further embeds the gathering and analysis of qualitative information, in terms of service user voice and experience is also a current focus of a working group. All this work’s progress is overseen and monitored by the JSW core improvement group. Community Justice Update 6.1.4 Our multi-agency approach to supporting individuals returning to Renfrewshire from custody has been strengthened. Monthly pre-release planning meetings are now established to support coordinated planning and explore/resolve any agency barriers together. This forum now includes a range of community justice partners and enables collective oversight, better coordination and demarcation of our local resources. Benefits are demonstrating more efficient communication, collaborative problem solving and strengthened professional relationships among justice partners. This in turn provides better joint up planning for those leaving custody. The key focus is on housing, employability and social supports. 6.1.5 The pre-release planning meetings have also helped identify shared challenges and opportunities for improvement between the partners. One current focus is enhancing how Renfrewshire’s service information and pathways are better communicated to prison establishments. As part of this further visits to different prisons to engage directly with agencies operating within them are ongoing. These aim to develop more complementary and integrated approaches with the prisons that will support a more joined up experience for the prisoner being released.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ 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. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. ___________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: None. _______ __________________________________ Author: Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Email: Gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk