People Strategy 2021-2026 - Council Workforce Demographics and People Metrics
Renfrewshire Council · 20 November 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 20 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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OFFICIAL ___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 20 November 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: People Strategy 2021-2026 – Council Workforce Demographics and People Metrics (1 April to 30 September 2025). ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides Members with a strategic overview of the Council’s workforce demographics and key people metrics for the first two quarters of the 2025/26 financial year (April to September). It builds on previous analysis and delivers clear insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen workforce planning, and drive continuous improvement. 1.2 This update offers Members a mid-year perspective on progress and emerging workforce trends. It consolidates data from the first two quarters of this year to present a clear and comprehensive picture of current workforce dynamics and, where available, compares performance against the same period in the previous financial year. 1.3 This report also highlights the critical role of people metrics in supporting evidence-based decisions. A clear understanding of workforce dynamics is essential for aligning resources with future service priorities and achieving sustainable outcomes. Managers have access to real-time workforce data through the Council’s Business World ERP system, enabling timely and well- informed operational decisions. 1.4 Compared with the same period in 2024/25, the overall workforce position remains broadly stable, with only minor variations in key metrics which are discussed within the context of the update.
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OFFICIAL 1.5 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion monitoring data, along with Health and Safety metrics are reported separately to the relevant boards and are therefore not included in this update. ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Recommendations 2.1 Members are asked to note: • The contents of this report. • This report will be reported bi-annually for monitoring purposes. • The next report will be submitted on 11 June 2026. This will detail quarter by quarter comparison data, with targeted interventions to drive improvements where necessary. ___________________________________________________________________ 3 Background 3.1 Workforce data is a vital tool for guiding performance decisions, enabling effective planning, resource allocation, and support for employee development and wellbeing. It also helps identify areas of high demand to align skills with priorities and improve efficiency. Regular analysis reinforces the Council’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion by informing initiatives that promote a supportive and inclusive workplace. 3.2 The diagram below provides Members with a snapshot of the Council’s workforce profile as of 30 September 2025. 3.3 Of the Council’s 8,542 employees, around 70% live within the Renfrewshire area. The majority hold permanent contracts, with an average length of service of 10 years.
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OFFICIAL This level of stability reflects the strength of our organisational culture and values, which help retain a loyal, experienced, and engaged workforce while providing opportunities for development and career progression. Such continuity enhances the Council’s reputation as an employer of choice. 3.4 The data, consistent with previous reports to Members, shows that our workforce remains predominantly female, with an average age of around 45 years. Notably, 39% of employees are aged 50 or above, highlighting an ageing workforce. This presents succession planning challenges in retaining key knowledge and skills but also creates opportunities to attract new talent and broaden our skills base in emerging disciplines. These dynamics will be central to ensuring the Council remains competitive in the recruitment market and continues to adapt proactively to future service needs. 3.5 As reported in June 2025, the Council achieved a historic milestone by closing the gender pay gap for the first time in its history. The latest figures show a gap of 0.52% in favour of female employees, compared to 4.59% in favour of males in 2018. This positions the Council among the most progressive local authorities in Scotland on gender pay equality, a success that was publicly recognised as a significant achievement. This outcome reflects targeted actions, supported and agreed by Members of this board, including a revised pay and grading model, expanded leadership development opportunities, family-friendly policies, and initiatives to support progression for women in lower grades while encouraging male applicants for roles traditionally dominated by women. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to fairness and equality and is fully aligned with our People & Organisational Development Strategy, which prioritises inclusive leadership, equal access to opportunities, and a culture where everyone can thrive. 3.6 The Council continues to maintain a balanced workforce, with almost 40% of employees working part-time. To promote health and wellbeing and foster a family-friendly, inclusive culture, employees benefit from a wide range of flexible working arrangements, both formal and informal, that continue to evolve to meet organisational needs and improve work-life balance. Turnover levels referenced in this report and in our annual reports are broadly in line with sector norms for Scottish local authorities, as outlined in workforce planning guidance published by the Improvement Service. It is important to note that turnover rates can vary across job roles and service areas, with some services experiencing higher levels than others. Overall, current turnover trends are considered healthy, supporting a balance between retaining experience and introducing new skills. 3.7 The Council’s retention rate for the reporting period ending 30 September 2025 is approximately 95%. During this time, 447 employees joined the organisation and 411 left, with the main reasons for leaving being career progression and normal age retirement. When compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, the Council’s retention rate has remained broadly the same.
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OFFICIAL Ongoing monitoring of this data is essential to understanding why employees leave, enabling us to listen to the workforce and apply insights that improve the overall workplace experience. 4 Employee Relations (Absence, Disciplines, Grievances, Overtime and Training) 4.1 Absence 4.2 As required by Scottish Council reporting standards, absence is measured as the number of workdays lost per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee. The table below shows quarterly absence levels by service area. Overall, Environmental Services, Housing & Infrastructure, and the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership continue to report absence rates above the Council’s internal targets. 4.3 The table shows absence days lost per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee across Council services for Quarters 1 and 2 of this year. Members will note that absence in Quarter 2 is 0.22 days lower than Quarter 1, indicating a slight improvement. When compared to the same quarters in 2024/25, absence has also reduced, by 0.27 days in Quarter 1 and 0.03 days in Quarter 2 indicating a modest improvement. 4.4 From 1 April to 30 September 2025, the Council lost 41,286.41 FTE days due to absence. While Environmental Services, Housing & Infrastructure, and the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership have higher-than-average absence rates, the largest number of actual days lost occurred in Children’s Services (16,513.76 days). This reflects the fact that Children’s Services accounts for approximately 48% of the Council’s overall workforce. 4.5 The table below shows the quarterly breakdown of FTE absence days lost across Council services for Quarters 1 and 2 of this year. When compared to the same quarters in 2024/25, total absence days have decreased slightly, by 1,915.64 days in Quarter 1 and 257.90 days in Quarter 2, indicating a modest improvement. Service Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025 Chief Executive's 1.06 2.17 Children's Services 2.81 2.04 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 3.25 3.32 Finance & Resources 2.06 2.51 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 4.74 5.11 Total Absence Days Lost Per FTE Employee 3.00 2.78 FTE Absence Days Lost Per FTE Employee
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OFFICIAL 4.6 During the reporting period, the four main causes of sickness absence once again, in order of frequency, were: 1. Psychological. 2. Musculoskeletal and Joint Disorders. 3. Stomach/Bowel/Blood and Metabolic Disorders and; 4. Respiratory. These causes of absence align with national trends. 4.7 To support employees in staying at work or returning after absence, the Council provides a range of support services, including early referral to Occupational Health and access to the Employee Assistance Programme. During the reporting period, 2,021 appointments were arranged with our Occupational Health provider, People Asset Management Ltd (PAM), and 154 appointments were delivered by our Employee Assistance provider, Time for Talking (TFT). When compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, 1877 appointments were arranged with our PAM, an increase of 144, and 167 appointments were delivered by TFT, a decrease of 13. 4.8 Officers have maximised the use of all available appointments and provisions through both contracts, which has enabled further investment in targeted support for known hotspot areas within services, particularly for absences related to musculoskeletal issues, mental health, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and cancer. These services play a key role in promoting wellbeing, enabling earlier interventions, and helping reduce the risk of prolonged absence. 4.9 Members will recall approving the Health and Wellbeing Plan in February 2024, which aims to create a safe, healthy, and inclusive workplace by focusing on prevention, early intervention, and support for attendance at work. Through the plan, Officers are actively working with Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) across services to provide a safe space for employees to discuss mental health concerns and access specialist support, including financial and psychological wellbeing. Since the last progress report, mental health support has been expanded with 91 trained MHFAs in place and a further 24 scheduled for training in November 2025. We have also introduced mental health awareness training and wellbeing e-learning across all services. Service Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025 Chief Executive's 233.31 469.89 Children's Services 9561.87 6951.89 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 5991.74 6195.91 Finance & Resources 1754.10 2131.26 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 3879.08 4117.36 Grand Total 21420.10 19866.31 FTE Absence Days Lost
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OFFICIAL Occupational Health provision has been enhanced with physiotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), alongside stress risk assessment training for managers to help identify and address issues early. In the coming months, an engagement event will be held with MHFAs to review usage and better understand the issues being raised. 4.10 Council officers have partnered with subject matter experts to deliver a series of successful Rentalks on topics such as Supporting Menopause, Raising Our Teens, Learning for Life, Carer’s Rights, Men’s Mental Health, Gambling Awareness, Budgeting Skills, Women’s Health, Insights to CBT, Mastering Work-Life Balance, Discussing HRT, Breastfeeding, Support for Carers, Strathclyde Pension Fund, and Accessibility for Digital Content. All Rentalks are recorded and made available through the Council’s learn platform to maximise accessibility. In addition, the content from these sessions is being adapted into toolbox talks for managers to deliver to frontline teams who do not have easy access to Rentalks, ensuring key wellbeing messages reach all employees. 4.11 During the reporting period, 11 wellbeing sessions were delivered to frontline employees in Environment, Housing and Infrastructure and the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership. These sessions covered key RenTalk topics as detailed in 4.10 above, offered practical advice, and signposted employees to further support where needed. To ensure wider accessibility, all RenTalks are recorded and available on the Council’s iLearn platform, and the content is being adapted into toolbox talks for managers to share with frontline teams who do not have easy access to online sessions, ensuring key wellbeing messages reach all employees. 4.12 We have also strengthened our approach through additional initiatives that promote health and inclusion. Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland awareness training is now available on iLearn following the Council’s accreditation as a Breastfeeding Friendly employer, equipping teams with the knowledge and tools to support breastfeeding parents confidently. In September, Scotwest Credit Union delivered financial wellbeing sessions at Underwood Road Depot and ran an advice campaign at Renfrewshire House. The Council’s Menopause Champion has also launched Let’s Pause, a monthly forum providing a supportive space for employees experiencing menopause to share experiences and connect with others in a relaxed setting. 4.13 The direct salary cost of statutory and occupational sick pay for absences between 1 April and 30 September 2025 is approximately £6.7 million. Members should note that these are not additional costs to the Council, as they are already budgeted for, but do not include any additional costs for cover such as overtime or employer on costs. Of this total, £5.6 million (83.5%) relates to employees on long-term absence (28 calendar days or more).
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OFFICIAL 4.14 The table below details absence costs by Council service for Quarters 1 and 2, totalling approximately £6.7 million. Children’s Services incurs the highest cost, reflecting both the greatest number of days lost and its proportion of around 48% of the Council’s workforce. When compared to the same period in 2024/25, the cost of absence was £6.4m, meaning an increase of approximately £300,000 year to year. Children's Services accounted for the highest share of this cost. 4.15 To provide Members with a truer picture of the overall cost of absence, future reports will be developed to include overtime and other related expenditure incurred to cover absences. This will give Members a greater visibility of the financial impact absence has to the Council. 4.16 Our data indicates that absences continue to be influenced by extended NHS treatment times, medical interventions, and delays in obtaining specialist reports. To help reduce long-term sickness absence, we maintain regular engagement with our Occupational Health provider, PAM, to expedite the receipt of reports from employees’ GPs and NHS specialists. 4.17 A new officer Absence Performance Board has been established, chaired by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure, with senior representation from all Council services. The Board’s remit is to identify and implement corporate and service-level actions to improve absence performance across the organisation. 4.18 To progress this work, four dedicated workstreams have been created: Training and Culture, Policy and Processes, Data and Targets, and Health and Wellbeing Supports. Each workstream is led by cross-Council representatives and is developing detailed plans to address key challenges, including strengthening management capability, improving policy alignment, enhancing data visibility, and expanding proactive health and wellbeing interventions. Service Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025 Chief Executive's £40,969.15 £87,051.69 Children's Services £1,780,056.86 £1,365,556.06 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure £762,925.16 £848,153.61 Finance & Resources £234,501.14 £311,586.55 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership £598,488.57 £655,180.96 Grand Total £3,416,940.88 £3,267,528.87 Absence Cost
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OFFICIAL 4.19 In early January, the Board will launch the ‘2026 Year of Wellbeing’ campaign, introducing a structured programme of support, expectations, and action. Officers will lead targeted initiatives designed to deliver visible improvements and measurable outcomes, tackling the root causes of absence and strengthening workforce resilience. This campaign is a strategic intervention to improve attendance across all services. By doing so, we will not only support our workforce but also ensure the delivery of better, more consistent services to our communities. 4.20 Overtime Working 4.21 Overtime continue to play an essential role in maintaining the Council’s ability to deliver critical services and meet the needs of our communities. It provides flexibility to respond to ad-hoc service demands, seasonal peaks, short-term projects such as event planning, and emergency situations requiring specialist skills, while avoiding the costs associated with permanent recruitment. When managed effectively through robust workforce planning, overtime can still deliver operational flexibility while mitigating risks such as employee fatigue and increased resourcing costs. 4.22 The table below sets out the level of overtime worked across the Council and the associated costs for the period 1 April to 30 September 2025. Overtime categories, in line with conditions of service, include plain time, time and a half, and double time. The number of overtime hours claimed in Quarter 2 has decreased compared to Quarter 1, with a similar trend observed across all services. This modest reduction reflects the efforts being made within services to actively manage overtime through improved workforce planning and resource allocation. 4.23 The direct salary cost of overtime for this period is approximately £2.97 million. Environmental, Housing & Infrastructure and the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership account for the highest levels of overtime claims. This reflects the operational demands of these services, which frequently require additional staffing to maintain essential service delivery, respond to unplanned events or emergencies, and meet statutory obligations. When compared to the same period in 2024/25, the cost of overtime £3.3 million, meaning a decrease of approximately £330,000 year to year. Service Hours Amount Hours Amount Chief Executive's 192.00 £5,701.33 146.50 £4,332.66 Children's Services 10855.32 £237,254.50 7307.53 £166,855.95 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 43543.91 £982,767.61 38830.11 £891,469.14 Finance & Resources 3098.78 £68,082.08 2757.76 £62,763.19 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 14841.84 £277,901.95 14091.01 £276,278.84 Grand Total 72531.85 £1,571,707.47 63132.91 £1,401,699.78 Overtime Working Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025
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OFFICIAL 4.24 Our analysis shows that approximately 64% of overtime hours claimed are attributable to factors such as covering holiday absences, meeting increased workload demands, filling vacancies, and providing sickness absence cover. 4.25 It is important for Members to note that overtime costs being presented in this context does not always mean employees are working beyond contracted hours. In some cases, an employee’s rostered shift may fall on a public holiday. In such circumstances, the employee works their normal contracted hours but, under the terms and conditions of service, is entitled to claim an enhanced rate of pay because the shift occurs on a public holiday. Furthermore, recent national pay awards have contributed to an increase in the overall cost of overtime. 4.26 The People and OD team are continuing to explore different ways with services to help reduce the costs generated by overtime through workforce planning. In addition, we are undertaking an exercise to clearly distinguish between avoidable and unavoidable overtime costs, as outlined in paragraph 4.25 above. This analysis will give Members a clearer and more accurate understanding of the nature of overtime working and associated costs, helping to highlight where costs are genuinely unavoidable and where efficiencies can be achieved. 4.27 Disciplinary Investigations 4.28 The table below shows the number of live disciplinary investigations being progressed under the Council’s Disciplinary Policy by service for each quarter within the period 1 April to 30 September 2025. During this period, there was a maximum of 49 cases active at any one time, representing 0.49% of the Council’s overall workforce. Of these, 13 cases (26%) across both quarters required a precautionary suspension. When compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, a maximum of 50 disciplinary investigations were active at any one time, an increase of 1 year to year. 4.29 All disciplinary cases are managed and progressed as promptly as possible in line with Council policy. Members will recall that a revised Disciplinary Policy was approved in June 2024, providing a robust framework to ensure cases are managed fairly, consistently, and efficiently. The People & OD team will continue to work closely with services and trade union colleagues to reduce the number of live cases and ensure timely resolution.
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OFFICIAL 4.30 Grievance Cases 4.31 The table below shows the number of live grievance cases by service for each quarter within the period 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025. During this time, there was a maximum of 15 cases being progressed, representing 0.18% of the Council’s overall workforce. When compared to the same reporting period in 2024/25, a maximum of 16 grievances were active at any one time, a decrease of 1 year to year. As with the disciplinary process, all grievances are fully investigated in strict confidence and handled in accordance with the Council’s fair, inclusive, and consistent procedures. 4.32 When appropriate, the Council uses its ACAS-trained and accredited mediators to support the grievance process through early intervention approaches. Mediation offers informal solutions to issues that might otherwise escalate into formal grievance or disciplinary proceedings. In addition to the cases reported below, our mediators successfully resolved three matters informally, preventing these from progressing to formal grievance processes and mitigating potential disruption. 4.33 Mandatory Training 4.34 Members will recognise that learning is one of the Council’s core values. Developing our workforce is a central focus of the Council’s People Strategy, which aims to create a collaborative and supportive learning culture. Continuous development is essential to the Council’s long-term success and to delivering best value outcomes. Service Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025 Chief Executive's 0 0 Children's Services 13 15 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 26 23 Finance & Resources 3 3 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 7 6 Grand Total 49 47 Disciplinary Investigations Service Q1 Ending 30 June 2025 Q2 Ending 30 September 2025 Chief Executive's 0 0 Children's Services 5 3 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 6 9 Finance & Resources 0 1 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 3 2 Grand Total 14 15 Grievance Cases
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OFFICIAL By investing in training, we strengthen employee performance, ensure consistency in the quality of work, and enhance job satisfaction. This commitment also improves retention, reduces risk, supports compliance, and fosters innovation and adaptability, all while maintaining the Council’s reputation as an employer of choice. 4.35 The Council requires all employees to complete five mandatory training courses, as outlined in the table below. The table shows completion rates by service for each course as of 30 September 2025. Overall, the Council has an average completion rate of 73%, up from 58% reported to Members in June 2025, with the Chief Executive’s Service, Finance and Resources, and the Health and Social Care Partnership achieving higher rates. These results reflect focused efforts within services to prioritise completion of mandatory training. All services are actively implementing targeted actions to accelerate progress and ensure that completion rates continue to rise across the organisation. 4.36 In addition, the Council requires employees who use the ICT network to complete three mandatory courses, as shown in the table below. The table also highlights completion rates by service for each course as of 30 September 2025. Overall, the Council’s average completion rate for these courses is 69%, up from 55% reported to Members in June 2025, with the Chief Executive’s Service, Finance and Resources, and the Health and Social Care Partnership once again achieving higher completion rates. 4.37 Regular reports on mandatory training performance are subject to thorough review by each Service Senior Management Team and the Council’s Corporate Management Team, ensuring robust oversight, accountability, and a clear focus on driving improvement. To continue improving completion rates in the year ahead, a series of targeted initiatives has been agreed and is being progressed, including: • Providing teachers in Children’s Services with protected time and space to complete mandatory training via in-service days. • Delivering newly adapted mandatory training content through toolbox talks for frontline employees. Course Name CE CS EH&I FARS RHSCP COUNCIL Equality Diversity and Inclusion Awareness 96% 71% 73% 99% 94% 77% Information Governance Annual Refresher 2024 80% 50% 59% 83% 72% 59% Intro to Data Protection 94% 68% 72% 99% 94% 76% Introduction to Freedom of Information (FOI) 95% 65% 72% 98% 93% 74% Living Our Values 95% 69% 73% 99% 94% 77% Average for all course across Service 92% 64% 70% 96% 90% 73% Mandatory Course Completions for ALL Employees Course Name CE CS EH&I FARS RHSCP COUNCIL Display Screen Awareness DSE 91% 50% 82% 96% 86% 65% Information Security Awareness 95% 61% 86% 99% 95% 74% RenTalks: How to spot a phish 86% 57% 77% 89% 83% 67% Average for all course across Service 90% 56% 81% 95% 88% 69% Mandatory Course Completions for NETWORKED Employees
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OFFICIAL • Introducing reminders and alerts in Business World for courses that are expiring, expired, or incomplete to support self-managed compliance. • Expanding mandatory training modules to include Corporate Induction, Prevent Duty Awareness, Risk Management, and Managers’ Induction. 4.38 New mandatory training performance indicators have now been integrated within all Service Improvement Plans, enabling members to monitor and scrutinise progress through their respective Council Policy Boards. 5 Next Steps 5.1 This report will continue to evolve for members, providing performance data comparisons quarter by quarter for scrutiny. Officers will include additional workforce information in the next report, covering job evaluations, ill-health retirals, voluntary redundancy, and voluntary early retirement. This will provide Members with a fuller picture of workforce changes and their impact. It will also support the Council to better utilise resources in the areas where our performance requires to improve. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The Council’s costs in relation to workforce planning are detailed throughout this report and are met within existing service and Council budget lines. Council Officers will continue to monitor data and take appropriate actions to improve performance levels. 2. HR & Organisational Development – People and Organisational Development Practitioners will continue to work with service managers and consult with the Trade Unions to improve performance. 3. Community/Council Planning – None as the report is for noting 4. Legal - Effective workforce planning can ensure legal compliance. 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 because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results
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OFFICIAL of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - Effective workforce planning can ensure legal compliance and support the well-being of our people. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk - Without a continued effective focus on workforce planning, there is a risk that may impact on the Council both financially and in terms of service delivery. 11. Privacy Impact - None. 12. Climate Risk - None. 13. Children’s Rights - None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None. _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers - None ___________________________________________________________________ Authors: Steven Fanning, steven.fanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk Andrew Brown, andrew.brown@renfrewshire.gov.uk