Council Plan 2022-27 – six monthly progress update
Renfrewshire Council · 3 December 2025
Back to Leadership Board — 3 December 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: Leadership Board On: 3 December 2025 ________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ________________________________________________________________ Heading: Council Plan 2022/27 – six monthly progress update ________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 In September 2022, the Council approved a new Council Plan for Renfrewshire, which set the strategic direction and vision for Renfrewshire, covering the period 2022 to 2027. In order to best reflect the current context, a refreshed plan was approved by Leadership Board in June 2024, alongside an updated performance framework. 1.2 The Council Plan sits alongside Renfrewshire’s Community Plan. This covers the longer period of 2017 to 2027, but was revised in 2022 to consider how to respond to and recover from the unique challenges experienced over the last few years. The Community and Council Plans are closely aligned, ensuring that the Council’s role in delivering a wide range of community outcomes is clearly understood. 1.3 The Council Plan sets out five strategic outcomes which the Council will work towards, grouped as Place, Economy, Fair, Green, and Living Our Values. Additionally, the Plan outlines a cross-cutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families, which underpins the delivery of the five strategic outcomes. 1.4 Alongside this, each Council service prepares a Service Improvement Plan, themed around the Council Plan’s strategic outcomes, demonstrating how each service will contribute to the delivery of the Council Plan. Progress is regularly scrutinised by the relevant Policy Boards.
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PUBLIC 1.5 The reporting framework for the Council Plan includes an action plan and performance scorecard, and is reported to Leadership Board biannually, which ensures actions are adaptable to any emerging national or local changes in circumstance while delivering agreed outcomes. This update report covers the 40 high level actions and 34 performance and data indicators in the Council Plan. 1.6 This report provides an update on progress made in the six months since the last update to Leadership Board in June 2025. Council services have continued to make good progress in terms of delivering against the five strategic outcomes and cross-cutting theme, as outlined in section 4 of this report. A detailed summary of progress against the action plan and key performance indicators is provided in Appendix 1. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that Elected Members: • note the progress achieved since the last reporting period in June 2025 in terms of Council Plan delivery; and • note that progress reports will continue to be presented to the Leadership Board every six months with the next update scheduled in June 2026. 3. Background 3.1 Our Council Plan 2022-2027 was refreshed in mid 2024, in order to ensure that this was reflective of the current context in which the organisation is operating. Priority actions and indicators were also reviewed and refined at that time to ensure a stronger focus on key areas of delivery. 3.2 The Council’s vision to 2027, as described in the Council Plan is ‘Creating a fairer Renfrewshire built on innovation, wellbeing, and opportunity’. The five strategic outcomes which the Council is working with partners, communities, and businesses to deliver are: • Place: working together to enhance wellbeing across communities; • Economy: building an inclusive, green, and resilient economy; • Fair: nurturing bright, happy, and healthy futures for all; • Green: leading Renfrewshire to Net Zero; and • Living Our Values: making a difference together.
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PUBLIC 3.3 Each of these outcomes is being delivered in a way that directly contributes to the cross-cutting theme - Improving outcomes for children and families. Within the appendix, actions which significantly contribute to this cross-cutting theme are highlighted with a ‘CF’ and there is a section in the performance scorecard with indicators relating to this theme. 3.4 Council Plan activity also sits alongside the Council’s arrangements in relation to progressing and achieving Best Value. The Accounts Commission published their Best Value Audit findings on Renfrewshire Council in June 2025 and more detail on this is provided in paragraph 4.24 below. 3.5 As well as the overarching Best Value work, all councils are included in an annual thematic review programme. The thematic review area for 2024/25 was Transformation and the report by the Council’s external auditors was presented to the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board in September 2025. Auditors found that the Council had effective programme management and oversight arrangements, and the involvement of partners and communities in transformation plans was also seen as effective. It was felt there was minor scope for improvement in how the Council presents its transformation plans to improve clarity and help measure impact. 3.6 The delivery of the Council Plan is also closely aligned with the Council’s budget setting process, with the Council Plan setting the strategic direction and framework, the budget clearly setting out the focus of the Council’s financial spend, and the progress monitoring of the Council Plan, through regular reporting to Leadership Board, demonstrating progress and impact. This golden thread flows through to the Service Improvement Plan process, where services report delivery of Council Plan strategic outcomes at a service-level, again with a range of actions and performance indicators designed to demonstrate impact. 3.7 Linked closely to this is the new phase of the Council’s transformation programme, Reshaping Renfrewshire. This programme links the Council’s financial challenge, and the vision for our place as described through the Council Plan, and explores how we can continue to develop how we work and operate and ensure a financially sustainable long-term future, while transforming our impact across Renfrewshire and improving outcomes for our communities. This phase of our transformation programme also has a sharp external focus on the needs of our communities and to ensure our vital services are financially sustainable for the longer term – again this is closely aligned to the Council Plan. The Leadership Board receives regular updates on Reshaping Renfrewshire.
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PUBLIC 4. Progress of delivery of the Council Plan during 2025 4.1 This section provides an overview of recent achievements, progress with actions, and gives information on any areas of action where progress has been delayed. Across all the themes, the major investment in Renfrewshire's infrastructure is evident including targeted investment to unlock up to £170million over future years investing in Renfrewshire schools in support of the learning estate strategy, and a further £700,000 for existing school pitches which will also benefit pupils and communities. We continue to invest in the roads network with our ten-year plan to improve roads and footways. Our Fairer Renfrewshire programme continues to tackle inequality and poverty, including the winter school clothing payment to eligible children and delivering a summer school holiday programme which provides activities and a healthy meal for children and young people, and another Winter Connections programme being delivered across Renfrewshire in the coming months. Strategic Outcome 1: Place 4.2 The Council's ambitious programme of cultural infrastructure investment and economic regeneration in Paisley was most recently recognised when it was awarded Town of the Year in October 2025, acknowledging the “ambitious regeneration and community-led transformation” and noting the town’s “resurgence”. The award follows on from Renfrewshire Council being named Council of the Year at the Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Awards in September 2025. The APSE Awards are UK-wide and Renfrewshire Council frontline services were finalists in seven different categories, leading to the Council winning this prestigious award for the quality and impact of those frontline services which directly benefit the residents of Renfrewshire. 4.3 Plans to regenerate town centres across Renfrewshire are all making good progress. In Johnstone, detailed designs are being drawn up for Houston Court and Houstoun Square, and funding has been secured to open up a key site in the town centre by demolishing a former supermarket. In Erskine, funding has been secured to allow designs to be drawn up for a new civic square. In Linwood, consultation with local residents is being planned following work done to prepare proposals for enhancements in the Linwood Lade area. Consultants have created detailed designs to transform the Brown Institute site in Renfrew and it is
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PUBLIC expected that the project will complete in 2026. In Paisley, the recent focus has been on preparing a Wayfinding Strategy to improve the visitor experience in the town, and another major milestone will be achieved in Paisley next year when the museum reopens. 4.4 The Council’s Learning Estate Strategy has now been agreed and extensive work is underway to progress business cases to support the development of the learning estate within identified initial localities. In terms of current projects, the new flagship Paisley Grammar Community Campus is on track for delivery in 2026, the design process for the new Thistle Primary School is largely complete and a contract has been awarded for the site preparation, with the school expected to complete in summer 2027. Planning permission has been granted for the extension of Park Mains High School and it is expected that the contract for site works will be awarded in early 2026, with the project scheduled for completion in 2027. 4.5 Our strategic capital investment programme has also delivered a new 3G pitch at Dargavel Primary School and upgrades to two Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs). Kitchen refurbishment work has been completed at Heriot, Our Lady of Peace, Kilbarchan and St Margaret’s Primary Schools. 4.6 Work is being progressed to review the services commissioned by OneRen. This is aligned to our Reshaping Renfrewshire transformation programme and will result in a new service level agreement which will have a greater focus on outcomes and will reflect current and future operating conditions. 4.7 The Council’s Housing-led Regeneration Programme is now in the fourth year of a ten-year programme. Tenant rehousing programmes and demolition of vacant blocks is progressing well, and 64 of the 89 private properties identified for acquisition are now under Council ownership, with a further 13 agreed and going through legal processes. Pop-up events have taken place in the Auchentorlie and Howard Street neighbours and similar events are planned for the other regeneration areas. 4.8 Extensive data-gathering and stakeholder engagement has informed our new Transport Strategy “Travel Renfrewshire 2035” which was presented to the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board in November 2025. As part of the work, we have identified priorities for active travel routes, which also links to our climate ambitions. 4.9 The new Connected Communities function within the Chief Executive’s service has been established, bringing together Community Learning and
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PUBLIC Development and the Partnerships and Inequalities team. Much of the restructuring has taken place and recruitment work is progressing for the outstanding elements. The programme has moved into Phase 2 with workstream leads identified and action plans being developed. 4.10 Throughout summer and autumn, another successful programme of events was delivered, culminating in Paisley’s Hallowe’en Festival at the end of October. This year’s programme of events included Sma’Shot Day, Renfrew Pipe Band Championships, Renfrew Gala Day and Barshaw Gala Day. Strategic Outcome 2: Economy 4.11 The Council is working with partners in Glasgow City Region to secure Investment Zone funding for a new tax zone, which would provide an incentive for businesses to locate at the AMIDS site and therefore attract significant investment and jobs to the area. It is expected that the tax site will go live during this financial year. 4.12 At the AMIDS site, the Tech Terrace development continues to be progressed which will provide a range of units for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The AMIDS South project, which will provide infrastructure to connect communities to education and employment opportunities at AMIDS, reached another milestone with the award of the construction contract in September 2025. The project includes a new road bridge crossing at Paisley Harbour, a gateway route from Paisley to AMIDS via Abercorn Street, a road link from that new route to Renfrew Road (which will also improve access to Paisley Grammar Community Campus), a connection to the Gallowhill Link which will provide an additional alternative safe walking route to the school without crossing Renfrew Road, traffic calming on Love Street, and improved active travel routes between Inchinnan Business Park and AMIDS. 4.13 As part of our approach to Community Wealth Building, we continue to secure community benefits through our procurement activity. In 2024/25 benefits realised across 64 Council contracts included 13 new entrant jobs, 5 graduate jobs, 19 modern apprenticeships and 41 work experience placements. There were also community engagement funding opportunities and development opportunities for local suppliers delivered. 4.14 During September 2025, the Renfrewshire Employability Partnership hosted 46 events including a conference which attracted 180 participants. It focused on work to identify and respond to those with most need, and on
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire’s future labour market and growth sectors. Over 800 people have registered for support from Invest Renfrewshire in the first six months of 2025/26. The service continues to support hundreds of people in Renfrewshire to achieve qualifications and/or move into paid employment each year. Strategic Outcome 3: Fair 4.15 A range of initiatives continue to be progressed as part of the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, and a planning session has taken place to support the development of a Fairer Renfrewshire Plan, with input from our Lived Experience Panel. Our Summer of Fun programme ran again in 2025 with an estimated 8,800 attendances and this year’s Winter Connections programme has recently been launched and provides funding to third sector and community groups to provide free activities across Renfrewshire over the winter period. A Fairer Renfrewshire Action Plan has been developed through consultation with stakeholders and is being considered on this agenda for approval. This will shape our focus over the next 18-24 months. 4.16 The Alcohol and Drug Change Programme, which was established to respond to the recommendations of the Alcohol and Drug Commission, formally concluded in August 2025. The five year programme, to which the Council committed £2m, provided investment to test new ideas and ways of working, and, where suitable, transition to mainstream provision, or business as usual. The legacy of the Programme is evident in the mainstreaming of several projects and initiatives, in the strengthening of the local recovery community, in enhanced partnership working as part of a whole systems approach, in the development of the workforce and of a lived-experience volunteer base, and of course, in the direct positive impact on the lives of those impacted by drug and alcohol use. The learning from the Programme will continue its impact through the learning it has provided to Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership as they continue to work for better outcomes for individuals and communities. 4.17 A strategic needs assessment is also being undertaken by an officer led Strategic Migration Group, recognising that Renfrewshire’s population continues to change, as evidenced in the latest census data. Strategic Outcome 4: Green 4.18 Renfrewshire Council remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint and using our influence within the area to encourage communities, partners and other stakeholders to do the same. We recently reported our 2024/25
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PUBLIC carbon emissions as part of our annual reporting to the Scottish Government. The 2024/25 emissions for Renfrewshire Council were 18,079.104tCO2e – this is a decrease of 807.23tCO2e from 2023/24, which is a 4.27% reduction. We saw a reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from the previous year. Overall, this means that Renfrewshire Council’s total annual emissions have reduced by 35,449.9 tCO2e since the baseline year of 2012/13 – a reduction of 66.23%. 4.19 Our new Carbon Management Plan 2025-2030 has been prepared and has identified priority projects and targets for the next five years, including work on Waste, Transport and with the Council’s partner OneRen. The Plan will be presented to elected members in early 2026. 4.20 Priority projects have been identified to support our net zero journey within the Council through the new Carbon Management Plan and our Climate Capital Programme for 2025/26. The Capital Programme has been developed over a 3-year period to indicate what further investment/funding will be required to deliver projects in their entirety. The Council will continue to explore emerging opportunities for funding to support future climate related activity. 4.21 The programme of work to support the delivery of a regional approach to Public Electric Vehicle Charging continues to progress, with the details of the proposals nearing being finalised. This includes reviewing and refining a proposed list of on-street and off-street charging locations across Renfrewshire and carrying out further feasibilities and grid capacity analysis through Scottish Power Energy Networks. 4.22 The Strategic Property Programme is moving into its next phase; extensive data has been gathered and is helping identify buildings where usage could be increased or where rationalisation is appropriate. Groups wishing to progress Community Asset Transfers continue to be supported. 4.23 As part of our commitment to a just transition and aligned closely to developing our local economy, the Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership have approved funding for a net zero “retrofit” programme to support unemployed people being trained in this area for future job roles, supporting green skills pipeline. Strategic Outcome 5: Living Our Values 4.24 In June 2025, the Accounts Commission published its report on Renfrewshire Council’s Best Value Audit. The auditors commended the prudent financial management of the Council in the context of increasing
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PUBLIC demand and cost pressures, and welcomed the commitment to leadership and a positive working culture. Auditors also noted a number of examples of good community engagement, and the Council’s robust performance framework. The full report on the audit was provided to elected members at the full Council meeting in June 2025. 4.25 Following approval of the Council’s Consultation and Engagement Policy at the start of 2025, work is underway to develop a toolkit and checklist to support staff carrying out engagement with communities and other stakeholders. An officer governance structure is being established, with a ‘communities of practice’ group to focus on training and best practice sitting alongside a monitoring and oversight group. A major piece of consultation has been delivered this year in the form of the Resident’s Survey; this garnered over 2,000 responses, and there were six focus groups to follow up on key findings in more depth. A full report on this is detailed as separate item on the agenda of this Leadership Board meeting. 4.26 The Council’s Digital Strategy (launched in April 2025) is overseen by the Digital Board, which is now monitoring the programme of work delivering against the four strategic objectives of the Strategy. Recent workshops have taken place with leaders across all Council services to identify opportunities to use AI tools to reduce manual processes and enhance service delivery. 4.27 The Workforce Planning Group is progressing the priorities identified in our People Strategy and, following the publication of the Best Value thematic report on Leadership, is incorporating improvement actions from that into its work. Work has begun on identifying strategic priorities for our next People Strategy and a progress report was recently provided to the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board. Cross-cutting theme: Improving outcomes for children and families 4.28 Renfrewshire’s Keep the Promise programme is at the midpoint of its 10 year programme. Our Promise Keeper Network currently has 362 members and is generating local and national interest as an example of best practice. The work carried out in services to help Keep the Promise is reflected in their Service Improvement Plans and includes work to deliver affordable housing pathways for care-experienced young people, the establishment of a Care Experienced Staff Network, and a guaranteed interview for care-experienced job applicants who meet the essential criteria for a post.
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PUBLIC 4.29 Our Promise Champs delivered the Youthyfest event in August 2025, which was attended by almost 200 people. The development of the event was led by the Champs group and provided a day-long, free, festival event for care- experienced young people, young carers, and their friends and family. The focus was on inclusion, accessibility and youth empowerment and on removing common barriers to participation in this type of event. 4.30 A new Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan is currently being developed and will be informed by an updated strategic needs assessment. It will align to Renfrewshire’s new Promise Strategic Plan 2026-29. 5. Performance Indicators 5.1 Overall, progress is steady with a range of areas of strong performance, and above national average, highlighted below. Stretching targets are set for our performance indicators and these are continually reviewed throughout the lifetime of the Council Plan, so that when targets are achieved, the Council continues to strive for improved performance. The Council Plan performance framework has 34 indicators, of which 22 have targets; the remainder are data only. Of the 22 indicators with targets, 8 are meeting or exceeding the target, 4 are narrowly missing the target, 8 are behind target and 2 do not yet have 2024/25 data available. 5.2 Within the attached appendix, there is a graphic which shows at-a-glance the overview of performance by Council Plan strategic outcome. It should be noted that while the ‘at a glance’ graphic gives a broad overview, it doesn’t account for strong performance in indicators which are data only - for example, while the ‘Green’ strategic outcome shows progress to be around 55% complete, data only indicators within this suite are amongst the best in Scotland and all actions are on track and in line with timescales. 5.3 Areas of strong performance include: • Helping our citizens back into work, with 288 people supported by our employability service sustained in paid employment for at least six months; • Supporting those experiencing homelessness into accommodation with 55% of lets being allocated to homeless families and the service continuing to exceed target timescales for resolution; • Reducing CO2 emissions that are within the scope of the local authority continues to perform very strongly, with Renfrewshire Council one of the best-performing councils in the country by this measure;
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PUBLIC • Reducing the poverty-related attainment gap in literacy and numeracy, whilst recognising that the Council remains committed to progressing further in this area; • Keeping our looked after children in family settings wherever possible, with 91.8% looked after in the community; • The percentage of FOI requests responded to within 20 working days is continuing to meet our target of 90%, despite increasing volumes and complexity of requests in recent years. 5.4 Many of the 12 indicators which are data only are also showing very positive performance. For example, the percentage gender pay gap stands at -0.52% as of 31 March 2025. A number of structural and strategic factors have contributed to this positive shift including the ongoing implementation of the Council’s revised Pay & Grading Model to create a more equitable pay structure across roles and grades; service redesigns and targeted workforce planning have supported more balanced recruitment, retention, and progression opportunities across genders; and the Council continues to develop and implement progressive HR policies which support our workforce to share parental and caring responsibilities. 5.5 Another data-only indicator showing positive progress is the percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs). This is a key area of focus for the Council, with investment and a range of activities undertaken to support families, through Fairer Renfrewshire, employability services, the Summer of Fun and Winter Connections programmes. The most recent figures for 2023/24 show the percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs) to be 21%, compared to 24% in 2022/23. This brings Renfrewshire below the Scottish average of 22%. 5.6 We are narrowly missing our annual targets in relation to the number of new business start-ups supported by Business Gateway; uptake of free school meals in primary schools; CO2 emissions from the public fleet; and the percentage of LGBF indicators in the top two quartiles. 5.7 Areas for further improvement and development include: • The delivery of affordable housing by a mix of developers in line with projections, with fewer completions than originally planned; • Our media reach, which was ahead of target in Q1 but behind target in Q2, though 54% of all media coverage was positive and included coverage of summer events and City Deal investment; • The percentage of Council procurement spend which is with businesses headquartered in Renfrewshire, which is just over 20% though the amount spent with bordering authorities amounts to almost
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PUBLIC another 60% reflecting the interconnectedness of the Glasgow City Region; • The amount of CO2 emitted from public lighting, which is above target and has almost levelled out as the LED programme is mostly complete; • Recycling rates, which have reduced to below 50%; • Work days lost due to staff absence, which is currently a focus area for the officer Performance Group. 5.8 Targets for the percentage of council housing meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Whilst a historical target of 100% has been in place for many years, it has been assessed that full compliance at 100% is unlikely to be achievable given the range of factors which impact this performance. This may include property access issues, tenant refusals, legal issues and property exemptions. As part of the Council’s annual return on the Housing Charter, we will confirm the level of compliance we expect to reach in the forthcoming year and develop more appropriate operational targets for this indicator. 5.9 One indicator has been replaced since the last Council Plan update. The Plan previously included a data-only indicator on the amount of vacant and derelict land. This has been replaced with the indicator “Amount of vacant and derelict land brought forward for re-use and development”; it is felt that this is a more useful measure of work done to promote economic growth and enhance the environment. 5.10 Since the last Council Plan update, an officer Performance Group has been established. This meets every four weeks and creates an additional opportunity for senior management scrutiny of performance, looking at both areas for improvement and good practice. In its initial sessions, the Group has identified areas for ‘deep dive’, focused work aimed at addressing specific areas where performance has fallen behind target for several reporting periods. The Group reports progress to CMT following each meeting. 6. Focus for the next six months 6.1 The Council Plan is moving into its final eighteen months, and 17 of the 40 actions have been completed. In the next six months, our areas of specific corporate focus will include:
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PUBLIC • Supporting the delivery of a balanced budget for 2026/27 and the Reshaping Renfrewshire programme in order to support the financial sustainability of the organisation; • Delivering across our ambitious infrastructure investment programmes including the Learning Estate Strategy, our roads investment and our Housing Led Regeneration programme • Complete the review of culture and leisure services delivered in partnership with OneRen, and agree a new service level agreement; • Progress the Tech Terrace development at AMIDS and the delivery of AMIDS South transport links; • Agreeing our Carbon Management Plan for 2025-2030 and moving to the implementation phase; • Progressing delivery of the Corporate Improvement Plan, continuing the Council’s commitment to Best Value; • Progressing Phase 2 of the Connected Communities model, strengthening how we work alongside our communities; • Supporting the delivery of the new Paisley Museum; • Implementing a Fairer Renfrewshire Plan outlining how we will continue to support our residents on issues such as poverty, equalities and opportunities for all; • Continuing to refresh and modernize HR and OD policies, as well as prepare for the delivery of a new People Strategy; • Building on the work already delivered by the Resident’s Survey to ensure our consultation and engagement with stakeholders and communities is meaningful and timely; • Delivering measurable improvements to performance in specific areas as a result of the work of our Performance Group; • Continuing to deliver our workforce actions, including improvement actions arising from our employee survey and our Cultural Assurance Model. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – updates in the appended report relate to areas that fall under the remit of Finance, particularly relating to supporting the Council’s financial sustainability workstreams 2. HR & Organisational Development – updates in the appended report relate to areas that fall under the remit of HR and Organisational Development, particularly under strategic outcome 5, Living our Values
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PUBLIC 3. Community/Council Planning – the content of the report relates specifically to the delivery of the Council Plan and the appendix shows the associated progress for the latter half of 2025/26. 4. Legal - none 5. Property/Assets – the report provides an update on actions relating to property owned by the Council. 6. Information Technology – the report provides update on actions relating to IT provision. 7. Equality and Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have not been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights because the report provides an update on progress with current actions and is for noting only. Impact assessments will be carried out by relevant services in relation to actions which require them. 8. Health and Safety - none 9. Procurement – updates in the appended report relate to areas that fall under the remit of the procurement team, under both the strategic outcomes relating to ‘economy’ and ‘green’. 10. Risk – none 11. Privacy Impact – none 12. COSLA Policy Position – none 13. Climate Risk – the Council Plan priorities are underpinned by actions which will directly support the Council’s response to the climate emergency – ‘green’ has a particular focus on activities supporting this priority area. 14. Children’s Rights – the Council Plan includes a number of actions targeted at improving outcomes for children and young people. The Council is committed to complying with UNCRC and this will be reflected in our activity. Appendices: Six-month update report June 2025 Author: Lisa Fingland, Policy Manager, Lisa.fingland@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Council Plan Six monthly progress update December 2025
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level How we report progress • This update reflects on the past six months of delivering our Council Plan, highlighting areas where we’re already making progress and some areas we’d like to focus on more, perhaps because performance isn’t moving in the direction we anticipated or because of other pressures or factors that makes this even more of a priority for us. We previously reported on our progress in June 2025. • The following pages shine a spotlight on some great projects and practice. Towards the end of this document, you’ll find a full update against all the actions and performance indicators we use to measure progress. • Many of our performance indicators are high-level, annual indicators –our Council Plan spans a 5- year time period so it might take some time to show some trends and patterns. The Council also reports a wide range of performance indicators to our Council Boards through our Service Improvement Plans and also through regular operational performance updates –you can access these reports here.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Council Plan Context • As the overarching strategic plan for the organisation, the Council Plan sets the direction and vision that the Council is working towards and can measure itself against delivery. • This aligns closely with the Council’s approved budget –resources are targeted at the priorities for the organisation, as outlined in the Council Plan. • Some key workstreams feed into the Council Plan, which have been further developed over the past 6 months: • Reshaping Renfrewshire –the Council’s fifth phase of transformation, with a focus on how we work together with our communities to improve outcomes • Digital –a new digital strategy was approved in April 2025, aligned to the Council Plan, delivering across four strategic objectives –enabled people; corporate approach to transformation; data driven Council; and modern organisation. • Workforce–reflecting on and taking action to address the feedback from both the Cultural Assurance Model and the Council’s Employee Engagement Survey • The Corporate Improvement Plan continues to progress improvement actions to support our ongoing commitment to Best Value • To reflect the context additional actions have been included and some existing actions have been refocused –this is clearly shown in the action plan.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Council Plan: Progress at a glance
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place: Working together to enhance wellbeing across communities Paisley is Town of the Year The extensive infrastructure investment and regeneration of Paisley was recognised by Scotland Loves Local in October 2025, when they awarded Paisley Town of the Year. Judges commended the “ambitious regeneration and community-led transformation”. Town Centre Regeneration Town centre regeneration continues with a new Vision for Johnstone, public space studies completed in Erskine, a landscape framework for Linwood Lade, design plans underway for Renfrew’s former Brown Institute site, and rapid progress in Paisley following its Action Plan. Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal As part of our investment in Renfrewshire as a place, positive progress is being made across all areas of the programme, which is now in Year 4 of 10. The acquisition and rehousing strategy is progressing well and various phases of demolition are being taken forward as blocks become fully council-owned and vacant. Learning Estate Our learning estate strategy represents our biggest-ever long- term investment in the area’s schools – with an initial £170m to help transform and modernise the area’s learning estate for future generations. While plans for the next phases are being developed, current priority projects across our learning estate are progressing well. Paisley Grammar Community Campus remains on track for opening in 2026, a contract has been awarded for site preparation for Thistle Primary, and planning permission has been granted for the extension of Park Mains High School.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy: building an inclusive, green and resilient economy Empowering People Through Employability DuringEmployability Month in September Renfrewshire’s Local Employability Partnership hosted 46 events, attracting thousands of attendees 180 attendees took part in sessions on Renfrewshire’s response to No One Left Behind, support for New Scots and migrants, and future skills needs, particularly in engineering and STEM growth sectors at the Annual Employability Partnership Conference Supporting young people into positive destinations A series of internships and training programmes have been introduced to support young people into positive destinations. Work is ongoing to upscale the delivery of these programmes to improve access to more young people. Renfrewshire outperforms the national average of the percentage of school leavers entering a positive destination. Infrastructure to improve connectivity The Renfrew Bridge, linking the Renfrewshire town with Yoker and Clydebank on the north bank, is part of a £117m project to improve connectivity and regenerate waterfront areas. Since June, there have been over 1 million car crossings of the new Renfrew-Yoker bridge, as well as over 45,000 crossings on foot and over 26,000 by bicycle. The bridge has quickly become a vital travel link enhancing connectivity and supporting sustainable travel.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair: nurturing bright, happy and healthy futures for all Attainment gap in literacy decreased between pupils living in the most and least deprived SIMD areas Care Inspectorate registration for Refugee Resettlement Team achieved We have 22 Digizones operating across Renfrewshire, including a mobile service from the Skoobmobile. Our Digizones offer up to four kinds of support: digital skills support, internet access, digital devices, and signposting to where you can get online. To help us build on the success of this approach, which has been recognised as national good practice, we are creating toolkits to help more organisations apply and get set up. The Fairer Renfrewshire programme launched its fourth Winter Connections round. Funding supports free social activities and refreshments to tackle isolation, food poverty, and boost creativity
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green: leading Renfrewshire to Net Zero Climate Change Champions Programme Empowering young people in Renfrewshire aged 11–18 to take meaningful action on Net Zero • In Glenburn, P7 volunteers were recruited for the third year through outreach in local primaries. An S1 group is working with The Promise to create a mural, due for completion in October • Erskine’s established group hosted a climate networking event in June, and is now focused on completing Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards by December • New activities launching in October include a Wednesday climate group (running through March) in partnership with Active Travel and Global Citizenship organisations, and a Saturday Eco Volunteers programme Climate Impacts We continue to work hard to reduce the level of CO2 emissions produced by the Council. For example, we are exploring the expansion of solar PV and other renewables on Council buildings, as approved as part of a 2025/26 Climate Capital Programme. We are also finalising our Carbon Management Plan, which will be taken to Policy Board early next year for approval. We have developed a Climate Change Impact Assessment and are piloting this across projects to help refine our approach and criteria before it is rolled out across the Council. The impact of this work is evident in our performance - LGBF benchmarking shows that Renfrewshire is one of the lowest producers of carbon emissions amongst all 32 councils.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living our Values: making a difference together Renfrewshire Council Wins UK Council of the Year Renfrewshire Council was named Overall Council of the Year for Service Delivery at the UK-wide APSE Awards 2025, held in September The Council, alongside partners including OneRen, was shortlisted in seven out of sixteen categories — the highest number of nominations for any UK local authority — reflecting the strength and breadth of service delivery across Renfrewshire Driving Performance and Improvement The recent Best Value report recognised areas of strong performance across the Council, highlighting our “robust” performance management arrangements and ongoing work to strengthen performance improvement In response, the Accounts Commission’s focus areas were incorporated into the Corporate Improvement Plan. Progress was reported to the Leadership Board in September, and work continues across the improvement agenda 78,924 people engaging with the Council’s digital channels (not including website) 87% of frontline complaints and 100% of investigation complaints dealt with in the required timescale
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Improving Outcomes for Children and Families The Promise Keeper Network in Renfrewshire continues to grow and develop, with over 350 ‘Promise Keepers’ now being involved. The network is now working collaboratively with other local authorities to share and develop best practice. As part of our commitment to The Promise, we will now guarantee an interview for care-experienced job applicants who meet the essential criteria for our posts. We’ve also established our Care-Experienced Staff Network and are working to grow membership of the group. 91.8% of our care experienced children and young people are looked after in the community. An increased number of care leavers are in employment, training, or education
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Actions and indicators Full list December 2025
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Progress Renfrewshire’s Housing-led Regeneration and Renewal programme 31 Mar 2027 This is year 4 of the 10-year Housing-led regeneration programme Overall, the ten-year programme is running as per the agreed timeline with the exception of the Ferguslie/Broomlands area, where the delivery of the newbuild homes on the cleared Carbrook Street site has had to be retendered. Owner acquisitions are progressing well with 64 of the 89 privately owned properties identified for acquisition for demolition now within Council ownership. A further 13 owners have agreed to the sale of their properties and are with legal services to conclude. Tenant Rehousing programmes and demolition of vacant blocks is progressing well across each area as per the delivery timeline set out. Several neighbourhood pop up events have taken place in the Auchentorlie and Howard Street areas and further events are being planned for each of the other regeneration areas in line the project delivery timeline Support our citizens to access affordable cross-tenure homes that are digitally enabled and meet community needs 31 Mar 2025 The Business Case for Smart Social Assets is now complete and has been shared internally within Renfrewshire Council and also with Glasgow City Region (GCR). The Council continues to investigate potential national funding opportunities via strategic partners such as Commsworld, CityFibre, etc. In addition, work is now underway with regards to the development of other stackable business cases that would supplement Smart Social Assets. Design a new Connected Communities service model for the Council, transforming how we support, collaborate and engage with our communities 31 Dec 2025 Work has been progressed to develop a new Connected Communities function within the Chief Executive’s Service which will bring together staff from the existing Community Learning and Development and Partnership and Inequalities teams. Phase one of this work which focuses on the enabling internal restructure is progressing, with the new service structure agreed and communicated. The Connected Communities Management Team now recruited and in place and progressing recruitment processes for the rest of the new service.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Deliver the ambitions in our long-term place visions for our key settlements and town centres 31 Mar 2027 The Regeneration Team is currently updating our town centre strategies to reflect the changes that have occurred in a post-pandemic environment. These strategies will align with the guidance and principles outlined in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). A new vision has been developed for Johnstone, focusing on improving the town centre, enhancing public spaces, and supporting local businesses to foster a more vibrant and sustainable community. Further feasibility work has been commissioned in Johnstone, with a particular focus on the two civic squares, the reimagining of the Town Hall, and the development of a heritage trail. An architect has been commissioned to complete more detailed designs (RIBA stage 4) for the Houston Court and Houstoun Square. Funding has also been secured to demolish a former supermarket which will open up a key site within the town centre. Works are hoped to commence winter 25/26. In Erskine, a study has been completed to identify potential proposals for improving public spaces and greenspaces as part of a wider review of the town’s Centre Strategy. Short-, medium-, and long-term actions have been identified, and consultants were appointed to develop detailed designs for a new civic square in the town centre. Funding for these designs have now been secured, and officers are currently in the process of hiring a contractor to deliver the works. It is expected that the works will take place over winter 25/26. Consultants have prepared an initial landscape framework for enhancements in the Linwood Lade area, located immediately south of the town centre. Officers will now be looking to consult local residents further on these initial proposals. In Renfrew, a consultant has been engaged to produce detailed designs for transforming the former Brown Institute site into a new community space. It is hoped that this project will be delivered in 2026. In Paisley, the town’s transformation is progressing rapidly following the implementation of the Action Plan. Notable achievements include establishing Paisley as an international culture and heritage destination and stimulating property investment, development, and reuse. Completed regeneration projects include the refurbishment of the Town Hall and Arts Centre, and the creation of a new Culture and Learning Hub on the High Street. The restoration of Paisley Museum—another major project—is due for completion next year. A new wayfinding strategy for Paisley has also been developed to improve the visitor experience in the town centre.The publication of the Paisley Vision document provides further inspiration for future development in and around the town centre. The Liberal Club, identified as a key building in the Vision, has recently been renovated, securing its long-term future. Discussions continue with the owner of the Paisley Centre regarding its potential mixed-use regeneration.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Deliver Renfrewshire’s strategic capital investment programmes, including cultural, infrastructure, housing and school estate, and maximise the long-term benefits for our communities 31 Mar 29 Extensive work in regards to communication and collaboration has continued for sites that remain in the building process or have been handed over in recent years. Facilities Management have been discussing both Paisley Grammar School Community Campus (PGSCC), Thistle PS and Park Mains HS in relation to a new Building Manager, Building Information Modelling, maintenance of the building as well as cleaning, catering and janitorial services. In relation to handover of public buildings, close working continues on resolving any long-term issues and plans being made to introduce more Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) across key sites. Boiler replacement programme has now progressed to the install stage and a number have now been actioned. This information has been fed back to Hubwest Net Zero Collaboration Group. Condition Survey investment had to be realigned due to the Learning Estate Strategy, however, 5 alternative schools have now been identified. Further to this, the Life Cycle Capital Plan has been developed for the next 4/5 years and a further 3 schools have been added. Works have progressed and a new 3G surface has been laid at Dargavel PS. (This will allow more community use). Upgrades to 2 MUGAs also complete and we are currently in discussion with Children’s Services re red blaes/grass pitches. A robust Business Plan for Building Services was presented to the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board in November 2025. Develop Travel Renfrewshire 2035, our Transport Strategy, supported by revised Active Travel and Public Transport Strategies and aligned to the regional and national travel strategies 31 Mar 2027 Our draft Local Transport Strategy, called “Travel Renfrewshire 2035” is now complete, informed by far-reaching data gathering engagement exercises. The strategy was presented for approval at the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board in November 2025. Active travel priority routes identified and concept design work for the top priorities are underway.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Deliver the next phase of Local Partnerships development, through our new Local Plans, Local Priorities and Local Voices programme 31 Mar 2025 The final round of Local Partnership meetings for 2024/25 took place in February 2025. All Local Partnerships have now finalised their local priorities following the review of the previously agreed local priorities in autumn/winter 2024/25. Local Partnerships continued to receive presentations on subjects relevant to each area, specifically Civil Contingencies (Gleniffer and Johnstone & Linwood), the refresh of the Villages Investment Fund (The Villages) and Winter Connections (Paisley North West and Central). Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership also received an update on the development of Renfrewshire Community Transport. Young people’s representatives have now been nominated for Paisley North West and Central Local Partnership and an induction programme has been agreed. New arrangements were agreed for community members of Local Partnerships to claim expenses, which will simplify this process. Applications for Local Partnership funding for 2025/26 were invited from 10 February to 16 March 2025. Over 130 applications for funding were received, to be presented to the April/May 2025 round of Local Partnership meetings. Preparation for the 2025/26 Celebrating Renfrewshire Priority Budgeting exercise to take place during spring/early summer 2025 has also been undertaken. Progress development work in relation to the priority schools identified in the Learning Estate Management Plan. 31 August 2027 Paisley Grammar School continues to progress in construction and remains on track for 2026 delivery. Building is progressing ahead of schedule at this point in time, and the fit out of classrooms has begun for test purposes on quality. A travel plan is being developed for the new school, and a new working group set up to develop and implement improved local infrastructure on Renfrew Road.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place Indicator Curren t Status Shor t term tren d Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Valu e Target Value Target Value Targe t Value Targe t Opportunities to see or hear something positive about Paisley and Renfrewshire 268,08 2,849 240,000, 000 216,953, 038 150,000 64,810,2 24 62,500,0 00 53,194,6 95 62,500,0 00 54% of coverage in Q2 was positive. Highlights include coverage of the summer events programme, positive inspection results for schools and nurseries, exam results and city deal investments. Amount of land brought forward for re-use and development contributing to economic activity and enhancing the built and natural environment 40 20 4.83 20 Not measured for quarters The 2025 vacant and derelict land survey indicates that 4.83 hectares of land has been brought forward for reuse and redevelopment in the year April 2024 to March 2025. The figure varies considerably from year to year. Not all of this land is in council ownership so we have limited levers to influence development.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Place Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of Council housing stock which meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (LGBF) 68.31% 100% 68.55% 100% 80.2% 71.5% Historically, we reported 100% SHQS compliance as an aspirational target. This figure included properties with abeyances and exemptions, which was permitted under previous reporting guidance. In practice, however, not all properties can be upgraded due to tenant refusals, legal exemptions, access issues, or other resource constraints. To ensure greater transparency and realism in our reporting, we have revised our SHQS target to reflect what is practically achievable. From now on, we will report the level of compliance we expect to achieve in the forthcoming year as reported in our Annual Return on the Charter (ARC)—this will become our new annual target. We remain committed to resolving abeyances wherever possible and continue to explore solutions for exemptions. This includes monitoring changes in technology, construction methods, and legislation that may allow us to address previously exempt properties. While 100% compliance remains a long-term ambition, our revised approach ensures that our targets are both realistic and transparent. Affordable housing completions 369 200 196 159 104 159 Affordable housing completions figures vary from year to year. Lower than target completions in recent years may be as a result of increased construction costs that have made the viability of some schemes more challenging to deliver. The SHIP identifies a pipeline of affordable housing developments and opportunity sites for future years. Percentage pothole repairs completed within timescales 95% 80% 94% 95% * 95% *Data not available.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Develop an Investment Proposition for Renfrewshire that is clear on our economic ambitions for our place 31 Mar 2026 A new webpage has been created to highlight Renfrewshire’s key investment locations: (https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/13818/Renfrewshire-investment-prospectus) Additional information on investing in Renfrewshire and development opportunities has also been added to the Invest in Renfrewshire website: (https://investinrenfrewshire.com/locate-in-renfrewshire/) In addition, a dedicated website has been launched to promote investment opportunities at AMIDS: https://amids.co.uk/ Monitor the benefits of City Deal Projects, including Glasgow Airport Investment Area, Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside and City Region wide employment programmes 31 Mar 2025 Monitoring of benefits reported through the City Region PMO is ongoing. This is currently being transitioned to Regeneration Team as CWRR project now complete. Fully participate in the AMIDS joint venture 31 Jul 2024 AMIDS joint venture fully established and operational, Council is fully participating. Complete the Tech Terrace development and attract the first large occupier 31 Mar 2026 This is a AMIDS Joint Venture obligation and again Council is fully participating. Planning is due to be submitted early 2026 Develop a Community Wealth Building Plan for Renfrewshire 31 Mar 2025 A “Community Wealth Building in Renfrewshire” paper has been produced and approved at board to set out the way forward. Additionally, the CWB(Scotland) Bill was published in March 2025 which sets out the way ahead for the public sector. Plans are moving forward with speed now, local events have been organised and board is being kept up to date.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Continue to support local employment through the delivery of targeted support through the Council’s employability programme 31 Mar 2027 September was Employability Month in Renfrewshire and the Renfrewshire Employability Partnership hosted 46 different events for people across the area and attracting thousands of people. One of the events was the annual Renfrewshire Employability Partnership Conference with 180 people attending. This year's event had two distinct parts: • The morning sessions focused on the area’s response to the Scottish Governments No One Left Behind (NOLB) strategy and the work of the Local Employability Partnership to identify, and respond to, those most in need. This included looking at the support to New Scots and Migrant groups (a key issue at last year’s event) and the specific needs they have, especially those with no recourse to public funds or with restricted right to work. • The afternoon sessions focused on the skills agenda and Renfrewshire’s future labour market with an emphasis on the growth sectors of engineering and STEM. The conference was aimed at current employability and skills practitioners operating within Renfrewshire and able to contribute to discussions around current service delivery and improving services and outcomes. Continue to progress core actions to support local and regional economic growth. 31 Mar 2027 The Council continues to focus on securing investment at AMIDS to unlock its full potential for job creation and economic growth. External funding from Scottish Enterprise and the City Deal has been identified to support the development of Tech Terrace—a speculative project that will deliver industrial floorspace for advanced manufacturing SMEs and start-ups. Construction is expected to begin next year The Council is also working with Glasgow City Region and the Government to secure Investment Zone funding for a new tax zone (£25m), which would incentivise businesses to locate at AMIDS/Airport. It is hoped that this will serve as a catalyst for significant investment in the years ahead. Gateways 3 and 4 for the IZ were recently submitted to Government. It is expected that the IZ and tax site will go live in 25/26.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of council procurement spend spent on local enterprises (LGBF) 19.3% 23% 20.15% 23% * 21% In the period 2023-2024 Renfrewshire Council recorded direct spend of £56.4 million with businesses based Locally. This accounted for 19.58% of the Council’s total spend. A further 59.38% of our spend was with businesses located in bordering local authorities (Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire). The update to our Standing Orders Relating to Contracts in June 2023 included increasing the threshold for the use of Quick Quote for Works contracts up to £500,000 with a requirement that where possible, a minimum of 75% local businesses should be invited to quote. Increasing direct spend with local businesses is a key element of Community Wealth Building and the use of public procurement to facilitate or support such generation, circulation and retention of wealth locally is a measure set out in the new Community Wealth Building Bill (as introduced on 25th March 2025). In addition, the Corporate Procurement team and Economic Development are working closely to encourage more local businesses to participate in market engagement for the development of future council frameworks and to bid for work on frameworks due for renewal. Work is ongoing to identify ways to support services to identity and invite quotes from local businesses for Quick Quotes and updates to the new Purchase to Pay system will create opportunity for better recording of local suppliers and help to identify potential opportunities to increase local engagement with certain areas of spend where appropriate. *This is an LGBF indicator and data for 2024/25 is not yet available.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Q1 2025/26 Q2 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita (LGBF) £25,925 Data only * Data only Not measured for quarters Renfrewshire had lower percentage GVA growth than the Regional average but performed well in labour market indicators with employment increasing while unemployment and inactivity decreased - including a significant decrease in the number of people inactive due to long term sickness. There was a large decrease in the volume of residents with no qualifications but there was also a reduction in the volume of residents with degree level qualifications. According to ONS figures, overall GVA in Renfrewshire grew by £365 million between 2019 and 2022. Considering this period included the Covid pandemic, the growth is a positive sign. Renfrewshire also contributes the fourth highest level of GVA in the City Region (2022). *This is an LGBF indicator and the latest data is for 2022/23. Number of people supported, sustained in work at 6 Months through Renfrewshire Council Employability Programme (INVEST) 268 180 288 180 Not measured for quarters This information is collected from a survey of people who have been supported into employment and the figure reflects the number of responses received and may be under- reporting. Nonetheless, performance is well ahead of target for the year. Number of new business start-ups in Renfrewshire with Business Gateway support 305 320 265 320 80 80 78 80 The team supported 78 new startups this quarter. Work is ongoing to encourage those interested in starting their own business to take the final step. This indicator is dependent on businesses making decisions about when to launch.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Economy Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Renfrewshire Claimant Count 3,590 Data only 3,315 Data only 3235 Data only 3225 Data only This measure is a snapshot figure from September 2025 and is the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits. The figure continues to reduce. The Council continues to provide employability support to hundreds of people each year. Percentage of Renfrewshire population working age (16-64) 63.9% Data only 64.3% Data only Not measured for quarters Work to explore Renfrewshire’s demographics was undertaken by officers following the census release and this also looked at the regular data updates from the National Records of Statistics, this showed that while Renfrewshire has an overall ageing population (in line with the national trends), our proportion of the population of working age is above average and puts us in the higher end, just behind the city authorities. Percentage of Renfrewshire population working age (16–64) who are economically inactive 22.4% Data only 21.4% Data only Not measured for quarters This figure is for the calendar year 2024. The percentage has been falling in recent years and is lower than the figure for Scotland (which is a positive). This measure includes those who are students and those who are retired. Analysis on census data also showed Renfrewshire have a higher percentage of our economically inactive population who are long term sick or disabled.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Deliver the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, working with partners to support Renfrewshire residents through the cost-of-living crisis 31 Mar 2027 A planning session has been held to support development of a Fairer Renfrewshire Plan. The session included members of the Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel. Advice has continued to be provided through Advice Works and Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau, including specific services for families. Work has also commenced on the contract for RCAB, as this runs out on 30 June 26. Winter Connections has opened to community organisations for applications. Funding will provide a range of free activities across Renfrewshire. The Winter Clothing Payments of £50 per eligible child were made in October. The Fairer Renfrewshire Panel has continued to input to policy and practice withing Council services, most recently taking part in Employability month and Events planning for Halloween. Develop mechanisms for supporting individuals with lived experience of poverty to influence policy in this area 31 Mar 2024 The Fairer Renfrewshire panel, facilitated by STAR Project, continues to meet with officers across Council services to ensure the voice of those with lived experience of poverty informs Council’s policy and practice. The Panel has provided insight in a number of areas. The initial discussion was around holiday provision in Renfrewshire, with the Panel contributing to the plans for our ‘Summer of Fun’, providing feedback on what is useful for low-income families, eg, provision of food in all settings, provision for siblings, local provision so there are no transport costs and provision for older teenagers. The Panel has also fed into the Council’s new School Meal Debt processes, which now include earlier referral to available supports. They have met the Digital Strategy Delivery Manager to discuss digital exclusion and have provided feedback and ideas to our Climate Emergency Lead Officer around Renfrewshire’s Net Zero Delivery Plan. Discussions with the panel around employability, especially parental employability have been used to inform events, and target work. As part of the Council Tax Debt Pilot, the panel were consulted with, to help those engaged in the Pilot to understand barriers to accessing support, such as advice, and to review correspondence associated with collection of Council Tax as well as potential for enhancing collection processes in general. The Panel has met with the Convenor and Depute of the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee and we also intend to bring the Panel together with the full Sub-Committee and Fairer Renfrewshire Officers Group to discuss Panel priorities and their future plans Developing new and radical approaches to tackling child poverty in Renfrewshire (CF) 31 Mar 2027 Priorities have been identified and progress is being made with regard to actions identified through the Community Needs Assessment in Gallowhill, through engagement with Council Services. Work with health colleagues and discussions with Scottish Government are informing the approach here and in other areas identified through use of data.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress update The Promise Strategic Oversight Board and workstreams will progress and ensure Renfrewshire ‘Keeps the Promise’ and delivers improved outcomes for individuals who are care experienced, wherever possible keeping children within their families (CF) 31 Mar 2025 A comprehensive report outlining the first 5 years of Renfrewshire’s work to Keep The Promise was presented and discussed at the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on the 13th March 2025. The publication of this report coincided with the 5-year midpoint of the 10-year programme to Keep The Promise by 2030. Going forward this report will be updated on an annual basis and presented to the Board for consideration by elected members. The report has been well received and shared across our local and national networks. The Promise Keeper Network sits at 362 Promise Keepers with efforts taking place to grow the network. The network is receiving both local and national interest. There has been engagement with Scottish Government’s Promise Team (Care Experience, Children’s Services Reform & The Promise Division) around the merits and best practice nature of this initiative. On the 26th March three Renfrewshire Promise Funded projects were showcased at the Promise Partnership Showcase Event in Stirling organised by CORRA. The projects, the Youth Services Led Grant Programme and the two Keep The Promise Funded Education Projects, were showcased and shared learning with partners across Scotland. The Promise Manager has been working with colleagues in Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (E,H&I) around how that service will work towards Keeping The Promise and support our Care Experienced Community, and a number of actions have been incorporated into EH&I’s 2025/26 Service Improvement Plan. At February’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group, it was agreed that a review of membership take place and a proposed refreshed membership proposal be made. A suggested proposal has been produced and submitted to the Chair, for approval. The Supporting the Workforce workstream is actively progressing on a number of projects of note: “Promise Human Library,” “Care Experienced network for staff and “Guaranteed Interviews” activity. A full update was provided at recent The Promise Strategic Oversight Group.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Build local capacity for transformational whole systems change and to scale up and drive the delivery of holistic whole family support services (CF) 31 Mar 2025 FORT data shows that 636 families have been supported through the community family wellbeing service since recording on this system began. Funded third sector organisations now using FORT to make referrals and record wellbeing information. Three successful family wellbeing launch events in November 2024 reached 559 children and families. Third sector evaluations now underway and outcomes will inform funding for 2025/26. 1086 families to date have been supported by the community family wellbeing team and funded third sector partner organisations. 62% of families supported are from SIMD 1-5 Outcomes recorded include: • Improved parental understanding of the need of child, including healthy attachment • Improved sleep routine • Improved parental understanding of the needs of unborn child • Improved participation in community facilities and universal services • Improvement in parenting, family functioning, relationships and reduction in child’s distressed behaviour Following a successful system proof of concept, a procurement exercise is currently underway to secure a client record system for Whole Family Wellbeing ( including partner third sector organisations) ; community learning and development and educational psychology service Following evaluation of partner third sector organisations, year 4 funding will be awarded to allow continuation and development of family support work already underway, with a key focus on partnership working for added impact. Currently exploring more joined up working with Connected Communities.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Develop the Trauma Informed and Responsive Renfrewshire Programme 31 Mar 2025 The pilot of the Level 1 training will take place in the first quarter of 2025/26. The TIRR Steering Group has a refreshed membership and terms of reference and is meeting on a quarterly basis. A new officer is in post to help further roll-out the programme of work. Progress the design and delivery of the Curriculum, Learning, Teaching and Assessment; the Families and Communities; and the Inclusion Portfolios within Children’s Services (CF) 31 Mar 2025 All portfolios continue to focus on the actions plans which they have developed through self-evaluation activity. Portfolio planning teams meet regularly with heads of service to discuss progress and there is now a standing agenda item on challenges, so discussions are solution focused. Data continues to be shared across portfolios to ensure continuous improvement. Portfolio action plans are being developed to align with Service Improvement Priorities. Deliver mental health and wellbeing support, including Ren10 mental health and wellbeing network to support children, young people and their families (CF) 31 Mar 2025 A plan is in place for the next session (2025/26) and there will be a continuation of the support and resources which are demonstrating the biggest impact on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Work is still ongoing to merge the referral process with FORT. Deliver strategic and operational responses to migration and asylum, supporting individuals and families into settled accommodation (CF) 31 Mar 2026 The census releases over the latter half of 2024 provided a significantly updated picture of Renfrewshire’s communities – significant work was undertaken to analyse this data. As part of Members Development Week 2025, a series of Ward Census Profile presentations were delivered to Elected Members and a data dashboard developed and shared. A Senior Policy Officer post with a focus on Migration and Population was successfully recruited and is developing strategic needs assessment in partnership with the Strategic Migration Group, and a workshop on this took place in October.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs) (LGBF) 24% Data only 20.99% Data only * Data only The percentage in Renfrewshire in 2023/24 was 21%, compared to 24% in 2022/23. The Scottish average was 22%. The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 set a Scotland wide target of 18% relative child poverty in 2023/24 falling to 10% in 2030/31. Only four local authorities had child poverty rates at or below the 18% target in 2023/24 and these same four were below 18% nearly a decade earlier in 2014/15. Proportion of people earning less than the real living wage (LGBF) 12.5% Data only 16% Data only 15.5% Data only In Renfrewshire, about 15.5% of employees earn less than the real living wage (RLW) higher than the Scotland average of 11.3%. The combination of more lower-paid occupations, part-time/insecure work, local labour market dynamics, and structural issues (skill/qualification mismatch, deprivation) contribute to this gap. Because wholesale & retail is a large employment sector in Renfrewshire (14,000 jobs) and this sector nationally has a relatively higher share of jobs below the RLW (~30%) compared to many other sectors, it’s reasonable to infer that retail is likely a significant contributor to the lower-wage share in Renfrewshire. The accommodation & food services sector nationally has a very high share of below-RLW pay (~46% in 2023). Even if this sector’s share in Renfrewshire is smaller than the Scottish average, it may still contribute as Renfrewshire has 6,000 jobs in this sector. The fact that median hourly pay in Renfrewshire is around £19.52 suggests many full-time roles are above RLW—but that masks many part-time, lower-paid, or volatile roles (often found in retail, hospitality) which bring down the share earning below RLW.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair Indicator Curren t Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Targe t Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage uptake of free school meals in primary schools 52.5% 60% 60.2% 60% 55.7% 60% 56.4% 60% The Q2 figure of 56.4% is slightly below the target of 60% but shows improvement from 55.7% in Q1. Officers continue to work with Children’s Services and individual schools to increase uptake.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Number of children in receipt of school clothing grants 6104 Data only 5860 Data only 5,316 Data only The number of FSM/CG applications in 2024/25 during the period June to March fell by approximately 7% compared to the same period in in 2023/24, with the number of children being awarded a Clothing Grant in 2024/25 (June to March) falling by 9% compared to the same period during 2023/24. Whilst it cannot be definitively determined why there has been a reduction in the number of children being awarded a Clothing Grant, it appears that the primary reason for declinature is due to parental income exceeding the Clothing Grant eligibility thresholds for earned income within tax credits or Universal Credit. We would suggest that the reduced amount in applications and awards could be a combination of four reasons: natural and managed migration from tax credits/legacy benefits to Universal Credit where earned income thresholds are less generous, 40% of tax credits only recipients in Renfrewshire choosing not to move initially onto Universal Credit as part of managed migration between July 2023 and December 2024 and therefore potentially losing eligibility to FSM/CGs, higher pay settlements as a consequence of inflationary pressures increasing wages, and/or parents taking on additional working hours to help alleviate cost of living pressures. A campaign ran alongside the launch of 2025/26 applications, highlighting the amount of money that could be saved and encouraging an increase in take-up.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Fair Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Average time from household presenting themselves as homeless to completion of duty (number of weeks) 21.23 26 21.96 26 21.38 26 22.51 26 Similar to the national picture the demand for Homeless Services in Renfrewshire remains consistently high, however Renfrewshire Council are continuing to deliver on their commitment to allocate 55% of their lets to Homeless families, but due to increasing demand we expect to the time to conclude duty to come under increasing pressure in the short to medium term.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Develop costed, targeted interventions and actions to support our net zero journey within the Council and working in partnership with key stakeholders (CF) 31 Mar 2026 Priority projects and associated targets for the next 5 years have been identified and scoped in partnership with key service areas including Waste, Transport and OneRen as part of a new Carbon Management Plan 2025-2030. The Plan will be submitted to the ILE board in early 2026 for approval. Development of Low Emissions / Electrification Strategy 31 Mar 2026 The programme of work to support the delivery of a regional approach to Public Electric Vehicle Charging continues to progress, with the details of the proposals nearing being finalised. This includes reviewing and refining a proposed list of on-street and off-street charging locations across Renfrewshire and carrying out further feasibilities and grid capacity analysis through Scottish Power Energy Networks Develop a Strategic Property Review of Council operational, non-operational and surplus assets 31 Mar 2026 Following on-going discussions, a paper will be presented to the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board in due course to close the review of the properties. A lot of data has been gathered and this will highlight the buildings that require to be focused on and potentially rationalised or use better. An action plan is being devised and the recruitment of a Lead Facilities Manager – Strategy and Development is in progress to drive this forward. Buildings continue to be rationalised as and when required e.g. Robertson Centre/leased Records store, including discussions around Community Asset Transfers (CAT). Develop a funding strategy to support the resourcing of actions to deliver net zero 31 Mar 2026 Priority projects have been identified to support our net zero journey within the Council through the new Carbon Management Plan and our Climate Capital Programme for 2025/26. The Capital Programme has been developed over a 3-year period to indicate whether further investment/funding will be required to deliver projects in their entirety. The Council will continue to explore emerging opportunities for funding to support future climate related activity.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Establish a carbon budget for Renfrewshire Council 31 Dec 2025 Sustainability Strategy Lead Officer now in post to progress with development of a carbon budget for the Council. This includes revisiting previous work done to date and identifying key next steps in development and implementation. Due date amended from 31 December 2025 to 31 March 2026. Review opportunities within the Council’s infrastructure pipeline projects to align with the skills transition and green skills development for local people 31 Dec 2026 Renfrewshire LEP have approved funding for a net zero “retrofit” programme to support unemployed people being trained in this area for future job roles. The Economic Development Team work with local contractors to maximise community benefit opportunities in all contracts and are able to identify where local people can benefit.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target CO2 Emissions area wide per capita (LGBF) 4.4 Data only 4.06 Data only * Data only Renfrewshire Council is below both the Scottish national average and the Family Group average for emissions area-wide per capita. Renfrewshire Council area saw a decrease of 7.7% compared with previous year. *This is an LGBF indicator and 2024/25 data is not yet available. CO2 Emissions area wide: emissions within scope of LA per capita (LGBF) 3.8 Data only 3.49 Data only * Data only Renfrewshire Council is below both the Scottish national average and the Family Group average for emissions area-wide within scope of the LA per capita. Renfrewshire Council area saw a decrease of 8.9% compared with the previous year. *This is an LGBF indicator and 2024/25 data is not yet available. Amount of CO2 emitted from Council buildings New indicator in 2023/24 12,719 Data only * Data only Targets are being set as part of the refreshed Carbon Management Plan. The Council’s natural gas consumption and electricity consumption both decreased in 2023-24. *Figures for 2024/25 are not yet available.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Amount of CO2 emitted by the public vehicle fleet 3118 3000 3180 3000 777.56 750 777.50 750 The total for the first 6 months of the year is 1,555.06 tonnes of CO2e. If this trend continues, whilst comparatively small, the emissions would be slightly over target of 3,000 tonnes of CO2. Amount of CO2 emitted from public space lighting 1,216 1,100 1217 1100 Not measured for quarters This performance indicator is an annual indicator and not measured for quarters. Although not measured in quarters, the emissions levels are anticipated to level out year on year as the LED programme is substantially complete.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Green Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of household waste Recycled (Calendar year data) (LGBF) 53.7% 50% 44% 50% 42.8% 50% There are several factors that have contributed to the reduction in recycling rate for 2024, these include: • Scottish Government introduced the legislation around Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating at the beginning of 2024, with the Council enforcing separate collections of these materials, some of which would have been recycled previously, now having to go to incineration. • A change in contractor and processing arrangements for our HWRC black bag waste which means less recycling can be recovered. • There was a general decrease in recycling collected at kerbside, however general market trends show that less Paper, Card and Cardboard is being collected at kerbside. With support from the Recycling Improvement Fund, the service has delivered a series of ambitious projects throughout 2025 aimed at significantly enhancing recycling performance. These initiatives focus on improving both the quality and quantity of materials recycled by increasing participation in food waste recycling, implementing additional recycling infrastructure at communal and flatted properties and expanding brown bin provision to properties that previously did not have access to this service. Together, these measures demonstrate our commitment to driving positive change and achieving higher recycling rates across the area. It should be noted that we won’t see the impact of these measures until the 2025 recycling rate is published around October 2026.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Implement the next phase of transformation through the actions arising from the Council’s financial sustainability and improvement workstreams and the new Reshaping Renfrewshire programme 31 Mar 2027 The aim of this action is that the Council is able to maintain a balanced budget by 31 March 2028 within the context of a challenging financial environment. This has so far been achieved for 2025/26, the first of the three financial years in scope. Deliver improvement activity across the organisation in line with revised best value audit methodology 31 Mar 2026 Following the publication of the Controller of Audit’s Best Value Report, the ‘areas of focus’ identified by the Accounts Commission have been added to the Corporate Improvement Plan. These were detailed in a report to Council on 26 June 2025. A progress report was taken to the Leadership Board in September and work continues across all elements of the improvement agenda, continuing to represent a key focus for the CE’s service in the coming year.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Continue to develop our approaches and activities in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, responding to the needs and views of our workforce 31 Mar 2027 Key areas of progress include new and revised HR&OD Policies written using friendly, inclusive language and tone. The Council is embedding our economic development employability programmes throughout our recruitment processes ensuring barriers faced by employees and interns are removed. Recruitment, onboarding and pastoral support processes for overseas workers have been established, through participation in a Scottish Government pilot programme. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awareness is now one of the Council’s mandatory training modules and all employees are being supported and encouraged to complete the training, whether that be online or via face to face/toolbox talks. Our workforce received communications throughout November to encourage them to update their personal equality monitoring information currently held by the Council. This will enable the Council under its statutory duty to ensure the most up to date information is held and policies/strategies, etc are meeting the needs of our people. The Council is currently revising its Equality & Diversity and Respect at Work Policies and associated training, with a view to implementing later in 2025. The 3 year Plan will continue to be implemented throughout 2025 and beyond Develop new approaches to consultation and engagement with our communities, underpinned by our values. 31 Mar 2025 This action is complete. A new policy (with additional checklist and toolkit) and Terms of Reference for an officer-led engagement oversight group has been produced, responding to service engagement and feedback and national best practice guidance. The Policy was agreed in February 2025 and work is now underway on an implementation plan. There is a new action focusing on monitoring the effectiveness of our engagement with communities. Develop a framework to monitor the effectiveness of community engagement 31 Mar 2027 The new Senior Policy Officer to lead work on the consultation and engagement strategy has now started with the Council, has been developing a toolkit to accompany the new policy and checklist and governance to support this workstream is being developed. An update on consultation and engagement will be reported to Leadership Board in December as part of the Council Plan 6 monthly update. Colleagues in Marketing and Comms and Policy and Insight have continued to collaborate on the resident survey and subsequent focus groups, again a report on this will be presented to Leadership Board in December.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Lead implementation of the council brand, ensuring council communications are responsive, informed, inclusive and accessible (CF) 31 Mar 2025 This action is complete. A report was taken to Leadership Board in 2024 to update members on the outcome of the evaluation of place brand activity over the past five years and the findings of an independent review, and to recommend next steps for place promotion. Officers from marketing and communications will work with regeneration and economic development colleagues and wider place partners to explore the six recommended areas of activity to help drive the marketing of Renfrewshire in future. A further report will be taken to Leadership Board in the autumn to update on progress. Deliver a refreshed approach to workforce planning and workforce innovation, with a focus on recruitment and retention; learning and development; and career pathways. 31 Mar 2027 The Workforce Planning Group continues to advance the priorities set out in the People Strategy, implementing recommendations from the Best Value audit. The group is working closely with the Head of People & OD to shape strategic approaches to workforce planning and organisational development, identifying new priority areas for the next five years. A biannual People Metrics report was presented to the FARS Board on 13 February 2025 for noting and monitoring. A subsequent report on 12 June 2025 introduced a broader and more comprehensive set of People Metrics for the same purpose and a further update was provided to Board on 20 November 2025. Work is underway to develop the new People Strategy for (2027–2032), which will be shaped around four strategic outcomes that support long-term financial sustainability: • Healthy and Performing • Enabled and Engaged • Empowered and Sustainable • Adaptable and Resilient Engagement with Directors, Heads of Service, and service leaders will begin in early 2026 to review the draft strategy, agree key priorities, and provide feedback on implementation themes. This work will be fully aligned with the vision and strategic priorities of the new Council Plan, scheduled for implementation in 2027. A progress update on the current People Strategy was presented to Members of the FARS Board on 20 November 2025. Drive improved attendance and reduced absence across the organisation 31 Mar 2025 The Workforce Planning Group are progressing the key priorities of the People Strategy, taking forward the recommendations from the Best Value audit and will work collaboratively with the Head of People and OD on strategic approaches to workforce planning and OD to establish new key priority areas over the next 5 years. A bi-annual report on our People Metrics was presented to FARS Board on 13 February 2025 for noting and monitoring.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living our Values What we will do Due Date Status Progress update Embed our Wellbeing Strategy, meeting the current and future needs of our workforce 31 Mar 2025 Training for colleagues who are already mental health first aiders on how to support colleagues with specific types of mental health conditions was rolled out on 5th December – A conversation on Anxiety. Further sessions planned during 2025 will be delivered on Suicide, Depression, Self-Harm and Psychosis. We continue to raise awareness of menopause. An action plan of support based on findings from the Menopause Survey conducted in November 2024 will include further RenTalks on Supporting Menopause during February, toolbox talks on support for employees and managers and ‘Let’s Pause’ sessions, our virtual get-together. Council officers continue to work in collaboration with RCA Trust to provide colleagues with specialist support, training and advice on gambling addiction. ‘Bet you can help now’ training is being rolled out during January and February, with focus groups consisting of line managers, People & OD and Trade Unions. We have recently been recognised as a Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland employer. Training will be rolled out to the Customer Contact Centre employees initially, to provide advice and signposting people to available facilities and Council locations outwith Renfrewshire House. This training will be recorded and developed as a module on iLearn for all employees. A Council website page is being created in the staff information section that will include guidance around reasonable adjustments etc. Wellbeing Support toolbox talks are being rolled out to line managers within HSCP and EH&I. This will also be delivered during the Head Teachers meeting in February. Implement the new Digital Strategy 31 Mar 2030 A programme of work has now been created and is monitored by the Digital Board which meets on a regular basis. There are opportunities for new initiatives (e.g. AI) to added to this programme of work.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Average number of work days lost through sickness absence per employee 13.01 9.9 * 9.9 3.00 2.6 2.78 2.1 Psychological and musculoskeletal causes remain the most common reasons for sickness absence, and data indicates that some absence continues to be impacted by delays caused by NHS treatment times. The Council provides a range of supports to staff experiencing health issues including access to Occupational Health services and the Time to Talk counselling service. Absence is an area of focus for the Council’s Performance Group.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage of posts of the highest 5% of earners among employees (excl. Teachers) who are women (LGBF) 56.84% Data only 57.59% Data only 57.1% Data only Total number of employees = 6,268 Total number of employees in top 5% = 324 (per guidance value 313 has been increased to 324 due to numbers on the salary point) Total number of women in top 5% = 185 (57.10%) The number of employees in top 5% has increased by 1 and the number of women in top 5% has decreased by 1. This has resulted in a decrease of 0.49% for 2024/25. The decrease in this indicator from 57.59% in 2023/24 to 57.10% in 2024/25 has arisen due to turnover activity within the Council. We will continue to monitor this indicator as part of our equality monitoring processes to ensure that our recruitment, training, development, and retention processes treat everyone in an equal and consistent basis. We also now provide senior officers with frequent statistics inclusive of attrition & retention to help create awareness of where potential challenges may exist whilst offering a range of interventions. Due to several external factors out with the council’s control it is difficult to accurately predict future impact, however, based on the council’s trends and interventions over recent years it is hoped that performance levels will improve or at least be maintained over the next financial year.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage gender pay gap between average hourly rate of pay for male and female employees (LGBF) 0.48 Data only 0.44 Data only -0.52 Data only As at 31st March 2025, the Council’s mean gender pay gap stands at -0.52%. This figure is based on and follows the standard methodology of comparing the mean hourly pay of males and females, excluding overtime payments. Average hourly rate (Male): £21.25 Average hourly rate (Female): £21.36 Gender Pay Gap: -0.52% A number of structural and strategic factors have contributed to this positive shift: · The ongoing implementation of the Council’s revised Pay & Grading Model continues to create a more equitable pay structure across roles and grades. · Service redesigns and targeted workforce planning have supported more balanced recruitment, retention, and progression opportunities across genders. · Natural turnover and external labour market factors have had some influence but appear to be offset by internal interventions. · People & OD continue to develop and implement progressive HR policies which support out workforce to share parental and caring responsibilities. We will continue to monitor, benchmark and report our performance annually. While external factors, such as labour market trends and workforce demographics, remain outside the Council’s control, the consistent downward trend in the gender pay gap in recent years, culminating in a reversed gap, suggests that sustained improvement is achievable. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will be essential to maintaining this position.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Living Our Values Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/2026 Q2 2025/2026 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Complaints closed at Frontline Resolution as a percentage of all complaints 82.8% 85% 63.5% 85% 90.8% 85% 89.8% 85% In Q1, 3300 complaints were received, and 2995 were dealt with at the frontline. In Q2, 3054 complaints were received and 2742 were dealt with at the frontline. The Council’s Performance Group are currently undertaking an intensive piece of work to understand complaints performance and identify improvements. Percentage of FOI requests completed within timescale 89.9% 90% 90% 90% 92% 90% 90% 90% Targets continue to be met for this indicator. In Q1 the Council received 440 FOI requests and responded to 404 within 20 days. In Q2, 446 requests were received and 402 were responded to within 20 days. Percentage of LGBF performance indicators performing in the top 2 quartiles 50% 56% 50% 56% Not measured for quarters This data is provided by the Improvement Service and is a snapshot in time. At present, half of our indicators are in the top two quartiles. This reflects our relative performance. Consideration of our actual performance shows that 74% of indicators have Improved since the base year.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils Achieving Expected Level for their stage in Literacy between pupils living in 30% Most Deprived areas and those living in 70% Least Deprived Areas (SIMD) 16 10 14 10 9 10 The size of the attainment gap has decreased by 6 percentage points since 2023-24 as a result of increased attainment of pupils living in SIMD 30% most deprived areas. The size of the gap is the lowest in the previous 7 years at 9 percentage points. Pupils living in most deprived areas were more significantly impacted by the pandemic which caused these gaps to widen. The data indicates that positive progress has been made to rectify this, and the size of the gap is now lower than in 2018-19. Percentage Point Gap in % Pupils Achieving Expected Level for their stage in Numeracy between pupils living in 30% Most Deprived areas and those living in 70% Least Deprived Areas (SIMD) 11 9 11 9 9 9 The size of the attainment gap has decreased by 2 percentage points since 2023-24 as a result of improved attainment of pupils living in SIMD 30% most deprived areas. The size of the gap is the lowest in the previous 7 years. Pupils living in most deprived areas were more significantly impacted by the pandemic which caused these gaps to widen. The data indicates that positive progress has been made to rectify this, and the size of the gap is now lower than in 2018-19.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Average total tariff score of leavers living in SIMD 30% most deprived areas 681 700 681 700 * It is not possible to make a like for like comparison to previous years within this measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in 2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire’s data follows national trends with an increase during this period which is now returning to post-pandemic levels. Renfrewshire is consistently ahead of the national figure in this measure but remains marginally below the virtual comparator. The latest data is ahead of the 2018/19 leavers cohort, which was 674. Targets for this measure were set before the pandemic. *Data for 2024/25 is not yet available. Average total tariff score of all school leavers in Renfrewshire 933 960 941 960 * As above, it is not possible to make a like for like comparison to previous years within this measure due to the cancellation of exam diets in 2020 and 2021. Renfrewshire’s data follows national trends with an increase during this period which is now returning to post-pandemic levels. Renfrewshire is consistently ahead of the national figure in this measure but remains marginally below the virtual comparator. The latest data is ahead of 2018/19 leavers cohort, which was 923. Targets for this measure were set before the pandemic. *Data for 2024/25 is not yet available.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Indicator Current Status Short term trend Long term trend 2023/24 2024/25 Q1 2025/26 Q2 2025/26 Explanation of performance Value Target Value Target Value Target Value Target Proportion of children being looked after in the community (LGBF) 90.9% 89.9% 91.6% 83% 91.6% 89.9% 91.8% 89.9% The proportion of looked after children residing in community settings has increased by 0.2 percentage points, reaching 91.8%. The majority of looked after children continue to be cared for within the community, either with their families or with alternative carers such as extended family or friends. This reflects the service’s ongoing commitment to prioritising family-based care wherever appropriate. While residential placements may be necessary for a small number of children and young people due to their individual needs, such arrangements are considered only when community-based care is not suitable. The overarching aim remains to support children in environments that promote stability, wellbeing, and continuity of care. This indicator is also reported annually through the Local Government Benchmarking Framework (CHN9: ‘Balance of care for looked after children’), which measures the percentage of children being looked after in the community. The most recent published data for 2023/24 shows that 92.8% of looked after children in Renfrewshire were cared for in community settings, exceeding the national average of 88.8%.
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Title can go here • Click to edit Master text styles • Second level • Third level • Fourth level • Fifth level Council Plan Six monthly progress update December 2025 For more information, please contact: policycefar@renfrewshire.gov.uk