Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan – Interim 1-Year Plan 2026-27
Renfrewshire Council · 17 June 2026
Back to Leadership Board — 17 June 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC To: Leadership Board On: 17 June 2026 Report by: John Trainer, Head of Children and Justice Social Work, Renfrewshire Council Heading: Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan – Interim 1-Year Plan 2026/27 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP) Interim 1-Year Plan for 2026/27 has been developed collaboratively with key partner organisations. The Plan sets out the core joint outcomes that Renfrewshire Council, statutory partners and third sector organisations will deliver over the year to ensure that children and young people in Renfrewshire are happy, healthy, safe and able to thrive. 1.2 For 2026/27, the partnership has produced a 1-year interim plan. This approach allows the next full plan to align more effectively with wider strategic frameworks, including the Council Plan, Community Plan and the IJB Strategic Plan, ensuring coherence across the whole system. 1.3 The Plan sets out five key outcomes that partners aim to achieve for children and young people in Renfrewshire: • Improved physical and mental health — supporting wellbeing at every stage. • Nurtured, safe and loved — strengthening care, protection and relationships. • Empowered, heard and influencing — ensuring children and young people can shape decisions. • Included and valued in their communities — promoting belonging, participation and connection. • Reduced impact of poverty and improved life chances — tackling inequalities and supporting long-term outcomes. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Council Leadership Board: • Note the content of the RCSP Interim 1-Year Plan 2026/27. • Note the statutory joint duty on Renfrewshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to prepare the plan. • Note the intention to refresh the plan during 2026/27 to align with wider strategic planning. __________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Children’s Services Planning is a statutory requirement under Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The Act places a joint duty on local authorities and health boards to prepare a Children’s Services Plan that sets out how partners will work together to safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of all children and young people. 3.2 The legislation requires partners to plan and deliver services in a way that improves outcomes, strengthens early intervention and prevention, and ensures that resources are used effectively across the whole system. Plans must be prepared every three years, with an annual report on progress. 3.3 In Renfrewshire, Children’s Services Planning is delivered through the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership, which brings together the Council, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Police Scotland, the third sector and other key agencies. The partnership works collaboratively to understand local needs, agree shared priorities and deliver coordinated support for children, young people and families. 3.4 For 2026/27, the partnership has produced a one-year interim plan. This approach allows the next full plan to align more effectively with wider strategic frameworks, including the Council Plan, Community Plan and the IJB Strategic Plan, ensuring coherence across the whole system. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – none 2. HR & Organisational Development – none 3. Community/Council Planning – The report outlines partnership activity that supports key community planning priorities, including protecting vulnerable children and young people, strengthening early intervention, improving community safety, and promoting health and wellbeing. 4. Legal - none
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PUBLIC 5. Property/Assets – none 6. Information Technology - none 7. Equality and Human Rights – The recommendations have no negative equality or human rights impacts as the report is for noting. Any impacts arising from implementation of the Plan will be monitored and published in line with Council requirements. 8. Health and Safety - none 9. Procurement – none 10. Risk – none 11. Privacy Impact – none 12. COSLA Policy Position – none 13. Children’s Rights – The Plan supports the promotion of children’s rights under the UNCRC, particularly in relation to participation, protection, family support and wellbeing. 14. Climate Risk – none ___________________________________________________________________ Report Author: John Trainer, Head of Children and Justice Social Work/ Chief Social Work Officer Contact Officer is Annie Torrance, Senior Policy Officer Email: annie.torrance@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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1 PUBLIC Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan 2026 to 2027 - Interim One Year Plan
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2 PUBLIC Table of Contents 1. Foreword: A message to our children and young people 2. Our Partnership for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire 3. National Policy Context 4. Our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment • Our approach • Our data profile for Renfrewshire • Our services for children and young people • How we listened • How this Influenced our plan 5. Our Plan for Improvement • Building on success • Our agreed outcomes • Our priority actions for 2026 to 2027 6. How we will oversee delivery of our plan 7. Annex A – RCSP Delivery Plan 2026 to 2027
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3 PUBLIC Foreword A message to our children and young people from the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership You deserve the best possible start in life, free from poverty and neglect. You deserve to feel safe, secure, loved, cared for and respected. You deserve chances to learn, grow, stay healthy and feel valued. You deserve to have hopes, dreams and opportunities for a bright, happy future. We are here to support you. We will help you and your family by providing the right help at the right time. We want Renfrewshire to be the best place for you to grow up, and we will help you get ready for the opportunities and challenges life brings. Our work is guided by five key outcomes. These outcomes help us stay focused on what matters most, and they mean you can expect the following: Outcome 1: You enjoy improved physical and mental health We want you to feel healthy, confident and able to enjoy life. Support will be available when you need it, helping you look after your physical and mental wellbeing. Outcome 2: You are nurtured, safe and loved You should feel protected, cared for and surrounded by people who want the best for you. We will work with families and communities to make sure you grow up feeling secure and supported. Outcome 3: You are empowered, and your voice is heard and influences what we do Your views, ideas and experiences help shape the support and services we provide. We will make sure you are listened to, involved in decisions about your life, and able to influence what we do as a partnership. Outcome 4: You feel included and valued in your community, you are supported to develop your skills, aspirations and pathways for the future You should feel part of your community, welcomed and respected for who you are and able to take part in the things that matter to you. We will help you build your skills, confidence and knowledge so you can explore the world around you and reach your potential. Outcome 5: You are supported to live free from the impacts of poverty We want you and your family to have what you need to feel secure, included and able to take part in everyday life. You should not miss out on opportunities because of cost, transport or other practical barriers. We will work with you to reduce the pressures you face, improve financial security and make sure support is easy to find when you need it.
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4 PUBLIC Our Partnership for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire Introduction Throughout this plan, when we talk about children and young people, we are using the definition set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This means we are referring to anyone from birth up to their 18th birthday, including babies, infants, children and teenagers. Using this shared definition helps ensure that all partners are working to the same understanding of who our services are here to support, and that our commitments, actions and approaches reflect the rights and needs of every child and young person as they grow and develop. Across Scotland, Councils and Health Boards work with local partners to make sure children, young people and their families receive the best possible support. In Renfrewshire, we do this by listening to our communities. We learn what support people need, why they need it, when they need it, and the best way to provide it. As corporate parents, every partner shares a collective responsibility to ensure that care‑experienced children and young people are loved, supported and able to thrive. Our work is trauma‑informed and recognises that trusted relationships, stability and compassion are essential to children’s wellbeing. This work is led by the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP). The Partnership brings together key organisations and professionals who play a role in improving the lives of children and young people. This Plan sets out the outcomes we will work to achieve over the coming year and the priority actions we will focus on during this time. During 2026/27, the partnership will refresh and realign the timescales of the plan to support our other key plans and strategies. The Plan is supported by, and should be read alongside, a suite of documents that provide the evidence, insight and analysis underpinning our priorities. These include: • RCSP Data Profile • Renfrewshire Secondary Schools – Health and Wellbeing Survey Analysis 2022–2025 • RCSP Growing Up in Renfrewshire Focus Groups Report • RCSP Priority Setting Partner Survey Analysis • RCSP Mapping Exercise RCSP is made up of representatives from the following organisations: • Renfrewshire Council • Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership • Police Scotland • Scottish Fire and Rescue Service • NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde • Scottish Children’s Reporter Association
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5 PUBLIC • Skills Development Scotland • Engage Renfrewshire • 3rd Sector Representatives: KLAS Care and Home Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde • OneRen Each organisation within the partnership also develops its own plans and priorities for the services it provides. These include strategies for children’s services, education, health and social care, community learning and development, skills and employment, culture and sport. The Fairer Renfrewshire Programme and Action Plan sets the strategic direction for tackling poverty across Renfrewshire. It brings partners together around shared ambitions to address the drivers and impacts of poverty and strengthen financial security for families. Sitting within this wider framework, our Local Child Poverty Action Report (LCPAR) sets out the specific actions we are taking to reduce child poverty and improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Together, these approaches ensure our work contributes to Scotland’s national ambitions to reduce child poverty by 2030. Our third sector partners are often the eyes, ears and heart of our communities. The support they provide children, young people and families is built on strong, trusted relationships. Their work responds directly to local needs, and their approach reflects the unique character of each community. We want families to know who they can turn to, when support is available and how to access it. We will continue to make the most of the strong relationships our partners have within their communities, using what they hear and see to help us understand local needs and respond effectively. Our Vision Our jointly agreed vision is that: “Renfrewshire’s children and young people are happy, healthy, safe and thriving.” Our vision is underpinned by our commitment to: • Tackle poverty and inequality • Promote prevention, early support and intervention • Focus on the areas where working collaboratively can have the biggest impact National Policy Context Children’s Services Planning in Scotland is guided by national legislation and policy that sets out how local areas should work together to improve outcomes for children and young people. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 requires every local authority and health board to produce a joint Children’s Services Plan every three years. These plans must show how partners will work together to safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of all children and young people. For this year, we have chosen to produce an interim one-year plan,
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6 PUBLIC which will be refreshed in 2026/27 to ensure full alignment with the Council Plan, Community Plan and the IJB Strategic Plan. The National Performance Framework (Figure 1) articulates the vision of creating a more successful country by setting out eleven ‘national outcomes’ we will work towards collectively. For children and young people, the national approach to improving outcomes for children and young people is called ‘Getting it Right for Every Child’. This provides the framework for our work. It emphasises early help, strong partnership working and putting children, young people and families at the centre of decisions. The Children’s Services Planning landscape is complex and ever changing, however, there are several national policies and commitments that guide how we plan and deliver services for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. This helps to ensure our local work supports Scotland’s wider ambitions. The Promise Scotland has committed to transforming the care system so that care-experienced children, young people and families feel loved, safe and respected. This shapes how we design support and work together across services. As statutory Corporate Parents, partners have a duty to promote their wellbeing, and this responsibility shapes how we design support and work together across services.
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7 PUBLIC Whole Family Wellbeing National policy encourages early, flexible support that meets the holistic needs of the whole family. The aim is to help families earlier and reduce the need for crisis intervention. Child Poverty Commitments Reducing child poverty is a national priority. Local plans must show how partners are helping to tackle the causes and impacts of poverty and supporting families most affected by the cost of living. This work aligns with Scotland’s Bringing Hope, Building Futures: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–2031, which set out national actions to reduce child poverty by 2030. Our Local Child Poverty Action Report, alongside the Fairer Renfrewshire programme and action plan, outlines how partners in Renfrewshire are contributing to these national ambitions and supporting families in our communities. Children’s Rights The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out the basic rights that every child is entitled to. In Scotland, the UNCRC helps guide how we make decisions and ensures children’s rights are considered in everything we do. It supports our aim of giving every child the chance to grow up safe, healthy and happy. The UNCRC also underpins Scotland’s national approach to supporting children, known as Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC). GIRFEC GIRFEC helps families by making sure children and young people get the right help, at the right time, from the right people. The aim is for every child to grow up feeling loved, safe and respected, so they can reach their full potential. GIRFEC also helps the different agencies, services and teams within the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership work well together YOUNG CARERS The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 introduced new rights for young carers. It gives young carers the right to a Young Carer Statement, which is based on an outcomes-focused conversation about their personal circumstances. This must include consideration of the impact of caring on their wellbeing and whether the care they provide is appropriate for their age and stage of development. Where a young carer’s identified needs meet local eligibility criteria, they have a right to support to meet those needs. As part of this process, the local authority must also consider whether the young carer would benefit from a short break from caring. Universal Health Pathway The Universal Pathway, delivered through health visiting and school nursing services, provides a national framework for prevention, early intervention and reducing inequalities in the early years. It ensures consistent support for families from pregnancy through childhood, helping identify needs early and strengthening the foundations for lifelong wellbeing.
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8 PUBLIC Mental Health Strategy Scotland’s Mental Health Strategy places strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention and community-based support. It highlights the importance of promoting positive mental health, reducing stigma and ensuring children and young people can access the right help at the right time. This aligns closely with our local priorities around wellbeing, early support and whole-family approaches. Population Health Framework The Population Health Framework sets out Scotland’s approach to improving health and reducing inequalities by focusing on the wider factors that shape people’s lives — including income, housing, education, employment and community connections. It reinforces the importance of prevention, early help and tackling the structural drivers of inequality. For our Children’s Services Partnership, the framework strengthens our commitment to addressing the wider determinants of health that impact children, young people and families, ensuring our local actions contribute to long-term, sustainable improvements in wellbeing across Renfrewshire. National Child Protection Framework Keeping children safe is a core national priority. Scotland’s National Guidance for Child Protection and the wider national child protection improvement programme set expectations for how agencies work together to protect children from harm. In Renfrewshire, this work is led by the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee (RCPC), the multi-agency strategic partnership responsible for child protection. The RCPC Improvement Plan sets out how partners are strengthening practice, improving consistency and ensuring children experience protection that is safe, compassionate and rights-based. National Education Priorities National education policy focuses on improving attainment, closing the poverty-related attainment gap and supporting wellbeing. These priorities guide how we plan learning and support in schools and early years settings. Examples of how we have implemented these national policies and commitments are included in the ‘Building on Success’ section. Local Context and Strategic Alignment Our Children’s Services Partnership Plan sits within a wider set of local plans and strategies that guide how services work together to improve outcomes for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. These plans share a common ambition: to reduce inequalities, strengthen wellbeing and support communities to thrive. The Renfrewshire Community Plan (the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) sets the long-term vision for the area. It focuses on inclusive growth, prevention, early intervention and tackling the social and economic factors that shape people’s lives. Our work contributes directly to these priorities by supporting families earlier, improving access to help and strengthening community connections.
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9 PUBLIC The Council Plan sets out Renfrewshire Council’s commitments to reducing poverty, improving life chances and delivering high-quality, person-centred services. Our approach aligns with these aims through a focus on relational practice, children’s rights and support that responds to what matters to families. The Integration Joint Board (IJB) Strategic Plan highlights the importance of improving population health, reducing health inequalities and supporting mental wellbeing. Our work supports these priorities through trauma-informed practice, whole-family approaches and services that help children and young people stay well, safe and connected. The Fairer Renfrewshire programme and action plan provide a partnership-wide framework for tackling the drivers and impacts of poverty. This includes improving financial security, reducing the cost of living pressures on families and widening access to opportunities. Our Children’s Services Plan contributes directly to these ambitions by focusing on early support, reducing barriers and improving life chances for children and young people most affected by poverty. The Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee Improvement Plan sets out the actions partners are taking to strengthen child protection practice, improve consistency and ensure children experience care and protection that is safe, compassionate and rights-based. Our Children’s Services Plan aligns closely with this work by supporting early help, strengthening relationships and ensuring that children and young people are protected within a coordinated, multi-agency system. We also align with wider local strategies in education, social work, employability, community safety and housing. This ensures that children’s services are part of a coordinated, whole-system approach rather than working in isolation. Together, these strategic links help us target resources effectively, respond to local need and deliver meaningful, long-term impact for children, young people and families across Renfrewshire. Building on Success Across Renfrewshire, there is already strong work happening to support children, young people and families. Our services, early years centres, schools, community organisations and partners are making a real difference every day, and this plan builds on those successes. We have seen positive impact from early years support, mental health and wellbeing programmes, youth work, family support services and community-based initiatives. Strong partnership working means families get help earlier, and services are better connected and more responsive to local needs. By recognising what is working well, we can continue to strengthen effective approaches, share good practice and focus our efforts where they will have the greatest impact for children and young people.
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10 PUBLIC Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire Renfrewshire continues to make strong progress in delivering The Promise locally, we remain fully committed to ensuring that care experienced children, young people and their families feel loved, safe and respected. Our work over the next three years will be guided by Keep The Promise in Renfrewshire: Action Plan 2026–2029, which sets out a clear and practical route for local delivery. The plan is ambitious and shaped by the voices of children, young people, families and communities. These next three years are significant as we contribute to Scotland’s national aim of fully Keeping The Promise by 2030. In Renfrewshire, this means strengthening relationships, embedding trauma-informed practice and ensuring that support is built around what matters to children and families. Achieving this will require sustained collaboration, long-term investment and a shared commitment to continual improvement. A wide range of activity continues across the partnership, examples include: Voice and Participation Renfrewshire Promise Champs Group is a youth club for Care Experienced young people. The club aims to provide a supportive environment where participants can build confidence, develop skills through activities like arts, cooking, and games, and have their voices heard to improve services. The Champs continue to lead youth-voice activity, including campaigns, co-design and participation in planning and service redesign. An example of their significant success is the design and delivery of the annual Promise YouthyFest, remains a major participation event. Promise Keeper Network A growing network of over 400 Promise Keepers across council services, Health and Social Care Partnership, partners and community organisations continues to champion rights, awareness, culture change and service improvement. The annual Promise Keeper Conference remains a key space for learning and cross-sector collaboration. In addition, Renfrewshire’s Language Policy continues to be implemented across services, with a full review underway in 2026–27 to ensure it remains current and stigma-free. Workforce Development and Support The Supporting the Workforce workstream continues to coordinate system-wide improvements in culture, language, support and employability. A couple of key projects are as follows: • The Promise Human Library, connects young people with staff who can offer informal career insights through calls, emails, meetings, or work shadowing. • The Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Care Experienced applicants has been launched, giving those who meet essential criteria an interview if they choose to self-identify. The scheme aims to reduce employment barriers, with HR providing guidance for hiring managers and ensuring constructive feedback for unsuccessful applicants.
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11 PUBLIC Children’s Hearings System Improvement The Paisley Children’s Hearings Improvement Partnership (CHIP) is a multi-agency group working across three council areas to improve the Children’s Hearings System in line with The Promise. It brings together a wide range of partners to create a trauma-informed, rights-based system, and has already developed shared resources and initiatives to support children and young people’s participation. Promise, Housing and Community Support We have strengthened housing support for families, carers, and Care Experienced young people by focusing on early intervention, trauma-informed practice, and tailored assistance to prevent homelessness and ensure stable, nurturing living environments. Our Care Experienced Housing Pathways continue to provide personalised support, enhanced housing options and homelessness prevention. It is also important we continue to support kinship and foster carers to access appropriate accommodation and overcome barriers that affect children’s stability. The Whole Family Wellbeing Service The Whole Family Wellbeing Service (WFWS) is a major redesign of early help in Renfrewshire, bringing three previously separate services together into one coordinated model. This has created clearer pathways for families, reduced duplication and improved consistency of support. WFWS is built around the staged intervention framework and operates across three levels of need, ensuring families receive the right support at the right time. WFWS provides early, practical and relationship-based support to families when challenges begin to affect children’s wellbeing, development or family life. This can include help with routines, relationships, school attendance, emotional wellbeing, parenting, and wider pressures that may be impacting family stability. The service works alongside families to understand what matters to them and to help them access the right support as early as possible. Families can be referred through schools, other agencies or self-refer, and all referrals receive a consistent assessment and response. New internal guidance and triage processes help determine which team or tier is best placed to support each family, which is particularly important given the high levels of demand and complexity of need. WFWS has also prioritised strong partnerships with the third sector. These relationships are now embedded through regular contact, shared planning and a dedicated steering group. Third sector partners play a central role in delivering flexible, community-based early support as part of the wider model. Tackling Poverty and Inequality Collaborating across partners is vital to providing the most comprehensive supports for families living on low incomes. Through our Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee and using our Fairer Renfrewshire Officers Group and wider statutory and 3rd sector links, we work across services to develop responses to increased costs of living and child poverty and maximise impact of services. Fairer Renfrewshire partners have continued work across financial security, community wellbeing, food support, equality, and lived-experience engagement.
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12 PUBLIC Improving Financial Security Renfrewshire has a strong network of services across the public and third sectors aimed at improving financial security. These efforts deliver real impact—local advice services helped put over £17 million back into residents’ pockets in 2024/25. The School Support and Family Advice Service provide targeted support to children with families to access the benefits that they are entitled to, mainly through Universal Credit and disability benefits. Strengthening Health, Wellbeing and Community Following the place-based community needs assessment in Gallowhill, the Council has funded a new part-time, Community Development Officer who is now in post at Active Communities who are also converting a donated mobile bank into a mobile pantry and outreach service to service this area and other areas where there are high levels of child poverty. The Winter Connections small-grants programme provides a programme of events and activities across Renfrewshire that are open to everyone, held in warm, inclusive community spaces over winter. OneRen Libraries also received funding to offer hot drinks and activities in areas without local projects. Embedding Equality and Inclusion Following consultation, the Equality Outcome Action Plan has now been agreed and addresses barriers across six key equality priority areas. • New Scots feel welcomed, supported, and have equity of opportunity to thrive in our communities • Disabled and older people experience improved access to buildings, services, and transport, ensuring greater independence and participation in community life. • Improved economic prospects for women, minority ethnic people and disabled people • All residents can access information and services in an inclusive and accessible manner. • Our workforce better reflects the diversity of our community, in terms of ethnicity and disability • People with lived experience of inequality and exclusion will be more involved in informing and co-designing policy and practice that affects them Using Insight and Evidence The Fairer Renfrewshire Lived Experience Panel is made up of people with lived experience of poverty to inform policy and practice. The panel has made significant contributions to work on health and wellbeing, school meals, summer activities for children and young people and the Fairer Renfrewshire Action Plan, with further engagement planned with HSCP leadership, climate adaptation officers and community justice partners. One of the focusses has been around digital inclusion, with the development of DigiZones across all Renfrewshire’s libraries and Community Learning and Development locations. These provide free wifi, access to devices, along with support to use devices. These are supported by the Digital Champion’s programme which offers accessible support through a network of volunteers to those who are digitally excluded, as well as data sims to low-income households.
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13 PUBLIC In addition, a project with local third sector organisation, Pachedu, and OneRen libraries, collects, refurbishes and redistributes digital devices to families who need them. Using funding from the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Accelerator Fund, which was awarded in late 2025, a small scale, locally governed Insight Partnership will be developed that uses existing available administrative data (e.g. education, housing, employability, benefits advice, public health) to proactively identify families showing early indicators of child poverty risk - and connect them quickly to the right mix of support (income maximisation, employability help, cost-of-living advice, family wellbeing). This project, which runs until March 2028, will test whether early, light-touch intervention improves outcomes for families, for example increased benefit uptake, improved income, reduced debt and improved wellbeing. Children’s Rights Children’s rights are well-embedded in our training, practice and professional standards, giving us a strong foundation to build on. The actions in this plan will help us continue to “further and better” children’s rights, as required by the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. The Scottish Parliament has passed the revised UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill, and national work is now focused on preparing for commencement and supporting local areas to get ready for implementation. It is important to the partnership that by adopting a rights-based approach it places children’s rights at the centre of how we design policy, deliver services and work with families. It ensures that we consider rights in everything we do as agencies, organisations and individuals. Youth Voice - Connected Communities Youth services and community partners continue to strengthen opportunities for youth voice, leadership and inclusion across Renfrewshire. Through the Connected Communities approach, young people are not only being heard but are actively shaping the places where they live and learn. Recent activity highlights a strong culture of participation, celebration and community-led change. The annual Duke of Edinburgh Celebration brought hundreds of young people, families and partners together to recognise the achievements of more than 200 award recipients. Care-experienced young people remain central to local engagement through the Promise Champs, whose community projects and events continue to support peers and influence local priorities. Renfrewshire’s involvement in the West Partnership Youth Voice Ambassadors Programme also ensures young people contribute to regional change, with locally produced resources now being used across youth settings. Locally, the Renfrewshire Youth Assembly brought together young people from schools and community groups to explore issues that matter to them, supported by the YES Renfrewshire project. Alongside this, long-term programmes such as Evolve and Street Stuff continue to provide safe, supportive spaces and positive activities that build confidence, support wellbeing and help young people stay connected to school and community life. Young people also play a key role in shaping Renfrewshire’s future through the Celebrating Renfrewshire participatory budgeting fund and youth-led Place Standard consultations.
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14 PUBLIC Together, these achievements show a strong and ongoing commitment to ensuring young people are at the heart of decision-making, celebration and community life across Renfrewshire. Mentors in Violence Prevention Renfrewshire’s Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme trains around 500 senior pupils each year to act as confident, safe bystanders, supported by over 400 trained staff since 2016. The programme strengthens leadership, promotes positive relationships and helps create safer school environments. Close partnership with Education Scotland has enabled contributions to national resources and efforts to increase male mentor involvement. All secondary schools have now adopted Equally Safe in School (ESS), providing a framework to address gender inequality and embed prevention across school culture. Building on MVP and ESS, the Young and Equally Safe in Renfrewshire (YES Renfrewshire) project extends this work into primary, youth and community settings. Young people’s voices continue to shape the agenda, highlighted at the 2025 Youth Assembly focused on “Action for Change.” Active Schools and One Ren Active Schools, delivered with One Ren, offers a wide range of opportunities for children and young people to get active and build confidence through sport. This includes clubs, camps, community sessions, leadership programmes and pathways into volunteering and employment. Annual pupil surveys help shape a balance between universal access and targeted support for those facing the greatest barriers. Recent expansion has strengthened targeted work with care experienced children, LGBT young people, pupils with additional support needs, ethnic minority groups and those at risk of exclusion or inactivity. Renfrewshire’s approach focuses on equality of opportunity by providing low-or no-cost activities, accessible childcare and clear pathways into training and volunteering. Sport also plays a key role in supporting mental health and social connection. Participation levels continue to improve, with positive feedback from children, young people and partners, reflecting Sport Scotland’s Sport for Life framework. Ongoing investment, training (including The Promise) and collaboration across services ensure programmes remain inclusive, responsive and linked to wider support. Together, Active Schools and One Ren are helping build a sustainable, inclusive sporting system that supports wellbeing and life opportunities for children and families across Renfrewshire. North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Partnership Renfrewshire continues to play an active role in the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Partnership, which reports into the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee and is one of six national pathfinder areas. Since 2020, the partnership has delivered the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) for all joint investigative interviews with children. In 2023, we opened Scotland’s first Bairns Hoose. Between August 2024 and July 2025, 87 Renfrewshire children were interviewed, with 85% taking place in the Bairns Hoose. Over 80% of children made a disclosure, and feedback from children and families has been consistently
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15 PUBLIC positive, highlighting the calm environment and the care taken to explain the process and meet individual needs. Children and families are offered recovery support from the Children First recovery team at the point of interview. Over the last year, 38 Renfrewshire families—92 people—began receiving advocacy and recovery support. Among those who completed their work, all reported feeling safer, experiencing improved relationships, and feeling more heard. The Bairns Hoose also includes a court suite linked to Paisley Sheriff Court. Since October 2024, thirty-three children have used this facility to give evidence without attending a court building, improving their experience of the justice process. A new Bairns Hoose Procurator Fiscal Depute joined the partnership in September 2025 through Scottish Government test-of-change funding, strengthening our focus on improving children’s experience of court. Recruitment of a senior nurse will be a key priority over the next year as we continue to develop a fully integrated Bairns Hoose model. Joint Inspection of Services for Children and Young People at Risk of Harm In 2024, Renfrewshire took part in a joint inspection of services for children and young people at risk of harm. The inspection ran from April to October and was carried out by the Care Inspectorate, working alongside Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. Inspectors found major strengths in how we work together to support children and families, and Renfrewshire was awarded a Very Good evaluation for Quality Indicator 2.1, reflecting strong collaborative practice, effective leadership and a clear commitment to children’s wellbeing and safety. The inspection team spent time listening to children, young people, parents, carers and staff across our communities. They heard from 49 children and young people, 47 parents and carers, and gathered views from 558 staff through a multi-agency survey. Inspectors also reviewed 60 case files, examined key documents and met with around 253 staff and leaders from across services. Their findings show that strong relationships, committed staff and a shared focus on early help and protection are making a real difference. While there is still more to do to ensure every child has the best possible experience, the strengths identified clearly outweigh the areas for improvement. The inspection gives us a strong foundation to build on and helps shape the next steps in our Children’s Services Partnership Plan. Stronger Start – Supporting Women and Babies Through Early Financial Help Stronger Start is a person-centred, wrap-around money advice and advocacy service supporting women engaging with the Blossom Maternity Services across Clyde. The service addresses financial insecurity during pregnancy and early motherhood, recognising the impact of poverty on maternal wellbeing and child health. Delivered within maternity services, it provides early intervention at a point when women may be particularly vulnerable to financial stress. Initially delivered as a one‑year pilot from February 2024 within the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Inverclyde Royal and Vale of Leven maternity units, the service is delivered in partnership with
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16 PUBLIC Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau and overseen by a multi‑agency steering group. Strong early outcomes led to additional funding, enabling continuation and further integration into maternity pathways through to January 2027. The service provides early, practical advice and advocacy across a wide range of issues, including welfare benefits, debt, housing, immigration and asylum, alongside access to financial and charitable support. Most support focuses on income maximisation, including assistance with Best Start Grants, Crisis Grants, Council Tax Reduction and Universal Credit. Advocacy supports women to navigate complex systems, access maternity and employment rights and stabilise income and housing. Additional support includes referrals to food and fuel banks and access to essential baby items through a Baby Bank established via community grant funding. During the pilot year from February 2024 to January 2025, Stronger Start received 135 referrals, with 98 women receiving advice and advocacy, generating £150,000 in financial gains, averaging £1,500 per woman. In 2025/26, a further 97 referrals were received, including 73 from the Royal Alexandra Hospital, with 55 women engaging. Confirmed financial gains totalled £189,403, averaging £3,443 per supported woman. Women were supported across multiple, inter‑related issues, most commonly welfare benefits and financial assistance. Housing advocacy contributed to homelessness prevention and improved stability, with targeted support provided to women with care experience. All referrals aligned with national child poverty priority family types. Monitoring and evaluation will continue through the Steering Group, supported by external evaluation to inform service development, sustainability planning and future funding. Thrive Under 5 – Supporting Families to Eat Well, Stay Active and Reduce Inequalities Thrive Under 5 is a pilot programme developed to support families with young children in Johnstone to improve health, reduce financial pressure and lower the risk of diabetes in the early years. Led by the HSCP Health Improvement team and delivered in partnership with Active Communities and Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau, the programme focuses on families most at risk of poverty and aims to make healthy living more affordable, accessible and achievable. Running from May 2024 to March 2025, Thrive Under 5 offered a wide range of practical supports for families with at least one child under five. This included help to apply for Best Start Grants, Best Start Foods, Scottish Child Payment and other financial supports, alongside access to fuel assistance and onward referrals. Families received meal packs twice a week for eight weeks, free membership and shops at the local food pantry, cooking classes with equipment provided, weekly fruit and vegetables, and opportunities for physical activity for the whole family. Additional food support was also offered during school holidays and after the programme ended. A total of 42 families, including 75 children, took part in the pilot. Over the course of the programme, 241 meal packs and 516 pantry vouchers were distributed, and all families received cooking equipment and weekly fresh produce. Nine families supported by RCAB
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17 PUBLIC achieved a combined financial gain of more than £1,700, helping to ease financial pressure and improve stability at home. The pilot was evaluated positively, showing strong engagement and clear benefits in improving access to food, financial support and healthier routines. While time‑limited funding means the programme is not sustainable in its original form, learning is being used to identify the most effective elements and explore how these can be integrated into existing services and partnerships. Future development will align with the Population Health Framework, with a focus on prevention, early intervention and reducing inequalities in the early years. Gallowhill Community Needs Assessment – Listening to Local Voices and Shaping Place-Based Change The Gallowhill Community Needs Assessment was carried out in response to the high levels of child poverty in the area and reflects our commitment to understanding what matters most to local residents. Led by the HSCP Health Improvement Team, Stage 1 of the assessment was delivered in partnership with Active Communities, who used the Place Standard Tool to explore 14 themes relating to the physical and social environment. This was supported by detailed public health intelligence gathered and analysed by the Health Improvement Team to build a fuller picture of local strengths, challenges and opportunities. The findings reflected a mix of complex community views, alongside a clear desire for improved services, better connectivity and more opportunities for local involvement and leadership. Residents shared strong aspirations for their area, and this insight is now helping shape the next phase of work. Following Stage 1, Renfrewshire Council’s Head of Policy and Partnerships is chairing a 12–18 month steering group to share the findings and co-develop an action plan with the community. Progress will be monitored and reported to the Community Planning Executive Group to ensure accountability and momentum. Fairer Renfrewshire funding has enabled the recruitment of a dedicated Community Development Officer, employed by Active Communities and based in Gallowhill for 18 months. This role will support local engagement, help drive forward the action plan and strengthen community-led activity. The evidence gathered through this assessment, alongside learning from the next stages, will inform future place‑based work across Renfrewshire. It supports a more prevention‑focused, place‑based approach in line with the Population Health Framework, using local insight to shape priorities and guide how services and partners work together. This represents an important step in ensuring local voices shape local solutions, and that communities most affected by poverty are supported to lead change in the places they call home. Young Carers Renfrewshire Carers Centre provides dedicated support for young carers aged 8–18 who help look after a family member at home. The service offers young carers help to identify and highlight personal circumstances, personal outcomes and identified needs, as well as what support is available including information, advocacy, group support and opportunities for
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18 PUBLIC young carers to take time for themselves. Weekly and monthly groups, holiday activities and one-to-one support help young carers build confidence, reduce isolation and balance caring with school and friendships. Schools and community partners play a key role in identifying young carers early and ensuring their needs are understood. Partnership work continues to strengthen links between the Young Carers Service, education and community organisations. Awareness-raising in schools supports earlier identification, while practical help—such as support with applications, transitions and access to opportunities—reduces pressure on families. Young carers also benefit from wider wellbeing and social opportunities delivered with local partners including Aberlour, Barnardo’s, PACE, Active Communities and CREATE Paisley. Over the next year, the RCSP will focus on strengthening early identification across schools, early years and community settings, widening access to group support and respite opportunities, and improving consistency in how young carers’ needs are recognised in education. We will continue to build partnerships that broaden wellbeing and social opportunities and ensure young carers’ views inform future planning. Our aim is to ensure young carers in Renfrewshire are recognised early, supported appropriately and able to thrive alongside their caring responsibilities. GIRFEC Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Planning Partners remain strongly committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people, with a particular focus on those most vulnerable. The Partnership promotes a shared GIRFEC vision, underpinned by effective multi-agency collaboration to support children’s wellbeing and development. A consistent staged intervention approach is well embedded across services. Almost all educational establishments, including privately funded Early Learning and Childcare providers, use Renfrewshire’s staged intervention documentation. This consistency supports effective practice across settings and strengthens decision-making through the Staged Intervention Support Panel (SISP) and the Education Support Resource Group (ESRG), ensuring coordinated, targeted support. Children’s Plans and Team Around the Child (TAC) processes consistently capture the views of children, young people and parents. Ongoing universal and targeted training has improved the quality of planning, with Child’s Plans becoming more solution-focused, grounded in robust assessment, and subject to regular evaluation. Quality assurance activity enables targeted support to be directed to establishments where it is most needed. Analysis of plan quality and ESRG request data demonstrates that effective early intervention enables the majority of children and young people to be successfully supported within their local establishments. Robust triage processes ensure that referrals to SISP and ESRG are reserved for the most vulnerable learners. All children referred through these panels receive enhanced, tailored support through the Flexible Learning Resource, ensuring interventions are proportionate, needs-led and impactful.
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19 PUBLIC National Education Priorities The National Improvement Framework (NIF) for Scottish education sets out the vision, key priorities and seven key educational outcomes for children and young people. This is then translated at a local level by education services. The NIF sets out seven strategic outcomes, the delivery of which will lead to improved educational outcomes for children and young people. The outcomes we expect to achieve are: • a globally respected, empowered, and responsive education system with clear accountability at every level that supports children, young people, and adult learners to thrive. The system enables the development of their knowledge, skills, values, and attributes that give them the best opportunity to succeed and contribute to Scotland’s society and economy • young people experiencing the benefit of schools and early years settings working in excellent partnerships with wider children’s services and other partners, families, and communities, in line with the GIRFEC approach • inclusive and relevant curriculum and assessment which gives young people the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to society, and shape a sustainable future, while celebrating and supporting progression for all • high levels of achievement across the curriculum for all learners, with action to close the poverty-related attainment gap • highly skilled teachers and school-leaders driving excellent learning, teaching and assessment for all, especially those with additional support needs • improving relationships and behaviour, and attendance, with increased engagement in learning and a culture of dignity and respect for all • an education system engaging in digital technology to enhance all aspects of learning and teaching, supported by a digitally skilled workforce and tackling digital inequality Positive Destinations A core focus of our improvement work on positive destinations has been the development of a coherent, whole-system approach across schools and communities. Through strong partnership working, we have created a network of support bringing together school colleagues, Skills Development Scotland, Invest in Renfrewshire, DYW West, West College Scotland and local employers. This collaborative approach has significantly expanded the range of meaningful pathways available to young people. Central to this work has been listening carefully to the voices of young people and families and using robust, data-driven approaches to shape targeted actions that address barriers to post-school participation and progression. The Principal Teacher of Positive Pathways role has been embedded to provide enhanced and tailored support, with a specific focus on care-experienced school leavers. This includes additional pastoral care, proactive career guidance and sustained support during key transition points. These arrangements ensure that care-experienced young people receive consistent advocacy and advice aligned to their individual destination aspirations.
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20 PUBLIC As a result of ongoing support and interventions there has been an increase in the number of young people from Quintile 1 accessing further and higher education opportunities that are relevant to their interests and career goals. The Career Ready programme is now well established across Renfrewshire secondary schools, offering young people structured mentoring, work-based learning and paid summer internship opportunities. Importantly, care-experienced young people are actively engaged in the programme, ensuring equitable access to high-quality employer connections and real-world experience. Our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Our Approach To understand the needs of children, young people and families in Renfrewshire, we carried out a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). This brought together information and evidence to help shape our priorities, outcomes and actions. By reviewing and analysing this information, we were able to better understand: • our population and the needs that are emerging • what life is like for children, young people and families living in Renfrewshire • what children, young people, families and communities think about services and support • what is working well and where we see good practice • what we need to improve and focus on next This understanding helps us plan services that meet people’s needs and make a real difference across Renfrewshire. Our Data Profile for Renfrewshire To support the development of this plan, we brought together a simple and easy-to-understand data profile for Renfrewshire. This helped us look at the wider picture of children’s lives and the pressures families are experiencing. The profile included key information on population, health and wellbeing, education, poverty, safety and demand for services. Looking at these indicators side by side helped us see the trends affecting children and young people, and where inequalities are most visible. We created this data profile to make sure our decisions are based on strong evidence. It allowed us to check that what we heard from children, young people, parents/carers and partners is reflected in the wider data, and to identify the areas where support and improvement are needed most. The data profile highlights a number of clear and consistent messages about the experiences of children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. While there are strong foundations and
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21 PUBLIC areas of progress, the data also shows that inequalities continue to shape outcomes and that demand for support is becoming more complex. Poverty remains one of the most significant underlying factors influencing outcomes. A substantial proportion of the population lives in areas of deprivation, with 24% of residents living in the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. Although child poverty rates in Renfrewshire are slightly lower than the national average and have reduced in recent years, 12.7% of children are still living in poverty after housing costs. The data also highlights the growing challenge of in- work poverty. In 2022-25, it is estimated that 75% of children in relative poverty after housing costs were living in working households (where at least one member of the household is in either full or part-time paid work), and with a higher proportion of the local workforce earning below the real Living Wage compared to Scotland overall. This reflects wider cost-of-living pressures, with increasing financial strain on families, rising fuel poverty, and continued reliance on emergency food provision. These inequalities are closely linked to differences in outcomes for children and young people. There is a clear attainment gap between those living in the most and least deprived communities, which becomes more pronounced at higher qualification levels which is in line with national experience. Similarly, children and young people in more deprived areas report lower levels of wellbeing, reinforcing the relationship between socio-economic disadvantage and life chances. Overall positive destination rates for school leavers are high, this reflects a strong and sustained performance across Renfrewshire, with the vast majority of young people moving on to further learning, training or employment. This demonstrates the effectiveness of local pathways, partnership working and targeted support in helping young people make successful transitions beyond school. There has also been notable progress over time in improving outcomes for care experienced young people, with increasing proportions moving into positive destinations. Renfrewshire has experienced significant demographic change over the last ten years which will impact on the future provision of Children’s services. Although Renfrewshire continues to have a declining birthrate and a negative rate of natural population change, development and migration have contributed to a significant population increase over the period, from 175,280 in 2014 to 189,170 in 2024. While the population of younger people in Renfrewshire is projected to grow in line with this trend, the larger growth of older sections of the population mean it will decline in percentage terms as a component of our population. With migration the driver for this change, the impact will not be uniform across the council area. Some areas with significant development have experienced rapid population increases, while others have experienced relative decline posing challenges for schools, social services and other public service provision. Increased levels of international migration have also led to an increase in the diversity of the population in terms of ethnicity and language, with accompanying changes to educational and wider service needs. Health and wellbeing data further underline the scale of challenges facing some communities. Drug-related deaths remain significantly higher than the national average, with deprivation strongly linked to increased risk. Alcohol use among young people and adults also continues to be a concern. Alongside this, wider indicators point to increasing pressures on mental health and
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22 PUBLIC emotional wellbeing, reflected in rising levels of need identified through services and partner feedback. At the same time, there are positive trends and strengths to build on. Early years indicators show improving early child development measures, and strong uptake of childhood immunisations, with this Plan explicitly prioritising further improvements in this area. The number of looked after children has reduced over time, and a high proportion of children are supported within family or kinship care settings, reflecting a commitment to keeping children within their communities wherever possible. Positive destinations for school leavers remain consistently high, demonstrating strong post-school pathways for most young people. However, the data also shows that need is becoming more complex. Child protection concerns continue to be closely associated with parental substance use, mental health, domestic abuse and neglect. Police data highlights significant levels of vulnerability among children, including exposure to violence, missing episodes and mental health crises. Partner feedback reinforces this, identifying that some families experience multiple and overlapping challenges, and that existing services do not always fully align with the complexity of need. A key theme emerging from both the data and partner insight is the importance of access to timely and appropriate support. While there is a wide range of services in place, there remain gaps in provision and variation in access between communities. Third sector organisations play a vital role in responding flexibly to local needs, but there are concerns about the sustainability of this support and the need for a more coordinated approach across partners. Overall, the data presents a clear picture. Renfrewshire has strong foundations, committed services and positive outcomes in many areas. However, persistent inequalities, increasing complexity of need, and pressures on families require a continued focus on early intervention, targeted support and partnership working. These findings have directly shaped the outcomes and priorities within this plan, with a focus on reducing inequalities, improving wellbeing, strengthening relationships and ensuring that children, young people and families can access the right support at the right time. Our Services for Children and Young People As part of developing this plan, we looked closely at the support and services already available for children, young people and families across Renfrewshire. This mapping exercise helped us understand the strengths we can build on and where there may still be gaps. We found a wide range of support across early years, schools, health services, social work, youth work, community groups and the third sector. Many of these services are already working together to provide early help, promote wellbeing and keep children safe. By mapping what we currently do, we were able to see where services are making a difference and where families may still struggle to access the right support at the right time. This ensures our new plan builds on what is working well and focuses our efforts where they will make the biggest difference.
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23 PUBLIC As partners, we provide three different types of services - universal targeted, and specialist Universal services are the services available to every child and young person in Renfrewshire. This includes the health visitor who checks your growth and development when you are a baby, the nurses who give you vaccinations and support your health as you grow, and the early years centres and schools that provide your education. It also includes things like access to a National Entitlement Card, which can give you benefits such as free bus travel and voluntary proof of age. Targeted services are there for you if you or your family need a bit more support to deal with circumstances or challenges, even if only for a short time. This might include extra help in early years or school, or advice and support to manage something that is making life more difficult. These services could involve our Whole Family Wellbeing teams, the Mediation Team at the George Street Project supporting young people at risk of homelessness, family/school advice and youth work programmes, or the Adult and Family Learning Team, which helps families make positive changes together through learning. Specialist services are available for children, young people and families who need support with more complex issues and may require ongoing help. These services focus on keeping you safe, healthy and able to achieve in a way that suits your needs. This might include support from a social worker or care from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). How we Listened In addition, to the data gathering and service mapping we wanted to ensure that our new plan reflects what matters most to local families, we listened carefully to the voices and experiences of children, young people, parents and the staff who support them. We used four main sources of evidence to build a fuller picture of needs, strengths and priorities across Renfrewshire. Specialist Targeted Universal
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24 PUBLIC Renfrewshire Secondary School Wellbeing Survey This survey gave us a strong understanding of how young people feel about their wellbeing, relationships, school life and access to support. It helped us identify the issues that matter most to young people across our secondary schools. Focus Groups with Children, Young People and Parents We held a series of focus groups in different community settings. These conversations allowed us to explore experiences in more depth and hear directly from families about what is working well, what gets in the way, and what they would change to make things better. Partner Survey We also gathered the views of staff and organisations who work with children, young people and families. This helped us understand strengths and gaps across services, the pressures partners are seeing, and the emerging needs affecting families. Priority-Setting Workshop Finally, we brought partners together for a workshop to look at all the evidence — the wellbeing survey, the focus groups, the partner survey and local data. Together, partners discussed the findings, agreed the outcomes for the new plan, and identified the priority actions that will make the biggest difference for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. How this influenced Our Plan The views gathered through the wellbeing survey, focus groups and partner survey: • confirmed the issues that matter most to families • highlighted gaps in support • helped us set clear priorities • shaped the actions we will take over the next three years This ensures our plan is grounded in real experiences and reflects the needs of children, young people and families across Renfrewshire. Key Findings Bringing together what we heard from families, partners and the wider data gave us a clear picture of the strengths in Renfrewshire, as well as the areas where children, young people and families need more support. Several consistent themes emerged: Wellbeing pressures are increasing Data and feedback show rising concerns around mental health, emotional wellbeing and stress for children and young people. Families and services are seeing greater need for early help and support. Inequalities continue to shape outcomes Poverty, cost of living pressures and access to opportunities remain significant challenges. These inequalities affect children’s health, learning and participation in community life.
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25 PUBLIC Safety and relationships matter Young people told us they want to feel safe in their communities and have trusted adults they can turn to. Partners highlighted the importance of strong, nurturing relationships across all services. Access to support can be uneven While many services are working well, families can still experience gaps or delays in getting the right help at the right time. Transport, cost and awareness of services can also be barriers. Young people want to be heard Across all engagement, children and young people said they want their views to be taken seriously and to have more influence over decisions that affect them. Strong foundations to build on Service mapping showed a wide range of support already in place across Renfrewshire, with committed staff and strong partnership working. These strengths give us a solid base for improvement. Our Plan for Improvement Our Agreed Outcomes Based on what children, young people, families and partners told us, we have agreed five outcomes that will guide our work over the year ahead. These outcomes reflect the issues that matter most to local children and the changes they want to see. Outcome 1 Our children, young people and families enjoy improved physical and mental health. Children and young people told us that mental health support needs to be easier to access, and partners are seeing increasing emotional and wellbeing needs. Evidence highlights the importance of pregnancy, the first year of life and early identification of neurodevelopmental need in shaping longer-term health and inequalities, reinforcing the need for strong prevention, early intervention and coordinated support across universal services before needs escalate. This outcome reflects our shared commitment to strengthening early support and ensuring children and young people can access the right help at the right time. We also recognise the central role of physical activity and play in supporting healthy development, emotional wellbeing and resilience. Children, young people and families highlighted the need for affordable, local and accessible opportunities, and for safe spaces where children can be active, socialise and play. Over the life of this plan, we will strengthen our focus on widening access to play opportunities and ensuring our environments support both physical and mental health.
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26 PUBLIC Outcome 2 Our children and young people are nurtured, safe and loved. Young people spoke about safety concerns in public spaces, pressures at home and school, and the importance of trusted adults. Families and partners also emphasised the need for early help and strong, supportive relationships. Outcome 3 Our children and young people are empowered, and their voices are heard and influence what we do. Children and young people told us they don’t always feel listened to, especially in school or public spaces. They want adults to understand them, avoid stereotypes and act on their views. This outcome commits us to meaningful participation and genuine influence. Outcome 4 Children, young people and families feel included, connected and valued in their communities, with clear pathways, reduced barriers, and opportunities that raise aspiration and support positive futures. Children and young people told us they want to feel part of their communities, have safe places to go and fair access to opportunities. They also want to be supported to achieve their goals, explore their interests and build a positive future for themselves. This outcome recognises that inclusion is not only about belonging, but also about having access to the opportunities, experiences and support needed to progress into adulthood with confidence and purpose. Outcome 5 Our children, young people and families are supported to live free from the impacts of poverty, with improved financial security, reduced barriers to participation and better long-term life chances. Children, young people and families have told us that the cost of living affects every part of daily life — from accessing activities and transport to feeling included and able to plan for the future. Partners also see the ongoing impact of poverty on health, wellbeing, learning and opportunities. This outcome reflects our shared commitment to reducing the pressures families face, improving financial security and ensuring that no child misses out because of their circumstances. It recognises that tackling poverty is central to improving outcomes across all areas of children’s lives and aligns with national priorities to reduce child poverty in Scotland. Our work will focus on widening access to support, reducing practical and financial barriers, and strengthening the pathways that help families move towards greater stability and opportunity.
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27 PUBLIC Our Priority Actions for 2026 to 2027 Our priority actions set out how partners will work together over the next year to improve outcomes for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. These actions will be refreshed during 2026/27 to align with our new Plan. These actions are grounded in local need, shaped by the voices of children and families, and aligned with the wider strategic direction set by the Community Plan, the Council Plan and the IJB Strategic Plan. Each outcome area is supported by a number of focused, high-impact actions that reflect the partnership’s commitment to early intervention, whole-family support, children’s rights and reducing inequalities. The actions are designed to be practical, achievable and responsive to what matters most to families. The main plan provides the strategic intent for each outcome. Annex A: Delivery Plan provides the detailed actions and measures of success for the year ahead. The delivery plan covers a one-year period, and any actions not completed within this timeframe will be carried forward into the next plan to ensure continuity and sustained progress. This approach keeps the main plan clear and accessible, while the delivery plan provides the operational detail needed to drive improvement. Together, these actions represent a shared commitment to improving wellbeing, strengthening relationships and ensuring that every child and young person in Renfrewshire can thrive. Outcome 1: Improved physical and mental health Partners are committed to improving the physical and mental health of children, young people and families by strengthening early intervention, reducing barriers and ensuring help is available at the right time. We will build a clearer picture of the whole system, use shared data to identify gaps and focus on the areas where we can make the greatest difference. Our work will support children to meet key developmental milestones, improve access to early help and ensure families receive coordinated support before needs escalate. Outcome 2: Nurtured, safe and loved We want every child and young person in Renfrewshire to feel nurtured, safe and loved. This means embedding consistent nurturing approaches across services, strengthening support for care experienced children and young people, and helping families build strong, connected support networks. Our work will focus on relationships, stability and early support, ensuring children experience care and protection in ways that are compassionate, trauma-informed and rights-based. Outcome 3: Empowered, heard and influencing Children and young people should feel listened to, respected and able to influence the decisions that affect their lives. We will strengthen our approach to participation and co-design, ensuring diverse voices shape services and that feedback leads to visible change. This includes developing consistent partnership-wide approaches, improving “You said, we did” practice and reaching groups whose voices are less often heard.
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28 PUBLIC Outcome 4: Included and valued in their communities We want children, young people and families to feel connected to their communities and able to access the support, spaces and opportunities they need. Our work will embed whole-family approaches, make better use of the learning estate and ensure resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact. By using local data and community insight, we will support more joined-up services and create environments where children and young people feel safe, welcome and valued. Our work will focus on strengthening community connections, widening access to opportunities and ensuring every child and young person can develop their skills, interests and aspirations for the future. Outcome 5: Reduced impact of poverty and improved life chances We want every child, young person and family in Renfrewshire to have what they need to feel secure, included and able to take part in everyday life. Poverty affects health, wellbeing, learning and opportunities, and partners see the pressures families face every day. Our work will focus on reducing these pressures, removing practical and financial barriers, and widening access to support and opportunities. By using local data and whole-family approaches, we will target help where it is needed most and support families towards greater stability and improved life chances. How we will oversee delivery of the plan Governance This plan is produced and monitored by the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Board. The Board brings together senior decision-makers from across the public and third sectors who all have a role in improving the lives of children and young people in Renfrewshire. It is chaired by the Head of Children and Justice Social Work for Renfrewshire Council and meets three times a year. The Board reports into the Community Planning Partnership Executive Group, the Council Leadership Board and the Integration Joint Board, ensuring strong links across the wider partnership landscape. The RCSP Board is supported by an Oversight and Monitoring Group, which provides a space for partners to review performance, discuss progress, and work through challenges and barriers. All partner agencies are represented on the group, with a named officer responsible for attending and taking forward actions. The Oversight and Monitoring Group reports performance to each RCSP Board and provides the information needed for effective decision-making. It is also responsible for preparing the annual report and supporting the development of new plans when required.
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29 PUBLIC An illustration of the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership governance is noted in figure 2 below. Resource Renfrewshire Council, Children’s Services revenue budget for 2026/27 is approximately £286m, equating to almost half of the Council’s General Services budget. As part of their capital budget, over £51m will be invested in 2026/27 in Schools and Early Years establishments, with £271m to be invested over the period 2026/27 to 2035/36. The HSCP’s agreed budget for Adult Social Care in 2026/27 is £119 million. Our Shared Commitment This plan brings together the outcomes we will work to achieve, and our shared priorities for the year ahead. Setting out the practical steps we will take to improve outcomes for children, young people and families in Renfrewshire. It reflects what our communities have told us, the evidence we hold across the partnership, and the collective ambition we share to make a meaningful difference. Delivering this plan will take continued collaboration, openness and a commitment to learning. We know progress happens when partners work together with a clear purpose and when the voices of children, young people and families shape what we do. Through regular monitoring and honest reflection, we will keep the plan active and responsive, adapting as needed to ensure we stay focused on what matters most. By taking forward these actions together, we are building on strong foundations and moving steadily towards our long-term ambitions. Our shared commitment is to make Renfrewshire a place where every child and young person is happy, healthy, safe and able to thrive. 7
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30 PUBLIC How do we measure our impact The performance indicators included in this plan help us understand the impact of the collective work taking place across the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership. They provide a balanced picture of progress across early years development, attainment, wellbeing, destinations and poverty-related outcomes, and highlight where further focus is needed. Using these indicators allows us to track change over time, identify gaps, and ensure our priorities remain rooted in evidence. They also help us demonstrate the value of the work being delivered across the partnership and support a shared understanding of what is improving and where we need to go next. Performance Indicators Indicator Baseline 21/22 Performance 22/23 Performance 23/24 Exclusive Breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks – percentage of babies who have always been exclusively breastfed (reported at 6-8 weeks) 23.7% 22.8% 23.2% Teenage pregnancy (under 20) – rates per 1,000 women (Includes all pregnancies in women aged under 20. The rate is calculated using the female population aged 15-19 (estimates 2021). 21.4 25.4 26.9 Smoking In Pregnancy - Percentage of current smokers in pregnancy 9.8% 10.3% 9.3% PHS Early Years Development – 27–30-month review – Percentage of children with at least one developmental concern recorded (the trend line for this measure has been inverted to reflect the language of the health outcomes) 22.2% 21% 19.4% PHS – Primary 1 BMI (Epidemiological Thresholds used for population modelling) – Percentage of children at a healthy weight 78.7% 79% 77.2% Active Schools Health Survey – Percentage of pupils completing over 3hrs of exercise per week 60% 63% 68% Primary Achievement of a Curriculum for Excellence Level – Percentage of P1, P4, P7 Care Experienced pupils combined meeting the expected level in Literacy 40% 32% 44% Primary Achievement of a Curriculum for Excellence Level – Percentage of P1, P4, P7 Care Experienced pupils combined meeting the expected level in Numeracy 54% 55% 61% Renfrewshire Wellbeing Census – Average Wellbeing Score (14-70) 45.2 48.3 48.8 Children and young people will be achieving physically, actively and have the best physical health All agencies will work together to provide support to children and families at the earliest possible stage, as part of our commitment to The Promise Children, young people, and their families can access all support in one place
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31 PUBLIC Renfrewshire Wellbeing Census – Percentage of pupils with low wellbeing 37% 25% 24% Initial Leavers Destinations – Percentage of all looked after children entering a positive initial destination 83% 91% 94.1 Leavers Attainment – Percentage of all looked after children leaving with 1+ award at SCQF level 6 29% 24% 26% Attendance – Percentage of pupils with less than 50% attendance in Renfrewshire 1.93 2.14 2.3 Positive Destinations – Percentage of school leavers in Renfrewshire in a positive destination 91.8% 93.6% 97.1% Looked After Children – Total looked after population in Renfrewshire 592 640 610 Child Poverty – Number of children living in relative low income before housing costs 4124 4013 3343 Free School Meals – Percentage of children in Renfrewshire eligible for free school meal 20.54% 25.83% 18.42% Clothing Grant – Percentage of children in Renfrewshire eligible for clothing grant 24.6% 20.26% 20.84%
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32 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Annex A Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership – Delivery Plan 2026–2027 This delivery plan sets out the actions the Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership will take forward over the next year to support the outcomes in the main plan. The actions reflect the priorities we have identified together. While the plan covers a one-year period, any actions that are not completed within this timeframe will be carried forward into the next plan to ensure continuity and sustained progress. This approach keeps our work responsive and allows partners to build on what is working well as we continue to improve outcomes across Renfrewshire. Outcome Priority Action What We Will Do Success Looks Like Outcome 1: Improved physical and mental health Map the whole system Complete a partnership-wide mapping of services, supports and data, including community and physical-health services. Clear picture of the system, gaps identified, priorities agreed. Improve Early Years developmental outcomes Develop and implement a shared Early Years improvement plan focused on key developmental areas. More children meeting developmental milestones. Strengthen early intervention and whole-family support Expand early help pathways, including mental health support, so families access help earlier. Reduced waiting times and more families supported earlier. Strengthen access to play and physical activity Work with partners and communities to widen access to safe, local and affordable play opportunities, recognising the role of play in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing. More children able to access play opportunities that support emotional wellbeing, social connection and healthy development.
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33 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Outcome Priority Action What We Will Do Success Looks Like Outcome 2: Nurtured, safe and loved Embed nurture principles Introduce a shared nurture framework and training across services. Staff confidence increases; children feel more supported. Improve outcomes for care-experienced children and young people Strengthen delivery of The Promise with clear actions on relationships, stability and transitions. Improved wellbeing, stability and participation. Support families/carers in the early years to build networks Expand opportunities for parents/carers to connect and access support locally. Families report stronger support networks and reduced isolation. Outcome 3: Empowered, heard and influencing Seek out diverse voices and co-design services Establish a consistent approach to co-design across the partnership. More services demonstrating co-design and evidencing impact. Strengthen “You said, we did” Introduce a partnership-wide feedback model showing how CYP views shape decisions. CYP see clear evidence of change based on their input. Capture seldom-heard voices Develop targeted engagement approaches for groups less likely to be heard. More diverse voices represented in planning. Outcome 4: Included and valued in their communities Whole-family approaches at the centre Embed whole-family approaches across services to ensure coordinated, strengths-based support that raises aspiration and awareness of opportunities. Families experience more joined-up support, with clearer pathways and improved understanding of what is available to them.
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34 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Outcome Priority Action What We Will Do Success Looks Like Develop and use the learning estate Identify, develop and promote accessible spaces for children and young people (CYP) within the learning estate, ensuring these spaces support aspiration, participation and community connection. More CYP using safe, welcoming spaces that support learning, social connection and personal development. Allocate resources based on community needs Use local data and insight to direct resources where impact will be greatest, with a focus on reducing practical barriers to participation. Funding decisions clearly linked to local need, with improved access for those facing the greatest barriers. Outcome 5: Reduced impact of poverty and improved life chances Strengthen whole-system understanding of poverty Build a shared picture of the drivers and impacts of poverty across Renfrewshire, using local data, community insight and partner intelligence. Clearer understanding of where poverty is most affecting children, young people and families, enabling more targeted action. Reduce practical and financial barriers Work with partners to identify and reduce the costs that prevent children and young people from taking part in everyday opportunities, including transport, food, clothing and activities. More children and young people able to access opportunities without cost being a barrier. Improve access to support Strengthen pathways into financial, wellbeing and whole-family support so families can access help earlier and more easily. Families receive coordinated support before pressures escalate, improving stability and wellbeing. Support long-term life chances Work with education, employability and community partners to widen access to opportunities that build skills, confidence and future pathways. Improved life chances through increased access to learning, training and community opportunities.
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35 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE