Renfrewshire Council

On this page:

• Financial wellbeing
• Looking after your mental health
• Keep physically active and healthy
• Cancer and other long term conditions
• Council staff with caring responsibilities
• Help to quit smoking

Financial wellbeing

We know that with rising costs, a lot of people may be worrying about paying bills, or making ends meet, and may be having to make difficult decisions around their spending.

We want to ensure you can get support if money worries are getting on top of you or if you just want to be money mindful.

Local help

Renfrewshire Council staff can get free confidential help from our Advice Works service and Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau. They can help you with:

• finding out if you are entitled to any benefits
• managing your debts
• general budgeting
• resolving problems paying bills

Our Energy Management Unit can help if you are struggling with fuel debt, are having issues with your energy supplier, or just need general energy advice. You can visit their webpage for more details or email them for independent expert advice at emu@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

The Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance (RACA) is made up of a variety of organisations including Renfrewshire Council, credit unions and banks to help you access fair and affordable forms of credit. Go to their website for more info.

You can also watch the RenTalk on Looking after your financial wellbeing for an overview of our Advice Works service, local affordable credit options and how our Energy Management Unit can help you. 

Further help

The iLearn module on financial wellbeing will help you learn about:

• how to create an effective budget
• the importance of picking the right bank account for your financial needs
• how you can save money by cutting costs and shopping smarter

Thinking about retiring? Our free half-day Planning for a Positive Retirement courses can help you plan for a financially secure retirement.

Money Helper brings together the support and services of three government-backed financial guidance providers: the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. Their website offers access to:

• advice on how to improve your finances 
• tools and calculators to help you keep track and plan ahead 
• free, confidential support over the phone and online

You might have heard of financial guru Martin Lewis, the founder of Money Saving Expert. He brings neutral financial advice to ordinary people across the UK on a range of money related topics. You can keep up to date with the latest news and guidance on the Money Saving Expert website and subscribe to the weekly email for updates straight to your inbox.

Looking after your mental health

We all have mental health and looking after it is just as important as caring for our physical health. 

What to do if you're having a mental health crisis

Help at work

There are different ways you can get support with your mental health at work. You can:

• Connect with colleagues. We want Renfrewshire Council to be a supportive place where anyone can talk about mental health. We hope you will feel comfortable speaking to your line manager so they can find the right way to support you at work. We also have a network of trained Mental Health First Aiders who will help you access the support you need
• Access free counselling. Time for Talking is our employee counselling service. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with free, confidential support from professional counsellors. You can find out more on the Time for Talking website or call 0330 202 0283 for support now.
• Contact Occupational Health on 0141 212 6970 for general enquiries (including those related to COVID-19), referrals, and to discuss the range of support options available.
• Learn from others. Hearing how other people have overcome negative experiences with their mental health can inspire you to start your own wellbeing journey. Read our collection of staff stories.
• Understand the different causes and signs of stress. Visit our information on stress awareness and advice for ways identify and cope with stress both at work and home.
• Watch our 'Relaxation and stress management' RenTalk and learn a short but effective relaxation technique to help you unwind any time.  

Mental health resources

Many organisations offer excellent free resources online to help support good mental health both at home and in the workplace. Here are some we hope you will find helpful:

• The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) has lots of information and support on their website including how to look after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak and top tips on connecting with nature to improve your mental health.
• Clear Your Head is The Scottish Government's campaign to provide advice and resources to help us cope with the impact of coronavirus on our mental wellbeing.
• Scotland Association for Mental Health (SAMH) has developed a series of information resources and supports on everything from mental health conditions, self-help and wellbeing, helping someone else, suicide prevention and workplace wellbeing.
• See Me Scotland are on a mission to end mental health discrimination and help people cope with the impacts of mental health and learn to support others. They are dedicated to improving mental health in the workplace and they offer excellent resources and advice to help end stigma at work.
• Mind, the mental health charity have resources on their website to support your mental health, including free wellbeing action plan templates with easy, practical ways of helping you to support your own mental health at work or working from home.

Keep physically active and healthy 

Your physical health has a big impact on how you are feeling emotionally and mentally. It can be hard to start a new fitness routine. But you don't have to sweat it! Little changes can have huge benefits. 

Move more

Our bodies are designed to move. Any exercise is better than none at all. So, why not start by building more movement into your day-to-day activity?

Try to:

• Walk more - add walking to your day as much as possible. 
• Stand more - if you sit at a desk for long periods, take standing breaks. Get up and move around every so often.
• Step outside more - try to let yourself breathe in the fresh air at least once a day.
• Explore more - here in Renfrewshire, we have many wonderful outdoor places you can visit to help you get some exercise while reconnecting with nature. Visit the paisley.is website for lots of great ideas and information on exploring the great outdoors in Renfrewshire.
• Try more - YouTube.com is packed with free fitness videos that can help you get moving at home. From 5-minute workouts and short High Intensity Training, Yoga and Pilates to muscle building and longer full body workouts - there's lots to try and find what works for you.

Ready for more? One Ren has lots of resources to help keep you fit and healthy. You can sign up to a gym membership, join a fitness class or get involved in local sports and fitness activities. You can also access a range of health and fitness e-magazines that are free to borrow through OneRen Libraries. 

Cancer and other long term conditions

Our Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ)/Long Term Conditions (LTC) service helps people get the support they need - whether that's physical, emotional, practical, medical, or financial.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer or a long-term condition and you live or work in Renfrewshire, you can access the service. The ICJ/LTC team are also on hand to help family and carers. You can self-refer for this service or ask someone to fill out a referral form on your behalf.

Go to the Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ)/Long Term Conditions (LTC) service webpage for more information and to access the referral form.

Council staff with caring responsibilities

If you work at the council and you also are an unpaid carer for someone, there is lots of support available for you at work and from local and national organisations.

Find out more about the support you can get as an unpaid carer

Help to quit smoking

Smoking, including vaping, has a huge impact on your overall wellbeing. 

Help to take back control and quit smoking for good:

• The Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership offers excellent support through the Quit Your Way programme. Visit their website to find out how you can access local clinics and receive free stop smoking products. Or call the Quit Your Way team on 01505 821316. 
• NHS Inform can help you create a quit plan, provide you with a free quit pack and help you get in touch with trained advisors and local support. Visit their Stopping Smoking webpage for full details.

Return to our Staff info page for more info about working at the council and the latest staff news and stories from across the organisation.