Check out the daily updates. 

iLearn Kick Off—Monday 12 May
Free Learning Frenzy—Tuesday 13 May
Wellbeing Wednesday—Wednesday 14 May
Financial Fitness —Thursday 15 May
Discover AI—Friday 16 May  
 

iLearn Kick Off—Monday 12 May 

Explore a world of learning at your fingertips 

Our digital learning platform, iLearn, is where you'll find our mandatory training courses plus over 500 modules on a range of topics such as: 

• Wellbeing—Learn techniques to manage stress and care for your mental health.  
• Digital skills—Explore courses on data literacy and expand your Office 365 skills. 
• Professional and personal development—From communication skills to leadership training, there's plenty to help you develop in your career. 

Learn any time, any where  

iLearn is accessible from any device. Whether you're at your desk, at home, or on the go, you can continue your learning journey without needing to access our network or a council device.  

You can also catch-up with RenTalks 

Our popular RenTalks programme covers a variety of topics from council projects and initiatives to employment policies and supporting your wellbeing. 

If you missed a live session, did you know you can catch up on recordings via iLearn? Simply type 'RenTalks' into the search bar to see what's available.  

Start learning today! 

Since we launched the new and improved platform just over one year ago, more than 6,500 of you have accessed iLearn, completing over 52,800 courses.  

Login today and join your colleagues who are taking advantage of the abundance of learning opportunities that await you on iLearn. 

Start exploring the courses available today (iLearn). 

Free Learning Frenzy—Tuesday 13 May

Lifelong learning opportunities

We're excited to highlight some of the free learning opportunities including local community activities and online platforms that can be accessed anywhere, any time.

Whether you want to learn a new skill, improve your knowledge, or simply explore a new hobby, there is something for everyone.

Adult learning in Renfrewshire

As a local authority we provide a range of free courses for adults to improve essential skills like reading, writing, spelling, and numeracy, as well as support for job seekers and those taking their driving theory tests.

We also offer English classes for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and courses in money management, personal development, wellbeing, women's history and crafts like knitting and sewing.

If you're looking to build your digital literacy, Renfrewshire Libraries offer digital drop-in sessions where you can access personalised support to enhance your digital skills in a friendly, relaxed environment.

Get more information about the range of free adult learning courses in Renfrewshire.

Learn a new language with Duolingo 

Duolingo is a popular language-learning app that offers a fun and interactive way to learn a new language. With Duolingo you can choose from over 40 different languages and start learning through bitesize reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises.

Duolingo provides personalised learning experiences by adapting to your progress and tailoring practice sessions to your needs.

To sign up for Duolingo, you can download the free Duolingo app from the App Store or Google Play, or visit the Duolingo website.

Free learning with OpenLearn

Did you know the Open University's distance learning platform 'OpenLearn' has around 1,000 free courses on a vast range of subjects including business, health, psychology, languages, and technology?

The flexible modules allow you to study at your own pace and fit learning around your work schedule. Plus, many come with digital badges or statements of participation upon completion.

Get more information about OpenLearn and explore the courses on offer (OpenLearn website).

Wellbeing Wednesday—Wednesday 14 May

Resources for your self-care and wellbeing

Self-care and supporting your own wellbeing don't always come easily and sometimes we all need to learn when and how to put our own needs first.

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources that can help you on your wellness journey so you can live a healthier, happier life while still meeting your responsibilities.

Here's a quick look at some of our support at work:

Our wellbeing hub
Our employee wellbeing hub is a great place to start if you're looking for support at work or elsewhere. It's got advice, tips and lots of signposts for services and resources to support your mental, physical and financial health.
Visit our employee wellbeing hub.

Wellbeing-focussed RenTalks and iLearn courses
Lots of our RenTalks sessions focus on topics related to wellbeing and self-care. Just last week, Dr Heather Currie and menopause expert Ruth Devlin delivered a session on 'Discussing Hormone Replacement Therapy' for colleagues going through menopause—watch the recording on iLearn.

You can watch more wellbeing-related RenTalks recordings any time on iLearn, and you can access a range of e-learning courses on topics like Understanding and Managing Emotions, Stress Busters, Wellbeing Conversations and Trauma Informed training

Just head to the 'Wellbeing' section from the iLearn homepage or search for a specific course in the search bar.
Access e-learning and wellbeing related RenTalks on iLearn. 

Mental Health First Aiders
When you need someone to talk to, our trained Mental Health First Aiders are ready to listen and help you find the support you need. They're based in different locations across all our services and are happy to speak to you in person, online or over the phone.
Find out about our Mental Health First Aiders.

Employee counselling service
If you need something more structured and think you could benefit from counselling, our employee counselling service, Time for Talking, offers free, confidential therapy from professional counsellors.

They also have lots of free resources like webinars and their Time for Talking podcast where you can listen to meaningful conversations on topics such as 'Anxiety', 'Getting your Mojo Going', and 'Positive Thinking'.
Visit their website for full details (Time for Talking website).

Further support and resources

National Wellbeing Hub
Visit the National Wellbeing Hub for practical tips and guidance to help improve your mental and physical wellbeing. 
Visit their website (National Wellbeing Hub).

Breathing and relaxation
Relieve stress and follow along with videos on breathing and relaxation exercises with NHS Inform.
Learn about breathing and relaxation techniques (NHS Inform).

Take a walk
Treat your body and mind to a walk around one of Renfrewshire's many outdoor places that are ideal for reconnecting with nature. The Paisley.is website has lots of ideas for where you can go. 
Explore places to visit in Renfrewshire (Paisley.is website).

At home workouts
Get active, even when you're at home with the NHS Youtube Channel. It's got lots of instructor led workout videos like 'Aerobics for Beginners, Pilates for Arthritis, and Back Care.
Browse the NHS workout videos (YouTube).

Stop smoking
If you want to stop smoking, Renfrewshire HSCP Stop Smoking Service can give you advice and support you on your individual journey. 
Go their webpage for support to stop smoking (Renfrewshire HSCP website).

Mental health
Finally, these organisations offer various supports for taking care of your mental health:

• Scotland Association for Mental Health (SAMH)
• See Me Scotland
• Mind
• The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) 

We hope you have found and resources we have shared today helpful for learning about taking care of your wellbeing and accessing support when you need it.

Financial Fitness—Thursday 15 May 

Small steps to stay on track 

Sometimes dealing with our finances can feel overwhelming, but taking small steps can make a real difference. Today we're sharing some useful resources to start you off on your financial planning journey no matter your circumstances or stage of life. 

From general financial guidance, to help with bills, benefits and pensions, there's something in here for everyone. 

Ideas to start building your financial fitness: 

General financial advice 
Our 'Looking after your financial wellbeing' RenTalk provides lots of useful information on everything from benefits to energy management.  
Watch the RenTalk on financial wellbeing. 

Check out this short webinar from Health Assured which looks at the link between finances and wellbeing. It's around 11 minutes long and offers tips on how to support your emotional wellbeing when dealing with money worries. 
Watch the Money Worries webinar (YouTube). 

If you're a member of Unison, their website has lots of useful advice and benefits for members.  
Check out the support for Unison members (Unison website). 

Get help with energy, phone and broadband bills 
For a closer look at energy bills, watch the recording of our 'Help to cope with rising energy bills' RenTalk for a refresher on how to keep your bills manageable.  
Watch the RenTalk on energy bills. 

If you need personalised energy advice, our dedicated team of advisors are ready to help you.  
Get in touch with our Energy Advice team.  

Save money with our employee benefits 
Did you know colleagues have saved over £2,000 in the first two months since we launched our new employee benefits platform? If you haven't signed up to Vivup Lifestyle Savings already, why not register today and join your colleagues who are making savings on grocery shopping, retail and leisure. 
Access your employee benefits. 

Prepare for retirement 
For colleagues considering retiring in the next three years, you can book onto a free online workshop with Affinity Connect that will help you start planning. This is aimed at local-government workers and is not applicable to those on teaching contracts. 
See upcoming dates for our Planning for a Positive Retirement workshops. 

Save money and borrow safely 
Credit unions like Right Way, Scotwest and Johnstone Credit Unions are trusted lenders that offer affordable credit and reliable savings options.  

If you visit the Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance (RACA) website, you'll find lots of information to help you decide the best fit for your needs.  
Get information about local trusted lenders (RACA website).  

Struggling to manage your finances or worried about debt? 
If you're struggling with your finances and don't know where to turn, the following services can help you: 

• Renfrewshire Council Advice Works—See full details on their webpage. 
• Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau (RCAB)—Learn more about RCAB services (RCAB website). 
• Money Advice Service—Get guidance and resources online (Money Advice Service website). 
• Shelter Scotland Housing Advice can support you if you are worried about paying your rent or mortgage and becoming homeless. Get housing advice (Shelter Scotland website). 
• For quick tips, information and advice on dealing with debit, watch this 10-minute Dealing with Debt webinar (YouTube). 

Check your benefit entitlement 
Many people aren't receiving all the benefits that they are entitled to. Our Advice Works service and Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau (RCAB) offer free benefit checks. 
Make a self-referral or head to a drop-in session with Advice Works.
Arrange a welfare benefit check (RCAB website).

Many benefits are now managed through Social Security Scotland.
Learn about welfare benefits and eligibility in Scotland (Social Security Scotland).  

If you are in receipt of certain benefits, you may be entitled to social tariffs with some telephone and internet providers. 
Learn about broadband and phone Social Tariffs.  

Discover AI at work - Friday 16 May

Get to know your AI assistant, Copilot Chat 

It seems like everyone is talking about AI right now. So, to round up Learning at Work Week 2025, we're sharing our top tips for getting the benefit from this groundbreaking technology at work and the key things you need to know about using your AI assistant, Copilot Chat. 

Whether you are excited about the possibilities that AI offers, or are feeling apprehensive, we encourage you to learn how Copilot Chat can help you work faster and smarter, leaving you with more time to focus on the things you do best.  

How Copilot Chat can help you  

Copilot Chat can help you with a range of tasks including:  

• Researching topics—Try asking it a question about any subject. It will browse the information it can find online and share its answers and insights with you.
• Summarising documents—You can upload a document or paste text from a document straight into the chat box and ask Copilot Chat to summarise the content. This will give you a short overview of the key points. 
• Drafting messages and reports —Tell Copilot Chat what sort of message or report you want to create, the style and tone to use and add a document or paste in the key pieces of information to be included and you'll get some useful draft content.
• Understanding insights from data—upload any document you have with raw data or paste this into the chat box and Copilot can help you interpret trends and identify important insights.
• Translating content—if you have some written content in a language that you'd like translated, copy this into your Copilot chat box and ask for a translation.  

Where to find Copilot Chat 

You'll find the Copilot Chat icon on the left-hand menu in Teams, or you can access the app via a web browser. 

Log in to Microsoft 365 to access Copilot Chat on your browser.  

What to watch out for  

It's important to always carefully review everything Copilot Chat creates for accuracy because it can make mistakes. Sometimes results are based on old or incorrect information, and it can easily misinterpret information and instructions.  

When analysing data, it may only look at a portion of that data and when producing written content, key messages may be missed or altered, and you may feel that the tone isn't quite right for your audience. 

The more detailed and accurate information you can feed Copilot Chat, the better its results will be. But it's still essential to always check and review every output carefully. 

ICT guidelines and security 

When you are signed in at work, and using Copilot Chat, the questions that you ask, and the outputs that you get, are all protected. That means Copilot Chat offers a safe space to build your skills at work.  

The same is not true for other AI Assistants like Chat GPT, Google Gemini or Deep Seek, and these platforms should be avoided at work. Make sure you always follow our ICT guidelines and Acceptable Use Policy.  

See our guidelines about using AI and our Acceptable Use Policy (Intranet). 

Want to know more?  

There's a bitesize training module available now on iLearn that gives you a quick introduction to Copilot Chat. And soon we'll be adding a second module that offers more detailed guidance on how to ask the right questions and prompts for better results.  

Check out the introduction to Copilot on iLearn. 

Join our upcoming RenTalk: Better AI Responses with Microsoft Copilot Chat on Tuesday 27 May from 11am-12pm 

In this session about using AI at work, our Digital Learning colleagues will help you get the most from your AI assistant, Copilot Chat. The session will cover the basics of using Copilot Chat securely, tips and tricks for asking effective questions and prompts, and suggestions for how you can get the best use from Copilot Chat at work. 

Invitations to this session were sent to all networked colleagues on Wednesday 14 May. If you don't have a work email address, you can contact internalcommunications@renfrewshire.gov.uk to receive a link to join. 

Thanks for checking out our Learning at Work Week content 

Remember, we value learning at Renfrewshire Council to help us innovate, improve and deliver better services. That means we are open-minded, we seek out new information, we embrace new tools and technologies, and we're prepared to take responsibility for our own development and share that learning with each other.    

We want to thank everyone for taking the time to browse the information and resources we've shared this Learning at Work Week. We hope you have found them useful. 

Published—Monday 12 May 2025
Updated—Friday 16 May 2025