Service request

We’re looking for people who can offer stability, care, and lifelong commitment to children living in Renfrewshire.

We welcome enquiries from people from all backgrounds and varieties of childcare experience.

You can find out more about what adoption is.

Basic requirements to adopt a child

You must: 

• be aged 21 or over
• have lived in Scotland for more than a year 
• have a spare bedroom in your home
• currently be in good health.

 You can:

• be employed, self-employed, or unemployed
• be single (any gender)
• be married or in a civil partnership
• be living with a partner in an enduring relationship 
• have your own children or no children
• own or rent the property you live in
• be of any religious background or none. 

Important qualities we look for in potential adopters include:

• being mature, thoughtful, and patient
• an ability to manage stress, difficult behaviour, and complex needs
• flexible thinking and problem-solving skills
• being willing to make a commitment to and provide a home for a child
• having a good support network of friends and family. 

Who cannot adopt a child

Smokers or vapers

As we look out for the best interests of children, we will not place a child in a household where anyone smokes or vapes.

Criminal convictions

You will not be able to adopt if you have been convicted of certain offences involving children.

If you, or a member of your household, has a criminal conviction for other offences, this will be investigated carefully during our assessment.

Find out more about adopting a child and giving children the chance of a positive, brighter future.

You can:

• read about the stages to adopting a child
• see what support is available for adoptive parents
• chat with our adoption team.

Talk to us about adoption on the phone on 0300 300 1199.

We’ll talk you through the next steps in taking your interest forward.

Contact us by email

You can contact our adoption team by email childrenandfamilies@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Find out what Blue Badges are.

Find out who can apply for a Blue Badge.

Find out what evidence you'll need to provide.

Complete all sections of the application form. This helps us make our decision.

Read about applying on the Scottish Government's website.

You can apply for yourself, or someone else can apply for you.

Apply for a Blue Badge (GOV.UK website)

If you cannot apply online

If you cannot apply for a Blue Badge online, contact us to apply by email or phone:

Risk in Traffic Blue Badge

If you want to apply for a Risk in Traffic Blue Badge, download and fill in this form:

Once you've filled in the form, send it to us by email or by post:

Register for an exemption for Low Emission Zones

Use your Blue Badge number to register for an exemption to drive in a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). The exemption applies to all LEZs in Scotland.

You must register your exemption before midnight on the day you travel. Otherwise, you may get a fine called a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

Register for an LEZ exemption (mygov.scot)

After you've applied, an occupational therapist will review the information you provided and complete a desktop assessment. They may invite you to attend a further assessment.

During the assessment process, we may access your information that we hold on our electronic health and social care records.

It can take up to 12 weeks to get a decision if you need an assessment. We'll contact you about the decision.

Blue Badges are issued from a national distribution centre, and it can take up to 10 working days for your badge to arrive at your home address. You'll also get an information booklet and parking clock to use if you're travelling in England and Wales.

The fee for a Blue Badge is £20. We'll contact you about paying the fee if you're approved for a Blue Badge.

You'll then be able pay for your Blue Badge with our online payment form or by phoning us on 0300 300 0300.

If you’re a supplier for Renfrewshire Council, you must include a valid PO number on all your invoices. 

We will not pay invoices from external suppliers for goods, works, or services if it does not clearly state a valid Purchase Order (PO) number. If the invoice does not have a PO number, it’ll be rejected and returned to you unpaid. 

It applies to all suppliers who we order goods, works, or services from, unless your order is exempt from having a purchase order.

Purchase order (PO) exemptions

Certain payments do not need a purchase order, like rent, some legal settlements, and grant payments, and those paid with purchasing cards.

These include:

• property rent
• property rates
• property service charges
• planning applications
• stamp duty land returns
• VAT payments
• cashflow payments
• payroll payments
• legal settlements
• foreign payments
• land transactions
• payments to Scottish Court & Tribunal Services
• grant payments
• utility services
• urgent or emergency payments
• election related payments with unique tax implications
• payments made by purchasing cards, where purchases are made in accordance with the Purchasing Card Policy
• payments to suppliers who physically cannot add a PO Number to an invoice
• alternative payment arrangements detailed within applicable contract terms and conditions 
• orders that cannot be placed through the council’s ERP Business World system (such as property repairs and orders placed via WorkHub or CAMIS) 
• payments that are not within scope of the No Purchase Order No Pay Policy

Any exemptions must be approved by our Corporate Procurement Manager. 

We keep a record of all exemptions and review it every year.

There is a separate process if you’re an individual who needs to pay for a service we’ve provided to you (sundry income).

Check the purchase order (PO)

We’ll send you a purchase order (PO) with a unique PO number through one of our approved electronic ordering systems, with our request for goods, works, or services.

If this is not possible, we’ll email you the purchase order. However, this must be approved by our Corporate Procurement Manager.

The format of the PO number will depend on the system we issue purchase orders from, but it’ll look like this:

• 9-digit reference number starting with 2 or 6 or WH
• 7-digit reference number starting with DO or CAM or SFM
• 6-digit reference number starting with PS.

If you do not have a purchase order (PO) number

Do not accept an order for goods, services, or works from us unless we provide you with an official purchase order with a PO number.

We will not pay invoices if we do not have a valid PO number.

Contact the council officer who made the request if:

• your purchase order does not have a valid PO number
• you do not have a copy of the official purchase order
• you have a PO number but not a purchase order.

Ask them to provide you with: 

• an official purchase order
• a valid PO number.

The purchase order should state where to send the invoice. If you send the invoice by any other means, we cannot process it and we will not be able to pay you. 

If the invoice does not say where or who to send it to, contact the council officer who made the request and ask them to send you instructions on submitting your invoice.

We scan and process invoices using optical character recognition (OCR) software. 

When you submit an invoice to us, make sure: 

• there’s only one attachment per email - If you’re submitting an invoice with supporting documentation, these must be combined into a single file before you send it to us
• the invoice is electronically typed in Word or PDF – we cannot accept other formats or file types
• each attachment has a unique file name
• you do not apply security restrictions to the attached file.

What the invoice must include

All invoices you send to us must contain:

• a valid PO number
• the word 'invoice' or 'credit'
• an invoice number and supplier details, including company name, address, contact details
• clear and separate lines describing the goods, works, or services provided
• each line must include a line number, item number, quantity, and unit price
• the name of your contact at Renfrewshire Council
• any other unique reference numbers or information that we have provided
• the total gross amount owed, the VAT rate and amount (if applicable), and net amount
• a VAT registration number (where applicable).

If you’re a HMRC tax-deductible supplier, you must detail the split between labour and materials.

Send your request for payment to invoices.prop2p@renfrewshire.gov.uk for:

• invoices with a 9-digit reference number starting with 2 or 6
• invoices on the PO exemptions list

Send your request for payment to invoices.finit@renfrewshire.gov.uk for:

• invoices with a 9-digit reference number starting with WH
• invoices with a 7-digit reference number starting with DO, CAM, or SFM
• invoices with a 6-digit reference number starting with PS
• credit notes with a PO number.

If the credit note is exempt from having a PO number, send it to the council officer who requested the goods, works, or services.

Send statements to creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you have any queries about invoices, contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

Before we can pay your invoice, we’ll complete a 'goods receipt' or validate the invoice on our purchasing system to confirm we have received the goods, works, or services from you. 

If you submit your invoice and it does not include the minimum required information, including a valid PO number, we’ll have to return it to you before we can pay it.

You’ll receive an email advising you what you need to do next.

For example, you may need to amend your invoice to state a clear, visible and valid PO number and send it to us again. Or we may advise you to contact the relevant council officer to amend your invoice and resubmit it.

Payment terms and conditions

We’ll pay all valid invoices within 30 days after receipt in compliance with our No PO No Pay policy, unless we’ve contractually committed to other terms of payment. 

We reserve the right to withhold payment if goods, works, or services have not been provided in accordance with the contract.

We expect suppliers to pay any sub-contractors promptly, within 30 days of them providing the goods, works, or services.

If your details are not correct 

Contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you need to change your details including: 

• company name
• address
• contact details
• VAT registration number
• payment details.

Your account contact at the Council must formally authorise changes to your contact details before we can update your records. 

This in accordance with our:

• privacy policy
• counter fraud and corruption policy.

More information 

If you have any queries about invoices, contact us at creditors@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

All our current tenders for goods, works, and services are advertised on the Public Contracts Scotland website

If you want to bid for contracts with Renfrewshire Council, you’ll need to be registered as a supplier with Public Contracts Scotland.

You can then view tenders, submit a bid, and receive notifications on bids through the website.

Each tender listed there will specify:

• what information we need from you
• how to send it to us 
• how we evaluate your bid.

We need to check that your business has the ability, resources, and experience to deliver the contract you are bidding for. 

As part of your bid, we may need evidence that your business meets the minimum requirements of the contract such as:

• financial information, including insurance documents and accounting records
• equality and diversity policies
• sustainability information
• health and safety details
• evidence of relevant experience and skills
• cyber security credentials.

If you meet these minimum requirements, you can compete for council contracts.

We do not choose suppliers based on price alone. We are looking for the best balance of quality and price to deliver value of money for our residents in Renfrewshire.

Register as a supplier

Before you bid for a contract, you must be registered as a supplier with Public Contracts Scotland.

Once you have registered you can:

• search for contract opportunities over £25,000
• get alerts about new opportunities
• submit bids.

Explain how you’ll deliver the contract

As part of the tender process, you’ll need to provide information demonstrating how you’ll deliver the contract.  

Each tender document has full details on how we’ll score your bid.

We’ll evaluate your submission in line with the award criteria set out in the tender documentation.  

The evaluation may include: 

• methodology and approach
• technical capability
• customer support and after sales service
• delivery plan and timescales
• quality assurance and performance management
• risk management
• community benefits
• Fair Work First principles - see the Fair Work First guidance on the Scottish Government website.
• innovation.

You should make sure your responses clearly address the areas required and provide sufficient details to support a robust evaluation by us.

Along with your submission, we may ask you to: 

• attend a meeting
• give a presentation
• demonstrate your product or services.

We may also carry out site visits.

We’ll outline the details of these in the tender documents if we require them. 

Maximise your chance of success

To maximise your chance of success, you should clearly demonstrate how you’ll deliver a high-quality service at a competitive price.

You should:

• respond to all questions and follow the required structure
• demonstrate how you’ll meet all specified standards
• tailor your response to align with our policies and ambitions
• adhere strictly to any word or page limits
• make sure your price is realistic, competitive, and sustainable.

We recommend you raise queries on the Public Contracts Scotland tendering system if you’re uncertain about any elements of the tender, rather than making assumptions. 

If you’re interested in an opportunity, submit an Expression of Interest through the Public Contracts Scotland website

You’ll then get access to the tender listing where you’ll find instructions on how to access the tender documents, including:

• an explanation of the procurement process
• information on the award criteria and how submissions are scored
• specifications detailing the council’s requirements
• the contract terms and conditions.

You must submit your bid before the deadline stated on the tender listing. We cannot accept late submissions.

We’ll notify you if your bid has been successful or not.

We’ll specify our response times in the tender notice.

If your bid is successful

If your bid is successful and you’re awarded a contract with the Council, we expect you to deliver it in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract.

It’s free to register, view notices, and respond to tenders on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

Our DigiZones provide free access to digital skills support, internet, and digital devices for people in Renfrewshire.

Organisations across Renfrewshire can apply to become part of our growing network of DigiZones and support local communities.

By joining, you can:

• help tackle digital exclusion and support people to get online
• promote the digital services you already offer
• join a network of organisations working together across Renfrewshire
• access resources, branding and promotional materials
• connect with partners and share learning and good practice.

Our DigiZones have seen:

• over 161,000 visits
• more than 47,000 public devices accessed
• nearly 91,000 public Wi-Fi sessions accessed.

Any organisation based in Renfrewshire can apply to become a DigiZone.

This includes:

• community groups, charities, and voluntary organisations
• libraries and community hubs
• schools, colleges, and learning providers
• housing associations and public sector organisations
• businesses and social enterprises.

Your venue must offer at least 1 of the following:

• free internet access
• free access to devices
• free digital skills or online safety support.

Apply online to become a DigiZone

We’ll ask you to provide:

• information about your organisation
• details of your venue
• information about the digital support you currently offer.

Your application will be reviewed by members of the DigiZones Sub-Group.

Contact us

If you have any questions about DigiZones or about becoming a DigiZone, contact us by:

• email: digital-inclusion@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Home to school transport is when we:

• pick your child up in the morning
• take them to school
• bring them home after school.

This is normally on a bus service only for pupils.

Depending on your child's situation, other options include:

• a Young Scot National Entitlement Card for a public bus service - for secondary school pupils only
• a train pass for a public train service - for secondary school pupils only
• a taxi, private car hire, or minibus
• the council's own school transport vehicles.

Home to school transport does not include any transport at lunchtime.

If your child gets home to school transport, it's your responsibility to make sure your child is at their pick-up point on time each day.

We'll provide home to school transport for your child if they:

• live more than 1 mile away from their catchment primary school by the shortest acceptable walking route
• live more than 2 miles away from their catchment secondary school by the shortest acceptable walking route.

If you're not sure how far you live from your child's school, you can check this list of eligible addresses:

If your child will attend the new Paisley Grammar School from August 2026, you can check this list to see if your address is eligible for home to school transport:

We'll also provide home to school transport for any child who:

• has a medical condition that prevents them from walking to school
• has been assessed to attend a specific school to meet their additional support needs
• would have to walk a route that does not meet the criteria of a acceptable walking route, even if it's less than 1 mile for primary pupils or 2 miles for secondary pupils.

If your child is not eligible for home to school transport

If your child does not meet the criteria for home to school transport, you can apply for a privilege pass.

When spaces become available on home to school transport vehicles, such as school buses, pupils who have applied may be given a privilege pass. This is for long-term arrangements only, not when a home to school transport pupil misses the occasional day.

Anyone can apply for a privilege pass. Your child does not need to meet any eligibility criteria.

You should apply for a privilege pass at the start of the new school year, on the first day of term, although you can apply at other times, too. Allocations will take place in September and October each year once we know what spare capacity is available.

If we get more applications than there are spaces available, we'll carry out a ballot to assign the spaces. Your child might not get a space, but we'll keep your application on a waiting list in case spaces become available at a later date in the current school year.

Even if your child does get a space, we might have to take it away if a child who is eligible for home to school transport needs it later on. This could happen at short notice, but we'll try to give you 5 days' notice.

If your child is starting primary school, you should apply at the same time you register them for Primary 1 (P1).

If your child is starting secondary school, you should apply in the February of their last year at primary school.

You can apply at any other time, but it might take us a little longer to review your application and set up home to school transport for your child.

You'll need to reapply for home to school transport if your child moves house during the school year.

You can see more details on home to school transport in the following documents:

Apply online for home to school transport.

You'll need to tell us:

• your name
• your phone number
• your child's name
• their date of birth
• their home address
• the reason your child needs home to school transport - for example, if they live too far from school to walk.

You can also apply online for a privilege pass.

When you'll get a decision

We'll tell you our decision by emailing a letter to the email address provided on your application form.

If you apply for home to school transport for the next school year, and you apply before the end of May, we'll aim to send you our decision by June.

If your child is already in school and you apply for home to school transport for the current school year, we'll aim to send you our decision in 5 days, but it might take us longer than this.

Appealing a decision

If you think we made a wrong decision, you can appeal (ask us to review the decision again).

You must appeal a decision within 10 days of receiving our original decision letter.

Download and fill in the appeal form:

Email your appeal form to cssupport@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

If you prefer, you can post your appeal form to:

Director of Children's Services
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1LE

We'll aim to tell you our final decision within 20 working days.

If your child misbehaves during home to school transport

If your child misbehaves, the driver may take your child's transport pass.

The driver will notify their supervisor, who will then notify your child's head teacher.

Your child's head teacher will invite you to an interview at the school. You'll need to assure the head teacher that your child will behave before you can get your child's transport pass back.

Until you get your child's transport pass back, you'll be responsible for making your own arrangements to get your child to and from school.

Giving feedback about home to school transport

We've partnered with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), who work with the operators who provide our home to school transport service.

Give feedback about home to school transport on the SPT website.

If you have a concern or complaint about home to school transport, you should phone your child's school. They'll take your details and pass them on to SPT.

How to report a repair to us if we’re your property factor

We provide a Written Statement of Services when a property changes ownership, and we are the property factor. The information can vary because each property receives different services.   

Your Written Statement of Services explains: 

• what services we provide 
• how to report repairs to us. 

If you’ve lost your Written Statement of Services, you can ask us for another copy by email at ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.  

We do not send financial statements every year, as we issue detailed invoices whenever we provide a service. 

If you’re a private tenant in a property where we are the property factor, you should contact your landlord or property agent to find out what services they provide or to report communal issues.

Feedback on our factoring services 

If you have any questions or comments about the factoring services you receive from the us, you can contact us by: 

• email: ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk 
• writing to: Owner Services E.H & I 4th Floor, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1WB. 

We report levels of customer satisfaction to the Housing Regulator.

Complaints about our factoring services 

If you want to make a complaint about our factoring services, you must: 

• be the homeowner 
• tell us in writing about your complaint 
• allow us an opportunity to resolve the matter. 

If you’re not satisfied with the result of your complaint to us, you can make an application to The First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber). 

If you're a homeowner or rent from a private landlord, you may have a property factor. Sometimes this is a private company, but sometimes your property factor is Renfrewshire Council.  

Property factors are a way to manage and maintain the: 

• common parts of land or property, such as the stairways, hallways, roof, gutters and lifts in a block of flats 
• commonly owned parts of residential land, such as the communal gardens or amenity areas in a housing estate.  

Read more about common repair and retrofit support for tenement flat owners (Under One Roof). 

You can find out if we provide your property factor by  searching the Scottish Property Factor Register. 

Our Property Factor Registration Number is PF000284.

The cost varies depending on what services you get. A small number of people are charged for property management the rest a billed for launderette, high rise costs etc not the management charge  

Whether a vote is needed for common repairs depends on the cost. If you use our Property Management Service, we charge a management fee, and we can approve repairs up to a certain value without needing a vote from owners. Repairs above that value may still require a vote.

Our family wellbeing service can provide support for a wide range of issues which may be affecting you or your family.

Our aim is to listen to you and offer support with the challenges of being a parent, such as: 

• worries you have about any changes of circumstances for you and your children 
• bereavement and loss 
• emotional and mental health difficulties 
• financial stress 
• many other aspects of family life.

We aim to provide the right help at the right time for parents and families to stop issues getting worse.

By talking, listening and engaging with you, we offer free, non-judgemental and responsive support. 

This could mean:

• providing or arranging practical help or assistance 
• carrying out an initial assessment to help identify what support would work best for you and your family 
• putting you in contact with other services or organisations like the NHS, money advice, or counselling.

We work in partnership with:

• Engage Renfrewshire
• Youth Inspired
• Home Start
• KLAS Care
• Active Communities
• Brick Lane Paisley.

See how our family wellbeing service helps Renfrewshire parents with the video below.

There are 2 ways to contact our family wellbeing service to request support. Please make sure you choose the correct online form.

Ask for support for yourself

To ask for support for yourself, use this form:

Request for assistance to family wellbeing service (for the public)

Professionals and agencies

If you're a professional or agency looking for support for a family you are working with, use this form:

Request for assistance to family wellbeing service (for professionals and agencies)

We aim to contact you within 3 working days to advise which support is most appropriate.

This may be from our team directly or one of our partner services.