Community and neighbourhood issues

What it is

Justice social work provides a number of services to courts and people involved in the criminal justice system before they may be sentenced.

This includes assessments, support, and interventions from across our justice social work teams. 

We also have a team based in Paisley Sheriff Court, which can assist those attending court if they need support.

Key responsibilities of justice social work

Justice social work focuses on building trust and helping people stay out of trouble in the future, while making sure they take responsibility for what they did. 

Some its key responsibilities include: 

• early intervention and prevention
• assessment and case management
• supervision of court orders
• rehabilitation and support
• reparation and payback to community.

What justice social work services we provide

Our services include:

• providing assessments and reports on offenders to courts to assist decisions on sentencing
• providing information and supervision to people on bail as an alternative to being held in custodial remand
• a social work service to people who are are offered a diversion (an alternative) to prosecution
• supervision of people who are given a community payback order by the courts
• provision of unpaid community work placements for people as ordered by the courts
• supervision of people who have been given Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTO)
• supervision and support for people after their release from prison to help them adapt and prevent reoffending (called throughcare services)
• services for women
• help for young people in the justice system
• supporting victims of crime and their families
• public protection - working with partners in Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) on risk assessment, planning, management, and interventions on both an individual and group basis. 

Who the services are for

Justice social work services are for mostly for people in the criminal justice system, including those who have offended, are at risk of re-offending, and their victims.

People are normally referred to our justice social work service as a result of court orders, report requests, or for supervision following release from prison.

How to contact the service

You can contact the service to make a suggestion or complaint by:

More information

Justice Social Work services are delivered within a framework of statutory requirements, national and local policies, standards, and guidance.

You can find out more with: 

• The Vision for Justice In Scotland (Scottish Government website)
• Justice Social Work Guidance (Scottish Government website)
• Whole system approach to young offending (Scottish Government website)
• Justice social work statistics (Scottish Government website).

Justice social work provides services to people in the criminal justice system.  

It plays a vital role in Scotland’s criminal justice system.  

It supports and works with people who have offended from the point of arrest, through prosecution and sentencing, and during their reintegration into the community.

Justice social work services aim to:

• address the causes of a person’s offending behaviour
• hold people who have offended accountable for their actions and support them to reduce the risk of re-offending
• work with and support people who have been involved in offending behaviour to rehabilitate and re-settle into the community
• consider victims of crime in the work we do
• work with partners to enhance public protection and community safety.

We do this by :

• making sure people who have offended are appropriately assessed, supported and managed within the community where it is safe to do so  
• providing a justice service that focuses on reducing future offending and supporting people to constructively pay back for their actions, and build better lives for themselves and the communities they live in
• working in partnership with various public and third sector organisations.

The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 led to justice social work services becoming part of a wider Community Justice Partnership. Find out more about community justice.

Archived Community Asset Transfer (CAT) annual reports

Every year, we must provide the Scottish Government with a report that includes:

• the number of Community Asset Transfer requests we received that year
• the number of requests we approved and refused
• any reviews, appeals, and their outcomes
• details of any asset transfers that concluded that year.

East Beardmore Cottages, Inchinnan - 2025 (approved)

49 Beardmore Cottages, Inchinnan - 2025 (approved)

Falcon Day Centre, Paisley - 2025 (approved)

Houston Road Park Pavilion, Bridge of Weir - 2024 (withdrawn)

Renfrew Cricket Ground, Renfrew - 2024 (refused)

Linwood Community Garden, Linwood - 2023 (withdrawn)

Erskine Community Allotments, Erskine - 2023 (approved)

Manse Crescent, Houston - 2023 (withdrawn)

Lochhead Avenue, Lochwinnoch - 2023 (approved)

Whitehaugh Barracks, Paisley - 2023 (approved)

Bridge Street and Old Candren Road, Linwood - 2023 (approved)

Ralston Community Sports Centre, Paisley - 2023 (refused)

Woodlands Bowling Club, Linwood - 2022 (approved)

India Tyres Playing Fields, Inchinnan - 2022 (approved)

Howwood Pavilion, Howwood - 2021 (approved)

Requests at other stages

This list is an archive of Community Asset Transfer requests that have been concluded. Archived requests include requests that were:

• approved – the asset has now been transferred from the council to the new organisation under a lease, sale, or management agreement
• refused – the request was not approved, all options of appeal have been exhausted, and the responsibility for the asset is staying with the council
• withdrawn – the request was withdrawn by the applicant before or after determination, and responsibility for the asset is staying with the council.

Archived requests are listed by asset name. Each section below includes all of the documents associated with the transfer request, decision, and appeal, if relevant.

Ongoing Community Asset Transfer requests

Lochwinnoch Park (Calderglen), Lochwinnoch - 2026 (approved)

Longcroft Cottages, Renfrew - 2026 (approved)

St Ninian's Church Hall, Paisley - 2025 (awaiting a final decision)

Beechwood Community Centre, Paisley - 2025 (approved)

Kilpatrick Drive, Erskine - 2024 (approved)

Requests at other stages

This list contains all ongoing Community Asset Transfer requests. These requests have been ‘determined’ by the council, which means they were either:

• approved by the council and are awaiting legal conclusion
• not approved and are now being appealed.

Ongoing requests are listed by asset name. The sections below include all of the documents associated with an ongoing transfer request, including:

• the original request
• any representations and responses
• the decision notice
• any documents related to an appeal (review).

New Community Asset Transfer requests

Lochfield Road Pitches (the Marshes), Paisley - 2026

Requests at other stages

This list contains all of the Community Asset Transfer requests that are currently open for consultation and awaiting a decision.

Each section below includes:

• the formal web notice for the asset transfer request
• details of how to make a representation (share your views) for or against new requests
• all the documents making up the transfer request.

More information

Find out how to:

• apply for Community Asset Transfer
• view a list of Community Asset Transfer requests
• view Community Asset Transfer annual reports.

Email us at communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you’d like more information or want to discuss your Community Asset Transfer idea.

Download our full Community Asset Transfer policy:

Community Asset Transfer is the process of moving responsibility for an asset (land and buildings) from the council to a community-controlled organisation.

The process is covered by Part 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (legislation.go.uk).

Eligible organisations have the right to apply for Community Asset Transfer to own, lease, or manage (have rights over) any council-owned land or building that they think they could make better use of.

Ownership or control of land and buildings is a powerful tool for communities to make positive changes and achieve their goals. In Renfrewshire, we’re committed to working with eligible organisations to make asset transfer requests.