Council and elections

What this EQHRIA has found

The impact assessment has highlighted the difference this service makes to those who may struggle to get support services due to their age, disability, or socio-economic group. 

A decision on making this service permanent must consider the potential negative equality impacts if the service was to stop.

What happens next

Should the service be stopped, we'll consider how people with long term health conditions are able to find information about available support services. 

We'll also consider how easy it is to navigate these services. 

Renfrewshire Council and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership will review ongoing annual service user surveys to determine whether there is a change in satisfaction levels. This will include access to relevant information and advice, and the time taken for service users between identifying a non-clinical issue and benefiting from a relevant support service.

More information

For more information on this Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EQHRIA), email EQHRIA@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

This Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EQHRIA) was carried out to advise if the temporary post to provide non-clinical wellbeing support to Renfrewshire residents with Long-Term Conditions (LTCs) and their carers should be made permanent. 

Renfrewshire’s temporary LTC service supports any resident with a serious physical health condition that cannot be readily resolved, and that is having a significant negative impact on their non-clinical wellbeing. 

This includes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), arthritis, diabetes, chronic asthma, heart disease, kidney and liver diseases, and the long-term impacts of cancer treatment.

How EQHRIA process works

Carrying out an EQHRIA involves assessing the likely (or actual) effects of policies and decisions on people in respect of:

• protected characteristics including: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, and sexual orientation
• human rights
• socioeconomic disadvantage
• the care experienced community.

This includes looking for opportunities to promote equality and human rights that may have previously been missed or could be better used. 

Negative or adverse impacts should also be identified and removed or mitigated where possible. 

If any negative or adverse impacts amount to unlawful discrimination, they must be removed.

View our EQHRIAs 

You can see a list of individual Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments.

More information

For more information about Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EQHRIA) email EQHRIA@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

An Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EQHRIA) is a tool that helps us to place equality, diversity, and human rights at the heart of everything we do. 

They help us ensure that what is implemented is fit for purpose for everyone.

We have EQHRIAs because:

• it’s good practice in policy and strategy development. The process helps us to ensure that disadvantaged groups are not further disadvantaged by the policies and strategies we adopt. It also ensures that policy and strategy that is implemented is accessible
• it guarantees that councillors are properly advised of the potential effects of proposals before they take decisions that will inevitably affect people’s lives. This allows councillors to make informed decisions
• it offers opportunity for stakeholder involvement and lived experience to shape council decisions, building trust and better relationships with the local community and staff. Where we do not already have views from customers, residents and staff on the area of work, we should arrange involvement, particularly with people from the ‘protected characteristics’ equality groups
• it helps us meet our public sector equality duty, as part of complying with the Equality Act 2010. The general duty says that we must pay ‘due regard’ to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations. Our specific duty is to assess new or revised policies and practices for impact.

What it is

All voters have the right to vote independently and in secret. 

The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer have a duty to make reasonable adjustments and accessible options available for disabled people when voting.

Reasonable adjustments can include alternative options or changes to physical access and equipment, and support to remove any barriers to voting in elections.

Accessing the polling station and support

All polling stations in Renfrewshire are wheelchair accessible and have low-level polling booths for wheelchair users.

Temporary ramps can also be provided.

Some polling stations may also have a step-free access route. This alternative route will be clearly signposted at the polling station.

Assistance animals 

If you have an assistance animal, such as a guide dog, you can bring them inside all polling stations in Renfrewshire.

Taking someone with you

If you have a disability, you can take someone (a companion) with you to the polling station to help you vote.

This could be family member or friend who is eligible to vote in the election. They must be over 18 years old on polling day. 

They’ll also need to fill in a companion declaration form to state they have recorded your vote faithfully.

You must ask the person in charge of the polling station, known as the Presiding Officer, for a companion declaration form when you come to place your vote.  

Help from the Presiding Officer

If you have any questions about the voting process or how to complete your ballot paper, you can ask the Presiding Officer or the Poll Clerks at the polling station.

If you have a disability which prevents you from marking your ballot paper on your own, you can ask the Presiding Officer to help you.

Presiding Officers are legally required to keep your vote confidential.

Equipment and adjustments in polling stations

There will be number of reasonable adjustments and equipment available at polling stations to help you vote independently and in secret on polling day. These include:

Pencil grips

All polling stations in Renfrewshire can provide specially designed pencil grips if you struggle to hold or use pencils.

Coloured transparencies

Coloured transparencies are available at every polling station to assist people with dyslexia.

Large print versions of ballot papers

Large print versions of ballot papers are available for reference in all polling stations. 

You must cast your vote on a standard sized ballot paper, as required by law.

Magnifying glasses

Magnifying glasses are also available at all polling stations.

Card ballot paper overlay for blind or partially sighted people

Card ballot paper overlays, accompanied by audio, are available at all polling stations to help blind people or people with visual impairments mark their ballot paper. 

The card overlay is designed to fit the ballot paper exactly. 

The overlays have cut-out boxes that line up with each box on the ballot paper, with braille and raised numbers to guide you.

You’ll also be able to listen to an audio recording of the candidate list as many times as you need.  

Tactile voting devices

We’ll also be providing tactile voting devices are each polling station.

These devices are fixed to the ballot paper. Each candidate is numbered on the device to match the numbers on the ballot paper. 

The numbers on the device are raised in braille. There is a flap next to each number which you can open when voting.

The list of candidates on the ballot paper can be read out to you. 

After being told the candidate numbers, you can find the number on the device and open the matching flap to vote for your chosen candidate. 

The device is then removed, and the ballot placed in the ballot box.

The Presiding Officer and poll clerks can provide the tactile voting device and explain how it works.

Disability aids you normally use

You can use any disability aids you normally use, such as a text-to-speech apps, to help you mark your ballot paper.

How to request a reasonable adjustment

If you require a reasonable adjustment at your polling station, you must tell us in advance of an election. 

You can request a reasonable adjustment by phoning our election office on 0141 487 0139.

Please do this as soon as possible before the election date to give sufficient time for your request to be considered.

If you require a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to contact us, you can do that through Contact Scotland BSL by phoning 0141 487 0139.

Guides for voters with a learning disability

You can see easy-read guides about elections and how to vote on the My Vote My Voice website.

British Sign Language (BSL) videos

You can view BSL videos about:

• who can vote
• how to vote.

The chief executive, directors, heads of service, and some key senior officers, complete a register of interests which is updated regularly and at least every year.

The register of interests states if they have any other employment, financial or non-financial interests in any other organisations, companies, or property.

The purpose of the register

The purpose of the register of senior officers' interests is to help identify potential conflicts of interest when officers are making decisions. This register is available for inspection by auditors and senior managers and we also make it available to the public.

What information is included in the register

The register includes the following information:

• name of the officer
• position held in the Council
• particulars of any other paid employment held outside of the Council
• name and address of any business and the nature of the interest therein
• details of any directorship, consultancy or financial interest not listed elsewhere in the register
• details of any non-financial interest in any organisation such as a professional body, trade association, club etc in which the officer is a member or an office holder
• details of any shareholding or other financial interest in any company where the total nominal value of any securities exceeds £25,000 or 1% of the total nominal value of the issued share capital, whichever is less
• description and location of any property owned, leased or mortgaged within Renfrewshire (home addresses not disclosed).

Register of interests

How to apply

Scottish Parliamentary and local government (council) elections

To apply for a proxy vote, download and fill in the paper form (GOV.UK).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

UK Parliamentary elections

Online   

Apply for a proxy vote online (GOV.UK).

Paper form

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in the paper form (GOV.UK).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

After you’ve applied

The Electoral Registration Office will confirm to you and your proxy that your proxy arrangement is in place.

We'll send a proxy poll card to the person you’ve chosen with details of how to vote.

Your proxy will have to go to your allocated polling station to cast your vote on polling day. 

They cannot cast their own vote at your allocated polling station, unless you both have the same polling station. They must cast their own vote at their allocated polling station.

If you appoint a proxy, you can still vote at your polling station as long as your proxy has not already voted on your behalf or arranged a postal vote.

Postal proxy vote

If your proxy wishes to vote by post, they’ll need to request a postal proxy application form.

They must apply for a postal proxy vote by 5pm at least 11 working days before an election polling day.

They’ll need to contact the Electoral Registration Office to request a further application form by: 

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

Change your proxy

If you want to change the person who’ll cast your proxy vote for an election, you'll need to apply for a new proxy vote before 5pm at least 6 working days before an election polling day.

Apply for an emergency proxy vote

If the proxy vote deadline has passed, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote if:

• you cannot vote in person because of a medical emergency or disability
• you're not able to vote in person because of work or military service
• you’re accompanying someone who is receiving medical treatment
• you’re detained in prison
• if your existing proxy cannot attend the polling station
• your postal vote won’t arrive in time
• the photo ID you were planning on using to vote has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed (UK Parliamentary elections only)
• you've not received a new or replacement photo ID you've ordered (UK Parliamentary elections only).

More information

For any questions, contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk.

If you are not able to get to your allocated polling station on the day of an election (‘polling day’), you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf. 

This is called a proxy vote. The person voting on your behalf is called your proxy.

You need to apply for a proxy vote in advance of polling day. 

After you’ve confirmed your proxy, you’ll need to tell them which candidate or party you want to vote for.

The person will go to your polling station to cast your vote on polling day. 

They can also apply to vote on your behalf by post. This is called a postal proxy.

You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, such as:   

• if you’re away on holiday on polling day
• if you’re registered as an overseas voter
• if you have a disability
• if you’re not able to vote in person because of work or military service
• if you’re registered as an overseas voter
• if you’re a prisoner convicted for under 12 months.

To apply for a proxy vote, both you and your proxy must be registered to vote.

You must apply by 5pm at least 6 working days before an election polling day.

You must ask for your trusted person’s permission before you apply for a proxy vote.

To apply for a proxy vote, you’ll need:

• your National Insurance number or another form of identification, such as a birth certificate
• your proxy’s address
• contact details for your proxy.

How to cancel your postal vote

If you want to cancel your postal vote, contact your local electoral registration office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

You must do this by 5pm at least 11 working days before the election polling day.   

If you’ve already sent your postal vote, you will not be able to cancel it for that election.

Change your postal vote to a proxy vote

If you have a postal vote and want to change it to a proxy vote, you must cancel your postal vote by 5pm at least 11 working days before polling day.

You can then submit a proxy vote application by 5pm at least 6 working days before polling day.

More information

For any questions, contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

If you’re not able to get to your allocated polling station on the day of an election (‘polling day’), you can vote by post. 

You need to apply for a postal vote in advance of polling day.

You must be registered to vote to apply for a postal vote.

You can apply for a postal vote for reasons including:

• you’re away on holiday on polling day
• you’re not able to vote in person because of work
• it would be more convenient for you than going to your polling station
• you have been chosen as a proxy voter for someone else and you want to vote by post.

You must apply by 5pm at least 11 working days before an election polling day. 

To apply for a postal vote, you’ll need to provide:

• your full name
• the address at which you are registered to vote
• your National Insurance number or another form of identification, such as a passport (for UK Parliamentary elections only)
• the date of the election or the specific time period you want to make a postal vote.
• the address you wish your ballot pack to be issued to, if this is different from your registered address
• the reason for requesting the ballot paper to go to an alternative address.

For UK Parliamentary elections, you’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

To apply for a postal vote, download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission)

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

UK Parliamentary elections

Online

Apply for a postal vote online (GOV.UK)   

Paper form

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

Your local Electoral Registration Office will confirm by post or email when your postal vote is in place.

We'll send you a postal vote ballot pack before the election polling day with information on how and when to post your vote.