General information

What admissions panels are

Our admissions panels make decisions on places for children at council-run nurseries and voluntary/private nurseries and childminders in Renfrewshire.

They make decisions after you’ve made a request to:

• apply for a free nursery or childcare place, or
• pay for additional hours of nursery or childcare (wraparound care).

Renfrewshire is divided into 10 admission panel areas of council-run or council-approved nurseries and childminders.  

When applying for a nursery placement, parents should be aware that nurseries sit within panel areas and consider this when selecting their three preferred settings. Although parents do not need to choose all three nurseries from the same panel areas, it is important to understand that each nursery belongs to a specific panel.  

These cover different geographical areas from school catchment areas.

We apply the council’s nursery, early learning and childcare admissions policy when allocating places:

Priority is given to children who meet certain criteria and children living within the panel area.

In each admission panel area, we allocate nursery places in order of priority, starting with priority 1 to priority 5 children. This information is on the policy included above.

Admission panel areas in Renfrewshire 

Funded providers (non-council-run nurseries) are subject to approved provider status following satisfactory completion of the tender process.

Within Renfrewshire Council, private, voluntary or third‑sector nurseries and childminders can deliver funded Early Learning & Childcare (ELC) as long as they meet national and local requirements. 

The tender and approval process sits within the national Funding Follows the Child policy and the National Standard for ELC Providers.

If a funded provider nursery does not comply with these procurement and legislative requirements, they may lose their contracted partnership with us and not be able to offer 1140 entitlement to children.

This means funded providers listed below may change:

Johnstone, Howwood and Lochwinnoch

• Auchenlodment Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Gleniffer Nursery
• Lochwinnoch Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Mid Gavin Nursery
• Sharon's Tiny Tots Childminding
• Spateston Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Stepping Stones Nursery
• St Margaret's Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• West Johnstone Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)

Erskine, Bishopton, Inchinnan and Langbank

• Bright Starts Nursery
• Cairellot Nursery Ltd
• Carli's Kindergarten Ltd
• Carole McLauchlan
• Catherine Whyte
• Dargavel Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Erskine Community Nursery - Bargarran
• Erskine Community Nursery - St Anne's
• Inchinnan Community Nursery
• Karen Finnie
• Kelly Rix
• Little Pandas
• St Anne's Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• St John Bosco Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Thrive Childcare and Education Happitots Erskine

Renfrew

• 3 Bears Nursery - Renfrew
• Catherine Young
• Cee Cee's Childcare (Claire Crawford)
• Glendee Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• In Safe Hands
• Karen Chalmers
• Kerry Goudie
• Kirklandneuk Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Little Flowers Nursery
• Little Stars Hillington
• Little Rabbit (Malgorzata Kowalik)
• Moorpark Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Puddle Lane

Houston, Bridge of Weir, Brookfield and Kilbarchan

• Abbey Nursery Houston
• Bridge of Weir Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Gryffe Manor Nursery
• Houston Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Kilbarchan Community Nursery
• Rivendale Nursery

Linwood

• Carli's Kindergarten Ltd
• East Fulton Early Learning & Childcare Class (council-run)
• Elaine Parkhill Childminding
• Linwood Community Childcare
• Our Lady of Peace Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)

Foxbar, Glenburn, Brediland and Meikleriggs

• Bushes Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Carriagehill Nursery Green Road
• Foxlea Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Glenburn Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Glenfield Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Heriot Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• St Peter's Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)

Paisley West 1: Elderslie, Baronscroft, Castlehead and Westend

• Abbey Nursery
• Hugh Smiley Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Maxwellton Park Nursery and OSC
• St Mary's Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Wallace Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• West Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)

Paisley West 2: Ferguslie, Shortroods and Phoenix Park

• Douglas Street Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Ferguslie Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Glencoats Lodge Nursery
• Happitots Nursery - Glasgow Airport
• Hillview Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Mossvale Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Rainbow Nursery - Paisley

Paisley Central 1: Charleston, Hawkhead, Hunterhill, Lochfield, Paisley South and Todholm

• Carriagehill Drive Nursery
• Lochfield Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• Jennyswell Nursery
• Nursery Times
• Orchard Grove Nursery
• Paisley Early Learning and Childcare Centre (council-run)
• St Charles' Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Todholm Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)

Paisley Central 2: Gallowhill, Paisley North, Ralston and Seedhill

• Abbeymill Childcare Ltd
• Gallowhill Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Leaps and Bounds Nursery
• Little Learners
• Ralston Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• St Catherine's Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run)
• Williamsburgh Early Learning and Childcare Class (council-run).

More information

Find out more about:  

• Renfrewshire Council nurseries
• council-approved private and voluntary nurseries and childminders.

This guide explains what admissions panels are and which nurseries and childminders are covered by each admissions panel area in Renfrewshire. 

What Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are 

Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) is a legal framework that ensures different  organisations work together to robustly assess, monitor, and manage the risks of serious violent and sexual offenders.

Key organisations include Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service (SPS), our justice social work service, other council services, and Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).  

These arrangements assess, monitor, and manage the safety risks posed by people convicted of serious crimes.  

These include:

• Registered Sex Offenders who are subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Mentally Disordered Restricted Patients
• Other Risk of Serious Harm Offenders.

These arrangements were established under the terms of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2005. 

MAPPA reports

North Strathclyde area report

This report covers the North Strathclyde area. Renfrewshire is one of 6 local authority areas within this area:

National annual report

Read the 2023 to 2024 report providing a national overview (Scottish Government website).

More information

If you want to find out more or discuss what services are available to you, contact our justice social work service by: 

What a Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) is

A Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) is an intensive community-based sentence available to the courts  

It can be imposed by court when a person’s offence is clearly linked to a drug dependency.  

The person will be required to undergo suitable treatment and is subject to regular testing.

At court, the person must agree to the DTTO being made.

This service is provided in partnership by justice social work and Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Drugs Recovery Service.

Who can be sentenced with Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO)

A DTTO is usually for people who have a serious drug problem which is linked to their offending behaviour.

The person must agree to treatment and drug testing. 

More information

If you want to find out more , contact our justice social work service by: 

Requirements of a Community Payback Order  

Courts can impose one or more of 10 requirements as part of a Community Payback Order.

These include:

• Offender Supervision - the offender must meet with a social worker for a specified period between 6 months and 3 years. A full assessment will be completed, and a management plan will be created to address the issues and the risk of reoffending
• Unpaid work or other activity - the offender must ‘pay back’ the communities they have harmed by completing unpaid work of between 20 to 300 hours. the other activity gives them the opportunity to develop skills through education or training, to support their reintegration into the community
• Compensation – the offender must pay a financial amount to the victim of their offence
• Residence – the offender must stay at a specific address
• Programme – the offender must take part in a planned set of activities to address their behaviour. This could be part of a group or individual basis
• Mental health treatment – is directed if the offender has been diagnosed with a mental health condition or learning disability that contributes to their behaviour
• Drug treatment – is directed when an offender’s behaviour is found to be connected to drug dependency, and where a Drug Testing and Treatment Order is not suitable
• Alcohol treatment - is directed when an offender’s behaviour is found to be connected to alcohol dependency
• Conduct - where the courts specify the offender to do or not do something to reduce their risk of offending
• Restricted movement – such as a home curfew or electronic tagging. 

If you fail to meet the requirements of a Community Payback Order

When a person starts a Community Payback Order, they will meet with a social worker who will fully explain its requirements. 

If you fail to meet the requirements, our justice social work staff must inform the court.

This could lead to the court imposing different actions on you, including a custodial sentence.

More information

If you want to find out more or discuss what services are available to you, contact our justice social work service by:
 

A Community Payback Order (CPO) is a community based sentence imposed by the court. It orders one or more requirements to a person convicted of an offence to both payback to the community and address their behaviour.

These are significant sentences and can be imposed for a maximum of 3 years.

This order contains a number of possible requirements, each offering the offender the opportunity to change their behaviour, protect the public and promote payback and rehabilitation.  

A Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS) is an intervention after a person has been found guilty of an offence, but before they are given final sentencing.

This is a sentencing option used by the courts for people assessed as low or medium risk of further offending and are not subject to another order.

Its focus is on providing structured support to address why the person’s needs may lead to offending behaviour.

A SDS involves delaying the final sentence to allow for a period of intervention and support with social work. 

This period is usually for between 3 to 6 months and aims to:

• address the causes of the person’s offending behaviour
• prevent further involvement in the justice system
• reduce reoffending
• provide more effective rehabilitation.

At the end of this period, our social work service provides the court with a report on the person’s progress.

If the person has shown positive engagement and progress during the intervention, the court may reduce the severity of the sentence or disposal.

If the person has not shown progress during this time, the court will consider this in its final sentence. This could include imprisonment.

More information

If you want to find out more or discuss what services are available to you, contact our justice social work service by:

What a Fiscal Work Order is   

A Fiscal Work Order (FWO) is an alternative to prosecution, where a person over 16 can agree to complete a period of unpaid work instead of facing court proceedings.

The Procurator Fiscal can offer the person an order to complete between 10 and 50 hours of unpaid work in the community within 6 months.

If the person successfully completes the FWO, they will not be prosecuted or get a criminal conviction for that offense.

The FWO aims to:

• extend the measures available to prosecutors when dealing with people who do not need a court hearing
• provide an opportunity for people accused of relatively minor offences to be dealt out with the court system
• enable those accused of offences to carry out community work to ‘pay back’ for their behaviour and avoid re-offending
• benefit victims and communities through faster and more appropriate resolution of cases
• reduce the demands on the court system and backlog of cases, by removing those that do not need to be taken to court from the process.  

Find out more about unpaid work.

More information

If you want to find out more or discuss what services are available to you, contact our justice social work service by:

Jobs available at Renfrewshire Council

See the latest jobs available at Renfrewshire Council and apply for jobs.

Search for Renfrewshire Council jobs (My Job Scotland)

Register an account with My Job Scotland and you can:

• submit job applications online
• get job alerts for your search emailed to you.

We currently have Facilities Operative jobs available

Facilities Operatives work in local schools, looking after:

• cleaning
• catering
• security
• other services that help with the day-to-day running of Renfrewshire’s schools.

Part-time (15 hours a week) positions are available now in the following schools:

• St John Bosco Primary School, Erskine
• Houston Primary School, Houston
• Renfrew High School, Renfrew
• Paisley Grammar School, Paisley.

See our Facilities jobs (My Job Scotland)

Make a positive difference for Renfrewshire

Every day, the people who work for Renfrewshire Council provide hundreds of services for the people who live, work or visit here.

We all work towards the same goal – making a difference in people’s lives.

If that’s a goal you share with us, we have lots of opportunities to join the team.

Whatever the job you’re looking for, chances are it’s a job we need someone to do for Renfrewshire Council.

Be a part of the team

You’ll be part of a highly-successful team recognised for the quality of its services. We were awarded Association for Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Overall Council of the Year for Service Delivery 2025. Our service and project teams have won multiple awards in recent years.

You’ll help us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Renfrewshire:

• supporting our most vulnerable
• caring for our place and environment
• helping everyone to thrive.

Our hugely-ambitious capital investment in learning estate, high-quality housing and roads infrastructure makes it an exciting time to come to Renfrewshire and work for us.

Employment policies and employee benefits

Our employment policies and our employee benefits are designed to support and invest in the most important asset we have – our people.

It’s a place where you can further your career, whatever profession you’ve chosen, with opportunities and pathways across our diverse range of services.

We live our values every day and you’ll be working alongside great people, dedicated to helping and supporting the local residents we serve.

You’ll enjoy working here! 

Find out more about:

• pay and salaries
• annual leave
• buying additional annual leave
• menopause support
• carer support
• neurodiversity support
• training and learning
• graduate apprenticeships
• staff discounts.

Living in Renfrewshire

Simply put, this is a great place to live and work.

With easy access to the motorway network, excellent public transport links, a major international airport, and an ever-growing network of active travel routes, it’s a great place to get around, and get to where you’re going!

Find out more about our location and connections (Paisley Is).

Our towns and villages are consistently ranked as among the most attractive places to live in Scotland.

We have fantastic retail, hospitality and leisure offerings – and if the great outdoors is more your thing, we’ve got that too.

Our schools are excellent and our local economy is thriving, with plenty of opportunity for all.

Find out more about what's happening and places to go in Renfrewshire:

• One Ren
• Paisley Is.

Radon in buildings and homes

Outdoors, Radon levels are low.

Every building has Radon, usually at low levels, but it can build up indoors. 
In some areas, radon levels in buildings could be higher because of the types of rocks and soils underneath them.

You can use the free online interactive map from UKradon to search for where you live or work.

UKradon also has expert advice and information for homeowners and employers including how to order a radon risk report or monitoring kit for your property. you can:

• visit the UKradon website
• use the interactive map to check your address (UKradon website)
• phone the UKradon advice line on 01235 822 622.

Risk from radon

We all breathe in Radon every day, usually at very low levels. It makes up around half our annual exposure to radiation. The health risk from radon comes from exposure over a long time and contact with radon does not cause sudden sickness.

Long-term exposure to radon can increase the risk of lung cancer. The risk from Radon is higher for smokers and ex-smokers. There is no evidence radon causes any other health impact.

Read more about radon risk information (UKradon website).

Radon compliance monitoring

We worked with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on a radon compliance monitoring programme in Renfrewshire from summer 2025 to February 2026.

You can read more about our Radon compliance monitoring programme.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas which we can't see, smell or taste. It is released by the natural radioactive decay of very small amounts of uranium within rocks and soils and is found everywhere in the UK.

What the changes are

Following a review by the Scottish Parliamentary Boundary Commission, there will be some changes to electoral boundaries in Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

These reviews ensure electoral fairness and that voters within constituencies and regions are equally represented.

Cardonald will now form part of a new Scottish Parliamentary constituency called Renfrewshire North and Cardonald. This constituency was previously named Renfrewshire North and West.

The changes will come into effect at the Scottish Parliamentary election on 7 May 2026.

What these changes mean if you live in Cardonald

If you live in Cardonald, your polling card letter will be issued by Renfrewshire Council.

Your usual polling place may have changed. If you’re voting in person, it’s important that you check the details shown on your polling card letter before voting.

What has not changed if you live in Cardonald

Although your voting constituency has changed, all electoral registration for your address in Cardonald will continue to be managed by Glasgow City Council.

If you live in Cardonald and want to make a request relating to postal or proxy voting, or a change of address, you should still make these to the Glasgow City Council Elections Office.

You’ll need to contact the Glasgow City Council Elections Office and make your application before 21 April 2026 if you want to:

• apply for a postal vote
• apply for a proxy vote
• change or cancel a postal vote
• change or cancel a proxy vote.

If you live in Cardonald, you can make a request relating to your vote and find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026 at the Glasgow City Council elections and voting website.

Why we carry out safety inspections

We're responsible for the safety of visitors and staff within our cemeteries and churchyards. 

We must have an inspection programme and take immediate action to make sure our burial sites are safe for all. This is described in regulation 4 of the Burial (Management) (Scotland) Regulations 2025.

Inspections are done by trained council staff or qualified contractors. 

When we do an inspection and find unsafe headstones and memorials, they are: 

• laid flat
• or temporarily barriered off until further assessment.

This is to make sure it cannot fall.

All inspections are in line with industry training delivered by external third-party trainers. 

Responsibilities of the lair holder

The lair holder is responsible for: 

• the safety of headstones and memorials on their lair
• any costs of re-erecting a headstone or memorial. 

During an inspection

If we find a headstone that is unsafe during an inspection, we must act immediately. We cannot wait to try to contact a lair holder. 

All actions are carried out with respect and dignity. When we lay a headstone flat: 

• we try to position it straight and align it with the lair
• we try to leave the inscription clearly visible
• it will be in a safe and secure position.

After an inspection

If we have up to date contact details for the lair holder, we'll send a letter telling them the inspection outcomes and any immediate action that was taken, or any defects noted. We'll also leave a small ticket at the headstone with our contact details. 

Any headstone that fails an inspection, including a relatively new one, will be laid flat. There are many factors that can lead to movement of a headstone. A qualified memorial mason will advise you on this and what repairs are required if you want it re-instated. 

All repairs must be carried out by a qualified memorial mason who is registered on our Qualified Contractor Scheme.  If not, your headstone is more likely to fail future inspections at an earlier stage.  

The full inspection process of headstones and memorials

We have a thorough process that follows agreed steps and includes a second opinion. This process means that we are making sure the monuments and headstones are safe for all people in the cemetery. 

Stage 1: visual inspection

A qualified memorial safety inspector performs a comprehensive visual examination of the memorial. 

During this inspection, the inspector assesses for:  

• visible cracks, chips, or damage to the stone
• evidence of structural instability or misalignment
• signs of environmental wear, such as erosion or corrosion of fixings.

All observations are documented in the inspection log, noting any immediate safety concerns. 

Stage 2: hand push test

The inspector carefully applies a small amount of force (a hand push) to the memorial stone to test its stability. 

The issues the inspector is looking at include:  

• the degree of movement in the stone
• whether internal pins or fixing mechanisms catch and stabilise the stone 
  evidence of internal pins being present.

If movement is detected and the pins fail to hold the stone securely: 

• a second qualified inspector is requested to perform an independent assessment.

Stage 3: second inspector review

A second qualified inspector conducts a full repeat of both the visual inspection and hand push test. 

The second inspector verifies the findings of the first inspector, paying close attention to the following:  

• the condition and movement of the stone
• the effectiveness of internal fixings and stability mechanisms.

Findings are compared against the initial inspection results, and a final determination is made. 

The second inspector ensures that all results and decisions are documented clearly and accurately. 

Stage 4: categorising risk

Following the inspection process, memorials will be categorised as follows: 

• Category 1 - immediate action to make safe following inspection. This category is used for memorials which pose a risk to the health and safety of visitors and members of staff.
• Category 2 - inspection shows signs of defect, however, does not pose the highest risk to health and safety. The memorial will be reinspected within 1 year.
• Category 3 - memorial is deemed to be safe (if no defects are present) and will be reinspected within 5 years.

You can read the full inspection process in the appendix of our policy. 

Complaints and compliments

If you want to make a complaint, you can use our complaints process. 

Make a complaint about Renfrewshire Council.  

This provides you with options for submitting a complaint and a summary of the stages of a complaint. It will also let you know how to submit a compliment. 

About the safety inspection, responsibilities of lair holders, details of how an inspection is carried out, and how to fix an unsafe memorial.