General information

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.

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.

How to find your constituency

The area you live in falls under one of the 2 UK Parliamentary constituencies in Renfrewshire:

• Paisley and Renfrewshire North
• Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Find which constituency you live in (Boundaries Scotland).

What to do if you move house

If you have moved house or changed your address, you’ll need to register to vote again to make sure your details are correct on the electoral roll. 

Electoral boundaries are the lines that divide the country into voting areas.  

Electoral boundaries for UK Parliamentary elections are reviewed and recommended by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. They are then submitted to the UK Parliament for approval.

The United Kingdom is currently divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. Each constituency is represented by a single Member of Parliament (MP).  

There are 2 UK Parliamentary constituencies within Renfrewshire:

• Paisley and Renfrewshire North
• Paisley and Renfrewshire South. 

Changes to constituencies 

The following changes to the Scottish Parliamentary electoral boundaries for constituencies in Renfrewshire come into effect at the Scottish Parliament election 2026:

Changes to Renfrewshire North and West constituency

The Renfrewshire North and West constituency has been renamed the Renfrewshire North and Cardonald constituency. This constituency will now include the entire Glasgow Cardonald Council Ward.

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.

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, you can find out more about changes to your voting arrangements.

Changes to Renfrewshire South constituency 

The Renfrewshire South constituency has been renamed Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley.

Changes to Paisley constituency

The Paisley constituency will keep its name but will have some boundary changes, including the return of Glasgow Airport to the constituency and changes to the constituency at the Phoenix Retail Park.

How to find your constituency

The area you live in falls under one of the 3 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies in Renfrewshire.

Find your constituency (Boundaries Scotland).

What to do if you move house

If you have moved house or changed your address, you’ll need to register to vote again to make sure your details are correct on the electoral roll. 

Electoral boundaries are the lines that divide the country into voting areas.  

Electoral boundaries for Scottish Parliamentary and local government (council) elections are reviewed and recommended by Boundaries Scotland. Revised proposals are then submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval.

Scotland is divided into 8 electoral regions for a Scottish Parliamentary election. A region is a larger area which covers several constituencies.

Renfrewshire falls within the boundary of the West of Scotland region.

There are 3 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies within Renfrewshire:

• Paisley
• Renfrewshire North and Cardonald (previously named Renfrewshire North and West)
• Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley (previously named Renfrewshire South). 

In a Scottish Parliamentary election, you have 2 votes:  

• one for an MSP to represent your constituency
• one for a Scottish party or independent candidate to represent your region. 

How to find your electoral ward

Find which ward you live in (Boundaries Scotland).

What to do if you move house

If you have moved house or changed your address, you’ll need to register to vote again to make sure your details are correct on the electoral roll.

Electoral boundaries, also known as electoral wards, are the local areas which make up a council area.

The boundaries for electoral wards are reviewed and decided by Boundaries Scotland for local government (council) elections.

There are 12 electoral wards in Renfrewshire:

• Ward 1 - Renfrew North and Braehead
• Ward 2 - Renfrew South and Gallowhill
• Ward 3 - Paisley North East and Ralston
• Ward 4 - Paisley North West
• Ward 5 - Paisley East and Central
• Ward 6 - Paisley South East
• Ward 7 - Paisley South West
• Ward 8 - Johnstone South and Elderslie
• Ward 9 - Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch
• Ward 10 - Houston, Crosslee and Linwood
• Ward 11 - Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank
• Ward 12 - Erskine and Inchinnan.

Attend a landlord forum

Email us at ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you'd like to be added to our invite list.

Landlord forums are an opportunity to meet up with other landlords, agents and a variety of council departments involved in the private rented sector.

These meetings are organised by the council. We hold several meetings in Paisley throughout the year.

We contact registered landlords directly in advance of each meeting.

How to become accredited

Learn more on the Landlord Accreditation Scotland website.

We encourage all landlords and letting agents to become members of the Landlord Accreditation Scotland, Scotland's leading provider of accreditation and industry training for people working in the private rented sector.

Becoming a member will:

• provide benefits for both private landlords and their tenants
• promote best practice and continuous improvement of standards
• provide training opportunities for landlords
• provide advice to landlords and tenants
• give tenants reassurance that their landlord will operate to high standards.

Being awarded accredited status is a method of standing out from other landlords and letting agents.

To become accredited, landlords and letting agents must adhere to the Scottish core standards for accredited landlords.

Landlords who already carry out good management practices will be ready to achieve these standards.