Guide

Types of needs ASN  

Your child may have an additional support need if they are struggling with their learning or have barriers to learning such as:

Health needs  

• having a disability
• being in hospital recovering from an illness  
• mental health needs  
• having asthma or an allergy  
• having speech difficulties or a hearing impairment.

Care and protection issues

• a young person being care experienced  
• being a young carer.  

Learning support needs

• having dyslexia  
• learning at a faster or slower pace than classmates  
• having fallen behind in classwork because they were off school.  

Wellbeing needs

• having difficulties managing their emotions  
• being socially isolated  
• emotional distress  
• addiction issues.  

Family circumstances  

• experiencing divorce, separation, or loss in family  
• dealing with the death of someone close  
• having a member of your family or someone close them who is ill  
• being a school-aged parent  
• speaking English as an additional language.  

This list only contains some examples of barriers to learning. You should speak to your child's school if you feel they need additional support for any reason not listed.

How ASN are identified  

Schools and nurseries regularly check how your child is progressing through everyday observations and classroom tasks. This ongoing tracking helps staff understand how your child is getting on and what support they may need.

Additional support needs are identified through a process called Staged Intervention. This is a framework that helps schools and partner agencies provide support that is appropriate, timely, and as least intrusive as possible.

If you think your child has additional support needs, ask your child’s head of establishment about the Staged Intervention process and for more information on what support may be available.  

Sometimes, staff may seek advice or assessments from other professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or educational psychologists. This support is provided through a staged approach, which helps ensure that the right support is offered at the right time.

A teacher, or a health care provider, might also identify a child who may need an assessment for additional support.

Your child does not need a diagnosis to be entitled to extra help with their learning. 

If your child is struggling at school or nursery for any reason, that establishment will try and find out the reason for this and put the appropriate support in place.

What support we provide

Children and young people with an identified additional support need are supported in our schools and early learning and childcare (nursery) settings.

How the nursery or school supports your child will depend on the barriers they are facing to learning.

Support can include:

• advice for parents on ways to support learning at home
• changes to a child's timetable or education programme in school
• changes within the classroom environment, curriculum, or learning with groups of children with a specific focus
• arrangements for a child at lunch or during breaks
• adaptations to buildings or equipment to help with physical or sensory disabilities
• referral to a speech and language therapist, a physiotherapist, or other health professional
• training for staff members by relevant professionals.

Support plans

For longer-term or particular support, your child may require a support plan.

A support plan will formally record the help that is needed and who will provide it. This means your child's school can provide an individual and targeted level of support.

There are 3 types of plans:  

• a child’s plan
• a multi-agency child’s plan
• Coordinated Support Plans (CSP) - an action plan for children and young people who need significant additional support with their education from a number of agencies.

The decision on which plan is best for your child will depend on:

• if the additional support need may be short or long-term
• the effect it has on your child's learning
• any other agencies the school will need to work with to support your child's learning, such as the council or NHS.  

When a support plan is being developed, we’ll invite you and your child to a meeting at the school or nursery so you can give your views on the support required.  

Your child can also bring along a supporter to help them express their views, such as a friend or an adult they are comfortable speaking for them.  

The plan will detail what support will be provided. You and your child will be involved in decisions made about the support.  

Support will be regularly reviewed to make sure it’s working and that your child’s needs are still the same.

Reviewing a support plan  

Reviews of your child’s support plan will depend on their needs.  

When reviewing a plan, we’ll invite you to a meeting where we’ll look at your child’s progress and ask you and your child:

• how the support is helping  
• is it meeting the identified needs
• is it no longer needed
• does it need to change.

At the meeting, we’ll agree to provide the same level of support, make changes, or end the plan if support is no longer needed.

Starting, moving and leaving nursery and school (transition support)

A transition is when your child moves into a new stage of their education.  

There are 4 major transitions:  

• starting nursery  
• starting primary school  
• starting secondary school
• leaving school.  

Children and young people with ASN may need more support when they transition from one stage to another. In general, this is likely to require an enhanced level of transition support. There may be planning meetings where staff from the current establishment and the new establishment meet with you and your child to plan the move.

If you have an agreed support plan this will move with your child to the new school.

Our nurseries and schools have robust planning to support each child or young person. 

You can speak to your child's education establishment to discuss any concerns you may have when they are about to start at a new school, or when their time at school ends.

Find your child’s education establishment contact details:  

• Renfrewshire Council nurseries
• primary schools
• secondary schools.

How to request additional support for your child 

If you have concerns about your child’s learning or development, the best place to start is by talking to their early learning and childcare centre (nursery) or school.  

Staff may already have noticed the same things and may be providing support. If not, they will discuss with you what options are available to help assess your child’s needs.

You also have the right to ask us to:

• assess whether your child has additional support needs
• carry out a specific type of assessment, such as an educational, psychological or health assessment.

It’s important to know that while you can request an assessment, you cannot insist on a particular test or method, or request that a specific professional carries it out.  

We’ll decide the best way to assess your child’s needs based on professional judgement.

You can find out more about identifying and assessing needs with the Supporting Children's Learning - Code of Practice: statutory guidance (Scottish Government website).

How to resolve disagreements about ASN support

Speak to your child’s establishment

If you disagree with how your child is being supported for their ASN, you should speak to your teacher or head teacher.  

If your child has a support plan, you can refer to the plan to check whether the agreed actions are taking place, or if they need to be changed to meet new or additional needs.

Mediation  

If you feel the support has not improved after speaking to the education establishment, you can try to use an independent mediation service. 

A mediator listens to both points of view and helps to bring both of you to an agreement.  

You do not have to use mediation, but it may help increase understanding as you both listen to each other and agree a way forward.  

ASN Tribunal

You always have the right for your case to be sent to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal (Health and Education Chamber website).  

Code of practice  

We follow the national Code of Practice as directed by the Scottish Government (Scottish Government website).  

You have a right to request assessments are made for your child's medical or psychological needs. If any needs are established, we’ll review any learning barriers and detail the appropriate measures to be taken.

We must meet the deadlines for completing and informing you of the results of any assessments, including any additional support you child may need.

All children and young people need support to learn at an early learning and childcare centre (nursery) or school, but some may require extra or specialised support than what is usually provided. This is known as having an additional support need (ASN).

Some examples of why a child or young person may need additional support with their education include:

• a disability or health issue  
• family or care circumstances  
• accessing the learning environment  
• wellbeing needs.

Children and young people can have an additional support need at any time.  

A child’s support need may only last for a short time. In some cases, their needs might be more complex and require additional support throughout school.

Additional support needs are also known as additional support for learning (ASL).  

You can find out more about additional support for learning at:

• Enquire website – Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning
• Reach website - Reach offers advice about rights to education and support for children in Scotland. 

How free early learning and childcare hours work

All children entitled to free early learning or childcare places can get up to 1140 hours of nursery or childcare.  

It is based on the school year, which starts in August.  

This is:  

• around 30 hours per week if you use it during school term time, or
• fewer hours spread across more weeks of the year.

When your child starts nursery depends on when their 3rd birthday is during the year.  

You should check with your preferred nursery or childminder if they can accommodate the hours, days, or arrangements that suit you.

Find out who can get free nursery places or childcare and when they can start it.  

Apply for a free nursery or childcare place.

How you can use your free nursery and childcare hours

You have different options for how you can use your 1140 hours of free nursery or childcare, depending on what is available locally.

You may choose to arrange your child's nursery or childcare for school term time only or use the hours across the whole year.

You may also be able to access shorter or longer sessions and create a pattern that fits around work or family life.

For example, you could have:

• 6 hours from Monday to Friday during school term time (38 weeks)
• a morning or afternoon only session across the whole year (48 weeks)
• 2.5 days a week over the whole year (48 weeks)
• up to 10 hours extended day care for just some of the year.

You could also combine your nursery and childcare arrangements, where your child goes to a nursery for part of the week and a childminder for the rest of the week.  

The maximum number of free nursery or childcare hours that a child is entitled to per week is 30 hours.

You can apply to use your 1140 hours of free early learning and childcare a year at council-run or council-approved nurseries or childminders.

Find out more about:

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

If you want to send your child to a private nursery or childminder that's not run or approved by us, you will not be able to use your free hours of nursery or childcare and you will have to pay for the cost.

Apply for a free nursery or childcare place.

Additional (wraparound) childcare

You may be able to buy additional childcare hours (known as wrapround care) at your child's nursery or childminder.

You may be able to do this if:

• you would like more nursery or childcare hours outside of the free 1140 hours your child gets
• your nursery or childminder can accommodate the additional hours.

Find out more on how to pay for additional hours of nursery or childcare (wraparound care).

Find out how you can use your free hours of nursery or childcare during school term time, or across the whole year.

Nursery and childcare places for 3 and 4-year-olds

Children's entitlement of up to 1140 hours of free nursery or childcare is based on the school year, which starts in August.

Usually, children in the same school year are born between the beginning of March one year and the end of February the following year.

When your child can start nursery depends on when their 3rd birthday is during the year: 

Children who turn 3 years of age between March and August are entitled to an early learning and childcare place when the new school year begins in August.

Children aged 3 who were born between September and February can get a free early learning and childcare place from the month after their 3rd birthday.

The same schedule will apply each year.

We have a nursery, early learning and childcare admissions policy to make sure places are allocated fairly and transparently:

Children who meet priority 1 or 2 of the admissions policy will start earlier than the dates listed in the table above. We’ll agree the exact date with you. 

Find out how you can use your free nursery or childcare hours.

Find out how to apply for a free nursery or childcare place and when to apply.

Nursery and childcare places for 2-year-olds

Children aged 2 can get a free nursery or childcare place if they:

• are, or have been, looked after by a council
• are subject to a supervision order
• are in kinship or foster care  
• are with an appointed guardian
• are the child of a care-experienced parent
• live in a  household that gets a qualifying benefit.

Find out who can get funded nursery or childcare places for two-year-olds and qualifying benefits (mygov.scot).

If your child is eligible for a free nursery place or childcare, they can start nursery or childcare at the beginning of one of the school terms.

When your 2-year-old will start nursery depends on when their birthday is during the year: 

Find out how you can use your free nursery or childcare hours.

Find out how to apply for a free nursery or childcare place and when to apply.

Nursery and childcare places for children aged 0 to 2 years

There are some nursery or childcare places available for children aged 0 to 2 years.  

However, children aged 0 to 2 years are not entitled to 1140 hours of free nursery and childcare.

These placements are limited and prioritised for children who meet certain criteria, as outlined in our early learning and childcare admissions policy:

Some private and voluntary nurseries and childminders may provide places for children aged 2 or under.  

You can contact the individual nurseries or childminders to see what they offer.

This guide explains who can get a free nursery or childcare place and what age they should start nursery.

The National Lottery Community Fund- Awards for All Scotland

Who can apply:  Constituted community groups or clubs, registered charities, social enterprises, not-for-profit company or community interest company, schools, statutory body (including town, parish and community councils)

Awards: £300 to £10,000

Apply to the National Lottery Community Fund

Foundation Scotland - Baillie Gifford Community Awards Programme

Who can apply:  Constituted community groups

Awards:  £500 - £2,000 

Apply to Foundation Scotland

Scotmid Co-op - Community Grants

Who can apply: Local community, self-help or voluntary groups and charities (including local branches of national charities) or individuals acting for the benefit of the local community,

Awards: Up to £500 

Apply to Scotmid Co-op

Glasgow Airport - FlightPath Fund

Who can apply: Community groups, charities

Awards: Awards of more than £5,000 will be the subject of a recommendation by the Flightpath Fund Committee to the Managing Director of Glasgow Airport for approval. 

Apply for the Glasgow Airport FlightPath Fund

Asda Foundation Grants

Who can apply: Community groups, charities.

Find out about Asda Foundation Grants

Morrisons Foundation

Who can apply: charities

Awards: maximum amount £20,000 

Find out about Morrisons Foundation grants

Aldi Scottish Sport Fund

Who can apply: Community groups focused on sports, schools or educational organisations, Scout or Guide groups, community interest companies, charities.

Awards: Maximum up to £500 

Apply for the Aldi Scottish Sport Fund

The Love Your Network grant fund for community groups in Scotland

The Love Your Network grant fund, funded by Transport Scotland and delivered by Sustrans Scotland, seeks to empower communities in implementing physical improvements which make journeys on the National Cycle Network more attractive and enjoyable.

Apply for a Love Your Network grant

The Henry Smith Charity

The Improving Lives grant programme provides grants to charitable organisations that help people when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available.

They support established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries. We are looking for services which can demonstrate a track record of success, and evidence the effectiveness of the work.

Apply a Henry Smith Charity grant

Invest in Renfrewshire

The Invest in Renfrewshire Communities Team also provide support to access other sources of external funding. 

For more information, email: Econdev.community@renfrewshire.gov.uk

This is a list of external funds that a community group, charity or social enterprise can apply for.

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.

Who it's for

Summer of Fun includes free activities for everyone.

Summer of Fun is a programme of free activities and events for families, children, and young people in Renfrewshire during the school summer holidays.

The programme aims to deliver activities and events that are fun and easy to access.

Activities can be during the day, in the evenings, during the week or at weekends.

We have a Summer of Fun Programme Fund which voluntary and community organisations in Renfrewshire can apply to.

We have separate information available if you'd like to apply for the Summer of Fun Programme Fund.

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.

A community council is a group of local people who volunteer to help improve the area they live in and the public services they use. 

They find out residents' views on issues and share those views with organisations that deliver services in the area - for example, Renfrewshire Council, the NHS, Police Scotland, and local businesses. They usually meet once a month.

Community councils also act as a focal point for community activity. They organise galas and events, deliver local community improvement projects, and mobilise community efforts to reduce the effects of severe winter weather.

You can find out more about community councils on the Scottish Community Councils website.

How a community council is established

Renfrewshire Council organises community council elections every four years. During elections, all current members must stand down, but they can go for re-election again.

If a community council receives more nominations than their maximum number of members, we'll hold a ballot election. If the number of nominated candidates is between the minimum and maximum number for that council, then those candidates will be elected automatically.

If there aren't enough nominations for a particular community council, that community council won't re-establish. We'll then call for more nominations.

Consultation

In 2025, we asked community councils in Renfrewshire, and anyone interested, to provide feedback on the draft Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils.

What happens after an election

After an election, Renfrewshire Council will verify the eligibility of all candidates before publishing the results of the election.

Newly elected community council members are then invited to attend the first meeting of the new community council.

Community councils in Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire has 25 distinct community council areas, with 21 currently having an active community council that represents all residents within their area.

Each community council has a set number of minimum and maximum members. 

Charleston, Glenburn, Gallowhill, and Hunterhill currently do not have active community councils.

Contact us at community-council.cs@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you're interested in establishing a community council in these areas.

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.

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.