Advice Renfrewshire

Directory

Advice Works

Advice Works is a free, confidential and independent service and will give you advice in a straightforward manner. The team can help with a wide range of money and debt advice issues including budgeting, negotiating with creditors, bankruptcy, mortgage and rent arrears, checking you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, help with forms, and lots more.

We have a drop-in service at the following locations, with no appointment needed:

Advice Works
Johnstone Town Hall, 25 Church Street, Johnstone
Monday – Friday: 8.45am – 11am and 1pm – 3pm

Renfrewshire House
Customer Service Centre, Cotton Street, Paisley
Monday – Friday: 8.45am – 11am and 1pm – 3pm

Renfrew Health Centre
10 Ferry Road, Renfrew
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8.45am – 11am

Advice Works also have outreach locations throughout Renfrewshire. Please see below for a list of these locations and drop in times.

Ferguslie Library
Tannahill Centre, Blackstoun Road, Paisley
Every 2nd Monday – 12th June, 26th June , 10th July, 17th July
10am – 11am

Charleston Centre
49 Neilston Road, Paisley
Every 2nd Tuesday – 30th May, 13th June, 27th June, 11th July
9am – 11am

Linstone Housing Association
17 Bridge Street, Linwood
Every 2nd Friday – 1st June, 15th June, 29th June, 12th July
9am – 11am

Advice Works also works with various partners on projects such as with Macmillan Cancer providing support to those with a cancer diagnosis and Families First supporting families with young children, they also work with INVEST for clients who are looking for employment.

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Address

Johnstone Town Hall, 25 Church Street, Johnstone, PA5 8FA

Phone

0300 300 1238

Opening Times

Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm.

Website

Advice Works

Breathing Space

Breathing Space can offer you phone support to speak about anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts. It’s a confidential service, and the advisors come from mental health, counselling and social work backgrounds. They can provide direction if you don’t know where to seek help, or just listen.

They will also help if you are worried about a friend or family member who is depressed, anxious or speaking about suicide, by giving you advice and support.

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Phone

0800 838587 (number won’t show up on bills)

Opening Times

Mon – Thurs 6pm – 2am
Friday 6pm – Mon 6am

Website

Breathing Space

Care at Home (Home Helps)

Care at Home services are part of a range of supports provided by social work.

The aim of care at home is to help vulnerable people of all ages live independently and securely in their own homes by providing personal and housing support services. Care at home services are provided very much on each individual’s own circumstances and needs.

Practical help is available for people who have difficulty:

getting up or going to bed;
getting washed;
getting dressed;
getting to the toilet;
preparing meals;
eating; or
looking after basic hygiene in their home

To get help from care at home services you can contact a member of staff who will be able to help you or anyone such as a friend, relative, doctor or other concerned person can, with your agreement, contact social work on your behalf.

Once your details have been recorded you will be visited by a member of staff, at home, to discuss your needs and those of your carer. This is called an ‘assessment’. The member of staff may also suggest, as part of a care plan, other services that can be of help such as lunch clubs or volunteer schemes.

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Phone

0300 300 1199

Email

adultservicesreferral.sw@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Website

Care at Home (Home Helps)

Connect 4 Renfrewshire

Connect4Renfrewshire is a project available for tenants and factored owners of:

Linstone Housing Association
Bridgewater Housing Association
Williamsburgh Housing Association

Connect4Renfrewshire provides help with a number of money management issues including:

energy advice to tackle fuel bills and fuel debt
information and access to financial services
advice and advocacy on all aspects of welfare rights
support with budgeting and financial literacy
access to recycled furniture and household goods
access to debt advice and advocacy

The project involves the three Housing Associations, along with RAMH (Recovery Across Mental Health), Renfrewshire Wide Credit Union, Advice Works and FLAIR’s(Federation of Local Associations in Renfrewshire) welfare rights service.

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Phone

01505 382383

Website

Connect 4 Renfrewshire

Energy Advocacy Renfrewshire

Energy Advocacy Renfrewshire is a Renfrewshire Council advocacy service, giving independent and expert advice on a wide range of energy issues to local people. They can help if you:

Are struggling with fuel debt or thinking about changing fuel supplier
Have issues with your gas or electricity supplier
Need general energy advice

The Energy Advocates work with partner services throughout the Renfrewshire area to offer support to all residents in the area whether you live in a council house, housing association house, privately rent or own your own home.

Energy Advocacy Renfrewshire provides its service across Renfrewshire by arranging appointments to visit you in your own home.

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Phone

0141 6187515

Email

emu@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Website

Energy Advocacy Renfrewshire

Ethnic Minorities Law Centre

The Ethnic Minorities Law Centre (EMLC) provides legal advice and representation to individuals from Scotland’s Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and focuses on providing bilingual and culturally sensitive service.

We operate out of offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh and our specialist areas of law are:

Asylum, Refugee and Human Rights
Immigration and Nationality
Employment
Discrimination
Criminal Injuries Compensation

In addition to casework for clients and training for advice agencies in our specialist areas of law, we also operate telephone advice lines, awareness-raising sessions and workshops for young people.

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Website

Ethnic Minorities Law Centre

Food Train

We provide a range of services, delivered by volunteers, to people over 65 in Scotland including grocery shopping home deliveries, household support services and befriending services.

Local volunteers provide weekly deliveries of fresh groceries to older people experiencing difficulties doing their weekly grocery shopping, ensuring they can eat well, live well and age well. The customers complete a blank shopping list which is collected by the volunteer. The shopping is completed and delivered on a day that suits the customer. The shopping is paid for on delivery and there is a charge of £4 for this service.

If you, or someone you know could benefit from this service, you can fill in a referral form on our website, or give us a call.

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Phone

0141 887 2557

Email

renfrewshire@thefoodtrain.co.uk

Website

Food Train

Housing – Renfrewshire Council

Renfrewshire Council provides and maintains council houses as well as organising home insurance and home exchanges.

We can give information regarding Council tenancies, including how to apply for a council tenancy, how to report faults and repairs and how to exchange your home with another council tenant as well as providing support for you if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

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Phone

0300 300 0222

Website

Housing – Renfrewshire Council

Housing Associations

Housing associations build new homes and improve existing, often older homes to rent to people who need housing. We are not property companies or commercial organisations and do not make a profit. Housing associations work closely with the council to offer properties to local people. For example, the council can nominate people who have applied for council housing for housing association properties.

Housing associations may offer advice and help, for example with budgeting, to their tenants.

If you click on the link to the right of this page to the Housing Association page on the Council website, all Housing Associations that operate in Renfrewshire and their contact details are listed.

If you would like some advice about a housing issue, you may also find it useful to contact your local neighbourhood Housing Office for more information or advice about housing associations.

There are Local Housing Offices in Johnstone, Paisley and Renfrew, and these can be contacted on 0300 300 0222.

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Website

Housing Associations

Jobcentre Plus

You can contact Jobcentre Plus about, new benefits claims, existing benefits claims and changing or cancelling your appointment.

Renfrewshire has three local Jobcentre Plus offices:

Johnstone Jobcentre Plus

11 Floors Street
Johnstone
Renfrewshire
United Kingdom
PA5 8QT

Paisley Jobcentre Plus

49a High Street
Paisley
Renfrewshire
United Kingdom
PA1 2AN

Renfrew Jobcentre Plus

High Street
Renfrew
Renfrewshire
United Kingdom
PA4 8QL

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Phone

0800 055 6688 (new claims)
0345 6043719 (general enquiries)
0345 608 8551 (text phone)

Website

Jobcentre Plus

Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP)

LEAP provide free home energy advice for local residents in domestic properties to help you cut bills and make your home more energy efficient. This is done mostly through home visits (which can be outwith office hours). Our support is available for home owners, private tenants, landlords and Local Authority and Social Housing tenants.

They also run Make it Happen a fuel poverty focused initiative allowing you to action simple measures and access handyman services to improve energy efficiency and make your home more comfortable. This is FREE where you meet certain criteria. Services could be, for example, draughtproofing where LEAP can supply the materials and handyman to carry out the work.

LEAP work across:

Bridge of Weir
Brookfield
Crosslee
Houston
Howwood
Kilbarchan
Lochwinnoch

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Address

22 Church Street
Lochwinnoch
PA12 4AD

Advance Place
Bridge of Weir
PA11 3PB

Phone

01505 842530

Email

info@myleapproject.org

Website

Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP)

Macmillan Cancer and Palliative Care Project

The Macmillan Cancer and Palliative Care Project, run by Advice Works, provides advice and support on welfare benefits and debt to people affected by cancer living in the Renfrewshire area. We provide a free and confidential specialist Welfare Rights service to people living with cancer and to their families. We can advise on a range of issues including benefits and income maximisation and assist with any other related issues you may have, such as housing, debt and employment. We can also help you with form completion, advocacy and representation at tribunals. Our aim is to strive to ensure that if you are affected by cancer you receive the support and help you need.

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Address

Johnstone Town Hall, 25 Church Street, Johnstone PA5 8FA

Phone

0300 3001238 - please ask for a Cancer and Palliative Care referral

Macmillan Cancer Support – Living Well @ Renfrewshire Libraries

This is a free information and support service for anyone affected by cancer. You may have cancer yourself, care for a relative or friend, work as a healthcare professional, or simply want to know more about cancer.

Based in four Renfrewshire Libraries, Erskine, Ferguslie, Johnstone and Renfrew, the service is delivered by trained volunteers supported by a Macmillan Delivery Manager and library staff, and can offer:

a confidential support service
benefits and financial advice
time to talk
a relaxing place to meet others affected by cancer
access to complementary therapies
links to other relevant local organisations
a comprehensive range of leaflets and books on cancer topics

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Address

Erskine, Ferguslie, Johnstone and Renfrew Libraries

Phone

0141 6185958 - Liz Docherty

Website

Macmillan Cancer Support – Living Well @ Renfrewshire Libraries

Men’s Advice Line

Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for men experiencing domestic violence from a partner or ex-partner (or from other family members). We help by:

giving you time to tell your story
offering emotional support
providing practical advice
signposting you to other services for specialist help

We help heterosexual, gay and bi male victims of domestic violence and also provide information and support to family members and friends of male victims.

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Phone

0808 8010327 -- 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

Email

info@mensadviceline.org.uk

Website

Men’s Advice Line

NHS

For health services, Renfrewshire is part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

If you need to find a doctor, dentist, clinic or hospital location, please use the website.
The website also gives information about where to obtain emergency medications and who to contact if you have concerns about your own or someone else’s mental health.

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Website

NHS

Further Information

NHS information about common health problems and details of support groups

NHS 24

If you are ill and can’t wait until your regular NHS service reopens you can call NHS 24 free.

NHS 24 is an online and telephone-based service which can answer questions about your health and offer advice. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The ‘phone service operates an out-of-hours phone service providing help if your GP surgery is closed and you are too ill to wait until it re-opens.

During the call you will be asked about your location and your reason for contacting the service. This will be used to direct your call to a suitable health professional, such as a nurse, pharmacist or dental nurse. They will talk to you about your symptoms and tell you what care they think you need. They might suggest that you treat yourself at home, that you see a doctor or another health professional or, in some cases, they might call an ambulance for you.

Online, you can access a self help guide, a directory of local services and emergency dental information.

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Phone

111 (free)

Website

NHS 24

Paisley Housing Association – Welfare Benefits Service

At Paisley Housing Association Welfare Benefits Service we offer help to our tenants, prospective tenants and factored owners. We provide a free, impartial and confidential service, providing information, advice, assistance, advocacy and representation with all areas of social security and energy advice, such as:

Maximising your income and completing forms
Applying for disability benefits
Challenging incorrect or unfair benefit decisions
Representation at appeal tribunal
Energy Advice to tackle fuel poverty and debt

The service can also help you develop a budgeting plan particularly if you are on Universal Credit and have to manage your own rent payments.

If you want to find out more or are having problems with any benefits please contact Alan Graham our Welfare Benefits Officer who will be happy to help.

Respite
Befriending
Carers Advocacy
Help with Emergency Plans
Stress Management Programmes
Social Activities and Support Groups
Please contact us for further information.

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Address

Renfrewshire Carers Centre
Unit 55 Embroidery Mill,
Abbey Mill Business Centre,
Paisley, Renfrewshire
PA1 1TJ

Phone

0141 887 3643

Email

enquiries@renfrewshirecarers.org.uk

Website

Renfrewshire Carers Centre

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau provides free, confidential and impartial comprehensive advice and information throughout Renfrewshire.

They cover a wide variety of issues, including:

Benefits
Tax Credits
National Insurance/Tax
Consumer Goods and Services
Debt and Money Advice
Education
Employment
Finance
Housing
Health and Care
NHS Concerns and Complaints
Relationship Issues
Travel, transport and holidays
Utilities and communications
Pension guidance

Although based in Paisley they cover the wider area of Renfrewshire with outreach clinics in Erskine, Ferguslie, Foxbar, Glenburn, Johnstone, Linwood, Lochwinnoch, and Renfrew as well as the Disability Resource Centre. They also offer home visits for those unable to get to one of their clinics.

Please visit the website to book an appointment at either the main office or one of the outreach locations.

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Address

7 Glasgow Road, Paisley, PA1 3QS

Phone

0141 889 2121

Website

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau

Renfrewshire Credit Unions

Credit Unions are financial co-operatives working on a not-for-profit basis to offer savings and low cost loans to their members. Renfrewshire is served by 5 Credit Unions.

Gleniffer Credit Union
Johnstone Credit Union
Renfrewshire Wide Credit Union
Scotwest Credit Union
White Cart Credit Union

The individual Credit Unions cover different areas and offer different services, although all offer savings and loan products. Products offered include ‘Fastcash Loans’, Funeral Plans and Loans and ‘Junior Accounts’. Credit Unions may accept savings from as little as £2 per week.

0141 5617266

Opening Times

Core Office Hours
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm & 2pm to 5pm
Friday, 9am to 1pm & 2pm to 4.30pm

General Drop-In Surgeries (please bring up-to-date proof of income & savings)
Tuesday, 2pm to 4pm
Wednesday, 10am to 12 noon
Saturday 10.30am to 12.30pm

GRADE (Greater Renfrewshire Advice on Debt and Eviction) Drop-In Surgeries
Monday (@ Paisley Sheriff Court), 9am to 10am (for mortgage repossession cases calling at court that morning)
Thursday (@ RLC Offices), 2pm to 4pm
Friday (@ Paisley Sheriff Court), 8.30am to 9.30am (for landlord/tenant rent arrears eviction cases calling at court that morning)

Website

Renfrewshire Law Centre

Renfrewshire Women’s Aid

Renfrewshire Women’s Aid offers confidential and free advice and support for women who are suffering domestic abuse. The service is provided by and for women. They will offer support without making any judgements.

They offer both emergency and longer term support including advocacy, benefits advice and safe accommodation. Their services include:

Confidential support
Legal, housing and financial information
A safe and secure place to stay
Committed support workers for children and young people

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Address

Violet House, 3 Violet Street, Paisley PA1 1PA

Phone

0800 0257603

Website

Renfrewshire Women’s Aid

Samaritans

The Samaritans offer a 24 hours service, every day of the year to provide emotional support for people who are struggling to cope, including those who have had thoughts of suicide.

They provide a non-judgemental, confidential service over the phone, by email and by letter as well as face to face.

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Phone

116 123 (free)

Email

jo@samaritans.org

Website

Samaritans

Postal Address

Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK
PO Box 9090
Stirling
FK8 2SA

School Costs – Renfrewshire Council

Clothing Grants and Free Schools Meals are provided by Renfrewshire Council

A clothing grant is a payment made by the Council to qualifying parents or guardians to assist with the purchase of your childrens’ school uniforms. For session 2016-2017, this is £55 per eligible pupil. A maximum of one grant is payable for each child during any school year.

Pupils who meet certain conditions are also entitled to one free meal every day they attend school.

To see whether your child is eligible, please click on the link to the Council website which is on the right of this screen.

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Phone

0300 300 0300

Website

School Costs – Renfrewshire Council

Scottish Legal Aid Board

If you are looking for a solicitor in Renfrewshire who can offer you help through legal aid, or other legal advice providers funded by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, please use the solicitor finder. Here you can find solicitors who are registered to carry out legal aid services for Civil, Criminal and Children’s Legal Assistance work in the Renfrewshire area.

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Website

Scottish Legal Aid Board

Scottish Welfare Fund

The Scottish Welfare Fund offers grants or in-kind support for two purposes:

Crisis Grants provide a safety net in a disaster or emergency when there is an immediate threat to health or safety.
Community Care Grants enable independent living or continued independent living, preventing the need for institutional care.

If you don’t have alternative means of paying for what you need you might be entitled to a grant. Grants are intended to meet one-off needs rather than ongoing expenses and don’t need to be paid back.

Who can apply?

You must be 16 or over to apply for assistance from the Scottish Welfare Fund and normally be entitled to one of the following benefits (although this is not essential):

Income Support/Job Seekers (income-based)
Employment Support Allowance (income-related)
Pension Credit (GC/SC)
Universal Credit
Crisis Grant

A grant can be awarded to meet expenses that have arisen from an emergency or disaster. The purpose of the grant is to prevent serious damage or serious risk to your or your family’s health or safety.

If you want to apply for a crisis grant, please call 0300 300 0204 (Monday-Thursday 8.45am to 4.15pm, Friday 8.45am-3.25pm).

This is the best way to apply due to the urgency of the situation.

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Phone

0300 300 0204

Opening Times

Monday-Thursday 8.45am to 4.15pm, Friday 8.45am-3.25pm

Email

scottishwelfarefund@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Website

Scottish Welfare Fund

Shelter – Foundations First

Foundations First works with children (0 – 18 years) and their families who are caught in a cycle of poverty and homelessness, helping them break away. We operate across Renfrewshire Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm, with premises in Ferguslie Park although all work is carried out with clients in the community. We support families who have housing difficulties and associated issues. These issues can be minimal or multiple and complex, requiring longer term more intensive support.

We can help with a wide range of issues, from help to register with a GP or dentist to assisting with debts, to help for you if you are under threat of eviction. We can also help if you have mental and physical health issues and drug/alcohol issues.

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Phone

0344 515 1885

Email

foundationsfirst@shelter.org.uk

Website

Shelter – Foundations First

Shelter Scotland

You can get urgent advice from Shelter Scotland’s free Helpline. From eviction and repossession to neighbourhood issues, repairs and problem flatmates, Shelter can help with a whole range of issues. You can find a live chat option on their website.

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Phone

0808 800 4444 (free)

Website

Shelter Scotland

Trading Standards

The Trading Standards pages on the Renfrewshire Council Website give information about:

Trusted Traders
Consumer Advice
Business Advice
Scam Advice

and allow you to sign up for e updates to:

let you know about any new scams
keep you up-to-date with important consumer issues
tell you about important product safety recalls
let you know about our service changes
ask your opinion on important issues
tell you how we are performing.

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Phone

0300 300 0380

Email

ts.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Website

Trading Standards

University of the West of Scotland Funding and Advice

The Funding and Advice service are a team of Student Support Advisers within the University of the West of Scotland; offering specialist advice and guidance on matters relating to student funding and how best to manage your money. Our advisers collectively have over 65 years of experience delivering advice and guidance.

We work hard to ensure that our team are knowledgeable, kept informed of student funding related matters, and that our service is professional. We strive to offer a non-judgemental service with dignity, respect and confidentiality. We appreciate that everyone is different and will tailor our service to you as an individual.

We subscribe to the Student Services ethos of supporting and empowering our students to develop the skills that will allow them to succeed.

We can offer help with benefits, childcare costs, additional funding, budgeting, debt, housing and other issues affecting students.

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Phone

0141 848 3800

Opening Times

Contact by email or telephone to make an appointment

Email

fundingadvice@uws.ac.uk

Website

University of the West of Scotland Funding and Advice