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Scottish Executive Guidance for Community Learning and Development
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This guidance for Community Planning Partnerships sets out a long term framework for the promotion and development of community learning and development (CLD). Its aim is to embed the principles of community learning and development more firmly within key Scottish Executive priorities such as the improvement of public services, community regeneration, social inclusion, life long learning, the forthcoming national youth work strategy and active citizenship. It replaces Scottish Office circular 4/99.
This guidance has been produced following discussion with a range of key stakeholders, including consultation on Working Draft Guidance prepared in liaison with the Scottish Executive and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) CLD Group.
Part 1: What is Community Learning and Development ?
Community learning and development describes a way of working with and supporting communities. We see community learning and development as central to 'social capital' - a way of working with communities to increase the skills, confidence, networks and resources they need to tackle problems and grasp opportunities. We want community learning and development to bring together the best of what has been done under the banners of 'community education' and 'community development' to help individuals and communities tackle real issues in their lives through community action and community-based learning.
National Priorities for CLD
Three national priorities have been developed for community learning and development.
- Achievement through learning for adults
Raising standards of achievement in learning for adults through community-based lifelong learning opportunities incorporating the core skills of literacy, numeracy, communications, working with others, problem-solving and information communications technology (ICT).
- Achievement through learning for young people
Engaging with young people to facilitate their personal, social and educational development and enable them to gain a voice, influence and a place in society.
- Achievement through building community capacity
Building community capacity and influence by enabling people to develop the confidence, understanding and skills required to influence decision making and service delivery.
These priorities should be reflected in the CLD strategies and Action Plans developed and delivered by community planning partners.
Targeting of CLD resources
We see community learning and development as a key tool in delivering our commitment to social justice. We want Community Planning Partnerships to target their CLD capacity to support strategies and activities aimed at closing the opportunity gap, achieving social justice and encouraging community regeneration.
Part 2: CLD and community planning
Community learning and development has an essential role to play in giving communities the confidence and skills they need to engage effectively with community planning. This will enable communities to have a real influence over the planning, delivery and quality of mainstream services, as well as specific initiatives such as those aimed at achieving community regeneration and social inclusion.
Part 3: CLD Partnerships, Strategies and Action Plans
CLD Partnerships
We want to build on the successful track record of Community Learning Partnerships which have already played an important role in raising the profile of community learning over the last two or three years.
We would expect any public organisation that has an interest in building community capacity, learning and social development to join the Community Learning and Development Partnership at a strategic level and to give staff time and investment to local action planning and delivery. Particular efforts should be made to engage the voluntary sector in such partnerships.
Community Learning and Development Strategies
We expect each Community Planning Partnership to produce a Community Learning and Development Strategy. The first strategy should be published no later than 1 September 2004 and cover at least a three year period.
Community Learning and Development Strategies should be shaped and jointly agreed by all community planning partners. They should influence and reflect the community plan and related strategies; highlight how and where they link with other strategic plans; set out the framework for operational planning and demonstrate substantial community involvement.
Community Learning and Development Action Plans
Each Community Planning Partnership should prepare and publish Action Plans for community learning and development. CLD Action Plans are joint work plans in which communities and agencies set out how CLD inputs, processes and outputs will achieve agreed outcomes.
These Action Plans should not just focus on problems. They should build on the vision and strengths of people, young and old, and their communities.
CLD Action Plans should make reference to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
The role of the local authority and other partners in planning for CLD
The overall responsibility for planning for CLD rests with the Community Planning Partnership. We expect the local authority to take responsibility for ensuring that arrangements are in place to set up and maintain partnership working at both strategic and operational levels. This role is likely to include providing a secretariat for the partnerships which develop CLD strategies and Action Plans. Local authorities have a particular role in ensuring the engagement of communities and a wide range of agencies in the development of CLD strategies and plans.
Other community planning partners are expected to support the local authority and, in some cases, may take the lead in developing CLD Action Plans. This support can include ensuring a collective approach to community involvement; working together to provide information for strategies and plans; and nominating staff to be involved in planning for CLD.
Part 4: Ensuring high quality CLD services
Evaluating CLD services
All those involved in CLD have an interest in ensuring that the service they provide is to a consistently high quality. Effective self-evaluation by partners should be an ongoing process. CLD Partnerships should consider using the quality assurance framework provided by HMIE in How Good Is Our Community Learning and Development? and the planning and evaluation framework provided by LEAP (Learning Evaluation and Planning).
HMIE will continue to evaluate the quality of local authority CLD services through its inspection, reporting and follow through programme.
Raising the profile of CLD
The experience of community learning plans has highlighted the importance of raising the profile of CLD with elected members, partner agencies and the public. Regular reporting through the local media, particularly celebrating the achievements of individuals, groups and communities is a proven way of raising awareness of the value of CLD.
Communities Scotland is working with the Scottish Executive/COSLA CLD Group to ensure that this work is supported and complemented at a national level and will be commissioning the production of profile-raising materials.
Investing in staff skills
Our policy on developing the CLD profession and future priorities for professional training are set out in more detail in the report Empowered to Practice - The Future of Community Learning and Development Training In Scotland. At local level, we are keen to see CLD Partnerships supporting the skills agenda for staff at all levels, including volunteer staff and community representatives.
Communities Scotland will be working with the key national partners and local partnerships during 2004 to identify and deliver appropriate support in relation to the implementation of this guidance.
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides a context and appropriate mechanism for the credit rating of programmes of learning and training.
Management information
We want to assess more thoroughly the contribution of CLD to achieving outcomes. In July 2003, we launched the first phase of a National Development Project intended to develop common data definitions and management information systems with CLD Partnerships.
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