Community learning and development plans: guidance - 2021 to 2024

Expectations on Education Authorities

There is an expectation on education authorities to recognise, in their CLD plan, the integration and impact of CLD practice across services within the local authority area. This work will include services provided by the CLD workforce employed and volunteering within the local authority, as well as CLD provision within schools, colleges, third sector organisations and other community planning partners. In summary, the expectation is for education authorities to:

• Co-ordinate the provision of community learning and development with stakeholders;
• Describe the actions that will be taken to provide and coordinate community learning and development between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2024;
• Describe the actions of partners for the provision of community learning and development from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2024;
• Describe any needs for providing community learning and development that will not be met between 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2024.

Development of the CLD plan will require a collaborative approach to the delivery of CLD in Scotland’s schools colleges, third sector organisations and communities. This will require the education authority to coordinate the delivery of CLD practice from across the local authority area and consult with partners and learners in schools, colleges, third and voluntary sector organisations and communities with a particular emphasis on people who are vulnerable or marginalised.

To ensure that education authorities meet their statutory requirements to secure CLD provision in their area (Regulation 2), education authorities must publish a revision to their CLD plan by September 2021 (Regulation 4) which covers the following three years (2021-24) and is based on consultation with representatives of target individuals and groups and CLD providers (Regulation 3).

The Scottish Government expects education authorities to take account of a variety of priorities when planning to secure adequate and efficient CLD services. Examples of national policy objectives are highlighted in ANNEX A.

Furthermore, The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013 state - “The plan must specify any needs for community learning and development that will not be met within the period of the plan”. The CLD plan should clearly acknowledge any needs for CLD which cannot be addressed in the period of the plan (2021-24) in order to meet fully the requirements of the legislation.

We also recognise that the Covid-19 crisis is likely to continue to present significant practical challenges to CLD planning between now and September 2021 and that this could have an influence on future CLD planning priorities throughout 2021- 2024.