Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD)

Recommendations

1. Leadership and Structures

1.1 By Autumn 2024, the Scottish Government and CoSLA should establish a jointCLD Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) including an Equalities Forum.

1.2 The work of the SLG should be supported by a working-level CLD Strategic Delivery Group (SDG).

1.3 CoSLA and the Scottish Government need to reconsider current arrangements supporting CLD policy and delivery.

1.4 CoSLA should initiate and lead a process to improve consistency interms of where CLD is situated within Local Authority structures across all 32 Local Authorities.

1.5 The CLD Standards Council should be supported to transition towards an independent status more akin to the General Teaching Council Scotland.

1.6 Ministers should commit to providing regular reports to the Scottish Parliament about follow-up to this Review.

2. Overarching Policy Narrative

2.1 The Scottish Government should develop and communicate a clear and cohesive policy narrative on Life-long Learning.

2.2 Informed by and consistent with the policy narrative recommended above, the Scottish Government should develop and communicate a clear Statement of Strategic Intent for CLD.

3. Focus on Delivery

3.1 By the end of 2024, the Strategic Leadership Group should agree and publish a detailed, prioritised and timed Delivery Plan.

3.2 The Scottish Government working alongside New Scots partners, Colleges and Local Authorities needs to take immediate action to tackle the current crisis in ESOL.

4. Budgets and Funding

4.1 The Scottish Government should undertake an urgent and overdue reassessment of the current balance of spending across all dimensions of learning in Scotland.

4.2 Consistent with the Verity House Agreement, the Scottish Government and CoSLA should work together to identify indicative allocations for Local Authority spend on CLD.

4.3 Wherever possible, funding should be part of core budgets rather than project related. If this is not possible, then project funding should be provided over a multi-year period, with an explanation provided if that is not the case.

5. Developing the Workforce and Standards

5.1 The Scottish Government should appoint a Chief Adviser on Community Learning & Development.

5.2 The CLD Standards Council should lead work to develop a CLD Workforce Plan for consideration by the Strategic Leadership Group.

5.3 There should be a progressive requirement for all those working or volunteering in CLD roles to be members of the CLD Standards Council.

5.4 Consideration of HMIE CLD inspection report findings should be a standing item on the Strategic Leadership Group agenda.

6. Demonstrating Impact

6.1 The Scottish Government should fund Scotland's participation in the OECD International Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC).

6.2 Existing outcome measures, including the Youth Work National Outcomes and Skills Framework and the CLD managers Scotland KPI data, should be used as the basis to develop a shared CLD Outcomes and Measurement Framework for use across the sector.

6.3 There should be an annual celebration of CLD successes, in the shape of a CLD Annual Report and CLD Awards event.