Live Argyll - Community Learning and Development Report 2023-24
Argyll and Bute Council · 6 June 2024
Back to Community Services Committee — 6 June 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 6 JUNE 2024 LIVE ARGYLL – COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2023-24 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report aims to provide members with an update on the performance of Live Argyll’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) and specifically the provision of Adult Learning and Youth Services. 1.2 The report outlines the progress being made by the multi-agency CLD Strategic Partnership in delivering key priorities within the 2021-2024 CLD Partnership Plan. 1.3 Community Learning is a professional practice that covers all stages of lifelong learning. The purpose of Community Learning is to provide early intervention and prevention to those who are at risk of experiencing inequality of opportunity within the education and skills system. 1.4 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: a) Consider the contents of the report; b) Recognise the significant improvements and strengths achieved by CLD since the transfer of CLD to liveArgyll in 2021, and specifically those outlined by HMIe in its February 2024 report on the January 2024 HMIe Progress Visit. c) Recognise the positive outcomes for young people in Argyll and Bute as a result of increased partnership between Community Learning and secondary schools.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE EDUCATION 6 JUNE 2024 LIVE ARGYLL – COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2023-24 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Community Learning works closely with communities and partners to help individuals, families and groups achieve their potential through lifelong learning, mutual support and strong community organisations. It focuses on youth work, which involves early intervention with children and young people, as well as community-based adult learning programmes such as adult literacies and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). 2.2 Community Learning Practice is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to everyone, especially those who belong to marginalised groups. The goal is to remove barriers that limit the access to education for people who have few or no qualifications, those who need assistance in engaging in learning opportunities; and those who face personal, social, or systemic obstacles to learning. With high-quality Community Learning Practice, CLD Argyll and Bute strives to empower these individuals to access education and improve their lives, in the belief that education in all forms is the key to unlocking opportunities and creating a brighter future for all. The statutory basis for CLD is under sections 1 and 2 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (the 1980 Act). 2.3 By such means, CLD’s mission is to create stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that the Community Services Committee: a) Consider the contents of the report; b) Recognise the significant improvements and strengths achieved by CLD since the transfer of CLD to liveArgyll in 2021, and specifically those outlined by HMIe in its February 2024 report on the January 2024 HMIe Progress Visit.
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c) Recognise the positive outcomes for young people in Argyll and Bute as a result of increased partnership between Community Learning and secondary schools. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 The Council approved the transfer of its Community Learning and Development Service to liveArgyll on 30th June 2021. The agreement amongst other things stipulates: • liveArgyll’s responsibility for ensuring that the four statutory obligations, as set out in the Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013, are met. In doing so liveArgyll ensures: o clarity on what CLD is and who the priority groups for CLD provision are within the authority – liveArgyll will deliver all CLD service requirements that meet both the service specification set out by the Council, and Education Scotland requirements. o the relevance and impact of CLD provision in the area by looking at the needs of the priority groups and individuals. o it involves and consults with priority groups, individuals and stakeholders to find out what they need and want, including an extensive consultation process to inform development of the new CLD plan priorities. o it creates and publishes a CLD plan every three years, and takes the lead role in the development of the new plan, with periodic progress reports prepared for the Community Services Committee. 4.2 Argyll and Bute Council retain a governance role working alongside liveArgyll. The agreement provides for reporting and monitoring via Education Services to the Council. Context for CLD Planning and Delivery 4.3 The Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, led by Professor Louise Hayward, underscores the importance of learning in communities. The review recommends a personal pathway that ensures every learner in Scotland has opportunities to engage in social, cultural, well-being, and economic activities. The personal pathway is to be supported by a range of educators, and the report outlines the skills that educators would need to support learners on their journey. 4.4 In his report to the Scottish Government on Scotland’s skills landscape and framework, Fit for the Future, James Withers, when discussing careers advice and education, emphasizes that it is not sufficient to focus solely on young
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people or those in school or college. He suggests that there should be "high- quality, impartial support" beyond the formal education sector. He believes that this support should be a structural part of the learning system and an embedded Adult Learning resource within local communities. CLD Engagement with Learners 4.5 The following chart illustrates the number of Adult Learners 16+ who are not in school and Young People ages 12-18 years who have accessed Community Learning Services. The graph shows registered learning (learning attended on a regular basis), wider engagement (learning through larger events, drop-ins and one-off workshops and activities). Figures are cumulative over a 12 month period (monthly average data is contained in table below graph). 4.6 The following table highlights the average monthly engagement and participation of Adult Learners and Young People accessing/attending Community Learning Services across Argyll and Bute from the above cumulative figures. 4.7 Youth Service Leads work in Schools and Partnership programmes which collaborate with the Scottish Government and other Scottish Attainment Challenge Average Monthly Engagement and Participation (learners) No per month Number of young people engaged in registered Youth Work activities/learning 147 Wider engagement - Number of Young People attending one-off events/Drop Ins 73 Number of Adult Learners engaged in registered AL activities/classes (not inc. ESOL) 156 Wider engagement - Number of Adult Learners attending one-off events/Drop- ins Adult Learning (not inc. ESOL) 127
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partners to promote the role of youth work in closing the poverty-related attainment gap. We share best practices, support practice development and gather evidence of the impact of youth work on attainment. 4.8 In Argyll and Bute in school session 2023-24, Community Learning extended its partnerships with secondary schools significantly. To support the Education Service in broadening the curriculum and offering as wide a range of attainment and achievement possibilities as possible, Community Learning has enabled the achievement of over 450 accredited awards and nearly 500 other awards across eight secondary schools. This represents an increase of over 300% on 2022-23, and the work to continue the expansion of such engagement with schools will continue in 2024-25. 4.9 The chart below highlights two areas: 1) The total accredited, recognised qualifications that were achieved by young people. 2) The total number of young people who have actively participated in and accomplished wider learning opportunities. SQA – Scottish Qualifications Agency DYA – Dynamic Youth Award 4.10 Community Learning looks for all opportunities to assist a young person to maximise on their attainment and achievements: e.g. a young Person achieving an SQA in Young Leadership potentially can also achieve a Dynamic Youth Award and a Saltire Award at the same time. 4.11 The chart below illustrates the number of Adult Learners 16+ (not in school Education) who have actively participated in and accomplished accredited, recognised qualifications. Additionally, it illustrates their engagement in wider learning opportunities, such as events, drop-ins, one-off workshops, and activities.
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HMIe Inspection of CLD Argyll and Bute, January 2024 4.12 In January 2024, HM Inspectors visited Argyll and Bute Council to undertake a Community Learning and Development (CLD) progress visit. 4.13 During the visit, HM Inspectors talked to learners and community representatives, CLD leaders, managers, staff, and volunteers, and other key stakeholders. HM Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of local authority CLD partnerships’ approach to self-evaluation and planning for improvement, and considered progress made against identified priorities in their CLD plans. 4.14 HM Inspectors identified a number of strengths in CLD provision, and examples of progress since the previous visits in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Among key areas of strength identified were: • Self-evaluation is accurate and HMIe were in agreement with the strengths and development areas identified; • Governance and leadership of CLD is effective; • The CLD Partnership Group supports effective collaborative working; • The use of Basecamp is allowing effective communication and information/data sharing across the partnership; • CLD has established and is further developing strong partnerships with schools, which are tailored to the needs of individual schools and pupils; • Almost all learners are demonstrating improved health and wellbeing outcomes. 4.15 Among areas for development identified were: • The need to make improvement outcomes more clearly measurable in improvement planning; • The need to ensure CLD planning is coherent and aligned with planning at ABOIP level; • The need to develop individual learning plans with learners within CLD.
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4.16 HM Inspectors concluded that there was no requirement for a follow-up visit relating to CLD in Argyll and Bute. A report on progress will be submitted to HMIe in January 2025. 4.17 Since the HMIe Progress Visit, professional learning has been organised for CLD staff relating to improvement planning skills, and specifically the creation and implementation of clear, measurable success criteria in improvement planning. Such training, to be held in June and July 2024, led by the Education Service, will inform both team annual planning within CLD, and the formulation of the statutorily required three-year CLD Plan 2024-2027, and will allow effective ongoing evaluation of progress towards targets. cld-argyll-and-bute-council-pv-270224 (1).pdf 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The current arrangements between the Council and liveArgyll are working extremely well. A significant amount of progress in the areas of Community Learning and Development has been made since the transfer of liveArgyll to the Council in June 2021, as demonstrated both by the 2021 HMIe inspection by recent HMIe CLD Progress Visit, which identified key strengths. A strong CLD partnership is in place and continues to grow and develop. Satisfactory arrangements are in place in respect of fulfilling all CLD obligations and Council expectations as set out in the agreement between the Council and Live Argyll. 5.2 Community Learning Services will continue with the delivery of provision determined by the Scottish Government’s Lifelong Learning policy and learners identified needs, which are outlined in the current CLD Strategic Partnership Plan 21-24. 5.3 The priorities of the plan align with the following six themes: 1. Digital Skills 2. Core skills for learning 3. Life and work 4. Health and Wellbeing 5. Your voice 6. The Learner offer and Improving how we work as a Partnership 5.4 The current strategic partnership plan for 2021-2024, attached as appendix 1, is being reviewed and evaluated by all partners and stakeholders through consultation with a view to producing a new three year plan to be published in September 2024.
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5.5 For additional details and examples of case studies, please visit the website of Community Learning Services at https://liveargyll.co.uk/community- learning/ 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy - In line with Council policy in relation to transfer agreement. 6.2 Financial – None 6.3 Legal - In line with relevant contractual agreements between Council and liveArgyll 6.4 HR - None 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: None 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty: None 6.5.3 Islands – None 6.6 Climate Change - None 6.7 Risk – as outlined in body of report above 6.8 Customer Service – None 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full Douglas Hendry - Executive Director with responsibility for Education Councillor Audrey Forrest - Policy Lead for Education For further information contact: Simon Easton – Education Manager Email: Simon.easton@argyll-bute.gov.uk Tel: 01436 657681 Wendy Brownlie Head of Education – Performance and Improvement Jennifer Crocket Chief Education Officer/ Head of Education – Wellbeing, Inclusion and Achievement Date: 6 June 2024 Appendix 1 - Strategic Partnership Plan 2021-2024