Key national stakeholders

Scottish Government

CLD contributes to many Scottish Government strategies and policies. Some of the most important policies can be seen on the policy documents page.

Government responsibility for supporting the development of Community Learning and Development lies with the Adult, College and Community Learning Team within the Further and Adult Education Division of the Lifelong Learning Directorate. The team is responsible for policies in:

• Community Learning and Development (CLD)
• Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN)
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• College learning, teaching and qualifications

You can find out more about their work here.

Education Scotland

Education Scotland is the new national body is responsible for supporting quality and improvement in learning and teaching from early years to adult and community learning.  It brings together the work of Learning and Teaching Scotland, HM Inspectorate of Education and some functions currently carried out by Scottish Government.

The Communities Team lead policy implementation and practice development across Community Learning and Development in Scotland.  The core strands of work supported by the team are:

community-based lifelong learning, with a particular focus on adult literacy and numeracy and ESOL;

youth work; and

community capacity building.  

You can find out more about the Communities Team here.

HM Inspectors also carry out inspections to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of community learning and development activities in local areas.  These inspections focus on the work in communities of relevant local authority services and their partners in the voluntary sector and in other public bodies.

Inspections provide one means of ensuring the accountability of CLD services to service users. Inspections also inform and support service providers to improve and to build their capacity for continuous improvement.  You can find out more about HMIE here.

Local Government

Scotland's 32 local authorities continue to deliver significant levels of community learning and development activity in their area. They also have responsibility for leading local community learning partnerships.

In recent years as local authorities have embarked on a series of structural re-organisations, CLD has found itself located in services with titles such as Community Services, Community Learning and Development, Community and Leisure Services. In some authorities the functions of youth work, adult learning and capacity building have been disaggregated as services have been re-aligned to have a greater client focus.

Find contact details for partnerships here.

Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland (CLDMS)

Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland (CLDMS) is a group of local authority managers with responsibility for community learning and development in their area. Its aim is to provide a national focus on professional issues and standards and to improve the quality and extent for local authority CLD. You can find out more on their website.

YouthLink Scotland

YouthLink Scotland is the national youth work agency for Scotland. It is a membership organisation that works with government, youth organisations and other stakeholders to develop policy, promote good practice and champion the sector.

Learning Link Scotland

Learning Link Scotland is the national intermediary for voluntary adult learning organisations in Scotland. It works to support and represent a membership of around 100 voluntary adult learning groups and organisations based in 24 local authority areas.

Community Development Alliance Scotland (CDAS)

Community Development Alliance Scotland (CDAS) is an independent network of national organisations that have the promotion of community development as part of their goals.

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the national body representing the voluntary sector. SCVO seeks to advance the values and shared interests of the voluntary sector. SCVO also provides support for the network of 58 local councils for voluntary service who actively represent the voluntary sector on local CLD partnerships.

Scotland's Colleges

Scotland's Colleges play a significant role in the work of local CLD partnerships, contributing to literacy and numeracy programmes, programmes for young people and adult learning.

NHS Scotland

The Community Health Exchange is supported by NHS Scotland to provide a resource in supporting community development approaches to health improvement and challenging health inequalities. It also facilitates a network of community health initiatives and works to support them in developing good practice and influencing health and social policies.

NHS practitioners and managers are active members on local CLD partnerships.

Skills Development Scotland

Skills Development Scotland provides information, advice and guidance, including guidance relating to career and learning advice to people of all ages. Local careers advisers and practitioners are active members on local CLD partnerships.

Black and Ethnic Minorities in Scotland (BEMIS)

Black and Ethnic Minorities in Scotland (BEMIS) supports organisations or individuals who:

• Are defined as being discriminated on grounds of race, culture, colour, language, and faith.
• Have a history of being excluded.
• Have difficulty in accessing mainstream services and the decision-making processes.

The core activities of BEMIS include capacity building, co-ordination and strategic influence, identifying and addressing areas for targeted support and development and partnership working.