Community Learning & Development Partners Plan 2024—2027
Year 1 Review - 2025
Orkney’s 3 year partnership plan for Community Learning and Development (CLD) is produced by Orkney’s Community Learning & Development Partnership, which includes both public sector and third sector organisations, who are delivering CLD support and activities across Orkney.
The CLD Partners Plan 2024-27 sets out how CLD will be delivered across Orkney over the next 3 years, ensuring services are planned for and delivered in a joined up way.
Community learning and development (CLD) covers a broad range of practice including youth work, adult learning, family learning, volunteer and community development.
This leaflet details the progress made on the priority actions during year one of the CLD Partners Plan, from September 2024 - September 2025.
The current priority areas for the CLD Partners Plan 2024-27 are: Sustainable Development, Cost of Living, Local Equality, Health & Wellbeing and Workforce Development.
IMAGE: Five overlapping circles show the five priority areas of the plan: Sustainable Development, Cost of Living, Local Equality, Health and Wellbeing, and Workforce Development.
What is Community Learning and Development (CLD)?
CLD is a way of working with individuals and communities which helps support individuals and groups to address issues of importance to them and promotes learning and social development.
IMAGE: An illustrated group of people hold interlocking jigsaw pieces in the colours of the Scottish flag, conveying people working together through Community Learning and Development.
What is the CLD Partners Plan?
Orkney CLD Partners Plan is created by the Community Learning & Development Partnership, working with learners and communities.
It help partners plan together, avoid duplication, strengthen coordination and improve understanding of community needs.
IMAGE: Two people hold interlocking jigsaw pieces in the colours of the Scottish flag, conveying partners joining their work together.
How does this plan link to Community Planning?
The CLD Partners Plan 2024-27 will focus on elements of each of the Community Planning Partnership priorities, each underpinning the importance of using CLD approaches to help address and progress these important areas of work.
Progress during the first year
Significant progress has been made on many of the actions during the first year of the plan. From the 25 agreed actions, 10 have been completed (blue), 9 are on target to be completed on time (green), and 6 actions are partially completed (amber).
Sustainable Development
1a) Extend the offer of Tri-Community Exchange (TRICE) meetings for anchor organisations in communities that have Community Councils, Development Trusts and Community Associations
1b) Streamline, promote and coordinate the delivery of governance health checks and policy reviews for community organisations
1c) Promote and support community organisations to develop local development action plans / place plans as required
1d) Undertake an audit of area-based community development support provision to improve coordination, approaches and best practice
2a) Undertake a strategic review of youth accreditation and awards offered by CLD partners to ensure effective delivery of appropriate awards based on need
2b) Work with Education and wider CLD partners to explore opportunities to better track the achievements of young people
3a) Creation of the Adult Learning Forum to review and coordinate adult learning provision in Orkney
3b) Create a baseline and increase the wider accreditation opportunities for adults
3c) Develop opportunities for a collaborative adult returner learning programme
Cost of Living
4a) Develop a partner’s baseline and increase free learning opportunities including delivery of life skills courses, financial literacies and budgeting support
4b) Access and disperse grant funding that supports community organisations to undertake activities to alleviate poverty and help tackle the cost-of-living.
Local Equality
5a) Promote and embed the involvement of those with lesser heard voices and priority groups within consultation and in matters that affect them
5b) Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development of a relevant, coordinated and representative youth voice structure
6) Support Community Organisations with planning to meet new legislation requirements,
7a) Work collaboratively to increase opportunities for those in marginalised communities, including the ferry linked isles, to participate in training and development opportunities
7b) Work collaboratively with communities in targeted areas to sustainably address the inequality of youth work provision in the ferry linked isles
Health & Wellbeing
8) Coordinate mental health training and awareness, to upskill people in the community, reduce stigma and promote mental wellbeing
9a) Expand, develop and deliver wellbeing and learning opportunities including accredited options
9b) Increase collaborative family support provision across Orkney
9c) Identify and test a shared approach to measuring improvements to mental health and wellbeing outcomes through CLD activity
Partnership Workforce Development
10a) Explore and expand opportunities and pathways into and within the CLD profession
10b) Raise the profile and awareness of CLD through joint training and increased promotion
11a) Deliver a training programme for the CLD workforce and volunteers, based on the needs identified through the training needs analysis
11b) Undertake a training needed audit of the CLD sector
12) Improve the quality of the data that we are sharing across the partnership to better understand local CLD needs and outcomes
It is clear that not all CLD needs can be met during the lifetime of this plan. Some recognised unmet needs during this period are also included in the plan, and encouragingly much progress has been made even on these actions.
Unmet needs
Develop partnership work with Housing partners to explore opportunities around tenant participation
Creation of a collaborative family learning strategy and plan
Increased access to affordable childcare including breakfast club and after school provision
Climate challenge related opportunities and actions
The CLD Partners Plan has been updated for the remaining two year. All completed actions have been removed, remaining actions updated, and 3 new actions have been added to meet identified needs, including an action around community safety, an action to support the implementation of the Physical Activity and Wellbeing Strategy and one action focused on increasing awareness of CLD in the community.
Want to know more?
A full copy of the CLD Partners Plan 2024-27 can be found at:
You can also pick up a copy from various locations including: Orkney Islands Council Customer Services, your local library or contact the CLD & Employability Service at Orkney Islands Council 873535, email cld@orkney.gov.uk or find us on Facebook @ communitylearninganddevelopmentorkney
IMAGE: An illustrated person holds a jigsaw piece in the colours of the Scottish flag, reinforcing the leaflet’s message about partnership and connected services.