CLD Partners Plan
2024–2027
(2025 update)
IMAGE: Cover page titled “CLD Partners Plan”, with the text “2024-2027” and “(2025 update)”. Below the title, four people are shown holding interlocking puzzle pieces, representing partners working together.
Sustainable Development
We will work to support sustainable development through partnership learning opportunities to build people’s skills, confidence and strengthen individual and community capacity and resilience to benefit everybody in our communities, with nobody left behind.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Increased capacity and resilience of community groups and organisations to deliver what is needed for their communities and ensure these organisations prosper | 1) Promote and support community organisations to develop local development action plans / place plans as required | HIE, CLLD, (Community Development Forum) | September 2026 | - Promotion of opportunity by September 2026 - 3 Plans developed by September 2027 - 4 new projects undertaken by September 2027 | - Publicity - Correspondence with community organisations - Number of plans developed - Feedback |
| 2. Increased coordination and expansion of youth achievement opportunities and pathways to ensure young people progress and reach their full potential | 2a) Undertake a strategic review of youth accreditation and awards offered by CLD partners to ensure effective delivery of appropriate awards based on need | CLDE, VAO, (Youth Workers Forum) | September 2026 | - Awards booklet created by September 2026 - Annual youth awards data collection established - Increased youth awards offered by Sept. 2027 | - Minutes and Agendas - Youth Awards booklet - Increase in youth awards - Annual data of all youth awards - Number of accredited and non-accredited awards - Review completed |
| 2b) Work with Education and wider CLD partners to explore opportunities to better track the achievements of young people | Education, CLDE, VAO, (Youth Workers Forum) | September 2027 | - Pilot established by March 2026 - Review of tracking completed by March 2027 - Improvement plan developed by Sept. 2027 | - Minutes and Agendas - Review of tracking systems - Improvement plan - Improved tracking system developed in pilot school - Number of meetings held | |
| 2c) Develop partnership solutions to reduce antisocial behaviour and keep the community safe through learning, early intervention and prevention approaches in the local community | Police Scotland, CLDE, Education, (Youth Workers Forum) | September 2027 | - Partnership projects agreed - Funding secured - Engagement with the local community - Identify baseline of antisocial behaviour | - Projects undertaken - Funding applications - Funding secured - Programme of delivery - Numbers engaged - Feedback and evaluations - Decrease in reported antisocial behaviour |
Sustainable Development
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Increased coordination and expansion of adult learning opportunities and pathways to ensure learning is lifelong, life-wide and learner centred | 3a) Development of the Adult Learning Forum to review and coordinate adult learning provision in Orkney | CLDE, UHI Orkney, VAO, Orkney Library & Archive | September 2026 | - Adult Learning Forum established and meeting 3 times a year - Review of current adult learning provision across Orkney completed | - Adult Learning Forum minutes, agendas and meeting schedule - Review of current adult learning provision |
| 3b) Create a baseline and increase the wider accreditation opportunities for adults | CLDE, UHIO, (Adult Learning Forum) | September 2027 | - Adult learning provision baseline created by September 2026 - Increase in wider accreditation opportunities by September 2027 | - Number of adult learners - Number of accreditation and non-accreditation awards - Number of qualifications - Number of ESOL learners | |
| 3c) Develop opportunities for a collaborative adult returner learning programme. | UHI Orkney, CLDE, (Adult Learning Forum) | September 2026 | - Meetings established - Adult returns learning programme created - Course advertised - Course delivered by December 2026 | - Minutes and Agendas - Publicity - Adult returns programme - Course completed - Numbers attending - Feedback and evaluations |
Cost of Living
We will support individuals, children, and families through this difficult time, committing time, energy, and resources to work towards the elimination of poverty throughout Orkney. Addressing both immediate need and longer-term initiatives to combat persistent poverty.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4. Improved confidence and skills, for priority groups identified as needing additional support to achieve positive outcomes | 4) Develop a partner’s baseline and increase free learning opportunities including delivery of life skills courses, financial literacies and budgeting | NHSO, CLDE, Sport & Leisure | September 2026 | - Develop a baseline of free learning provision by September 2026 - Increase free learning by 10% by September 2027 | - Partnership baseline developed - Number of courses delivered - Number of participants - Participant feedback (formal / informal) |
Local Equality
We will work to address the continuing disadvantage experienced by some of our communities when trying to access services, facilities, and opportunities. Helping meet local needs through the effective provision of community learning and development opportunities to enhance individual and community capacity and resilience.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. People have increased confidence and opportunities to express their views and influence decision making and service design | 5a) Promote and embed the continuous involvement of those with lesser heard voices and priority groups within consultation and in matters that affect them | VAO, HIE, OIC, (Community Development Forum) | September 2027 | - Support the progress of the 4 strands of the Community Engagement Project - Utilise full results of Orkney Matters 2 (OM2) for updated CLD plans | - Working group minutes and agendas - Evaluation / feedback - Number of lived experience groups - Number engaged in Orkney Matters 2 - Number of lived experience groups |
| 5b) Provide strategic leadership and direction in the development of a relevant, coordinated and representative youth voice structure | CLDE, VAO, (Youth Workers Forum) | September 2027 | - Task group created - Develop youth engagement and participation infrastructure and action plan by March 2027 | - Records of meetings - Youth engagement infrastructure - Action plan agreed and delivered | |
| 6. Reduction in barriers and increase in opportunities for lifelong learning and development to keep the CLD offer as local as possible | 6) Work collaboratively to increase the opportunities for those in marginalised communities, including the ferry linked isles, to participate in training and development opportunities and reduce isolation | CLDE, Development Trusts, Community Associations, (Adult Learning Forum) | September 2026 | - Training programme offered in 2 areas by September 2026 - Report published and shared following CLDE isles training offer - Session with local community organisations to identify needs - Collated details of lifelong learning opportunities across the Partnership | - Island Training Report - Number of sessions arranged - Number of islands supported - Number of attendees - Number of qualifications - Evaluation & feedback - Meetings & minutes - Press coverage |
Health and Wellbeing
We will work together to provide the required support through the delivery of targeted interventions to improve health and wellbeing, build trusted relationships, increase confidence, improve resilience and develop new skills.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Improved health and well-being outcomes and increased engagement with learning to develop motivation, confidence, and skills through youth work, adult & family learning and community development | 7a) Increase collaborative family support provision across Orkney | CLDE, Sport & Leisure, UHI Orkney, Education | September 2026 | - Minimum of 5 family learning opportunities delivered by Sept 2026 - Train a minimum of 2 volunteers in family learning opportunities - Arrange 2 training opportunities specifically for parents by September 2026 | - Family learning offer developed - Number of family learning opportunities offered - Number of families engaged - Outcomes for families - Attendance at events - Evaluation / feedback - Number of Family Learning opportunities funded |
| 7b) Identify and test a shared approach to measuring improvements to mental health and wellbeing outcomes through CLD activity | CLDE, (Data Subgroup) | September 2026 | - Data collection process developed - Inclusion of baseline data - Increased input to shared KPI’s - Data collected, analysed and reported annually | - Minutes of meetings - Data sharing protocols developed. - Number of partners inputting to KPI’s - Progress against identified KPIs | |
| 7c) Work with all partners, including the Integrated Joint Board, to deliver on the joint actions from the Orkney Physical Activity and Wellbeing Strategy | CLDE, Sport & Leisure, UHI Orkney, Education, VAO, NHSO | September 2027 | - Relevant actions identified from the Physical Activity & Wellbeing strategy - Streamlined reporting process created - Linkages made with Integrated Joint Board - Progress and achievement on some priority actions | - Presentation of the Physical Activity & Wellbeing Strategy to CLD Partnership - Relevant actions agreed by CLD Partnership - Progress and reporting on key actions |
Skilled Workforce
We will work to ensure we have a skilled workforce by raising awareness of CLD and strengthening learning opportunities for those working and volunteering in the CLD sector.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. Increased visibility and awareness of CLD as a recognised profession | 8a) Explore and expand opportunities and pathways into and within the CLD profession through collaborative work with regional and national partners | CLDE, VAO, SDS, (Training Subgroup) | September 2027 | - CLD training opportunities identified - CLD qualifications progressed - Increase CLD Standard Council membership across Orkney | - Training opportunities shared across the network - Number of people completing CLD qualifications - Number of CLD qualified staff - CLD Pathway publication developed - Increase in CLDSC registration |
| 8b) Use different methods to increase awareness of the CLD sector and the outcomes that can be achieved through CLD delivery | CLDE, (All CLD Partnership subgroups) | September 2027 | - Partnership case studies - Social media posts - Identify funding for marketing - A short CLD film created - 2 case study films created - CLD Partners webpage developed | - 2 partner case studies created - CLD Partnership website created - Film created on CLD outcomes - 2 case study films created - Number of views or likes to the webpage | |
| 9. Orkney has a skilled, trained, and confident CLD workforce with a shared understanding of relevant national occupational standards, CLD values and competences | 9a) Undertake a training needs audit of the CLD sector | VAO, CLDE, NHSO, (Training Subgroup) | September 2026 | - Training needs assessment disseminated by September 2026 - Identify training requirements across CLD - Identify possible trainers and people willing to share good practice | - Needs assessment designed - Number of respondents - Publicity to promote the training needs assessment - Numbers willing to deliver training sessions |
| 9b) Deliver a training programme for the CLD workforce and volunteers, based on needs identified through a new training needs analysis | VAO, CLDE, NHSO, (Training Subgroup) | September 2027 | - Programme of training is developed - Training offered - Universal evaluation undertaken after every training session - Review evaluation findings | - Number of training courses delivered - Attendance numbers - Number of organisations benefiting - Participant feedback - Annual progress report |
Skilled Workforce
We will work to ensure we have a skilled workforce by raising awareness of CLD and strengthening learning opportunities for those working and volunteering in the CLD sector.
| Outcome | Action | Lead | Target Date | Milestones | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10. Effective and consistent gathering, analysis and reporting of data for planning and reporting on outcomes | 10) Improve the quality of the data that we are sharing across the partnership to better understand local CLD needs and outcomes | CLD, (Data Subgroup) | September 2026 | - KPI data collection process developed - Inclusion of additional baseline data in reporting - Increased input to shared KPI’s - Data collected, analysed and reported annually - Social value engine pilot undertaken by September 2026 | - Minutes of meetings - Data sharing protocols developed - Number of partners inputting to KPI’s - Progress against identified KPIs - Social Value engine finding across pilot area - Annual Report |
** - New actions added in year 2 of the plan.
Unmet needs during this period (2024-27)
At a time of changing national policy, realignment of priorities and ever reducing resources, it is clearly evident that not all CLD needs can be met during the lifetime of this plan. This recognition that there will be unmet needs over this 2024-27 period is stipulated as a requirement in the CLD legislation. Priority areas of work that are recognised as important and which partners are keen to pursue, but may not be able to due to limited resources and capacity include:
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.
Whilst we have been unable to include as many specific actions in the plan around climate challenge as we would have liked, engagement work to raise awareness and support within the community continues and we will seek to weave related opportunities into other actions in this plan where possible.