West Dunbartonshire has a population of approximately 87,790. The council area includes the densely populated urban centre of Clydebank and the more rural setting of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. The socio-economic profile indicates that a significant number of residents are experiencing higher than average levels of poverty and disadvantage.

Community Learning and Development (CLD) in West Dunbartonshire is developed and co-ordinated by Working4U (Adult Learning) and the Communities Team (Youth Work and Community Development). The strategic overview and co-ordination of activities is achieved through the Adult Learning Partnership (ALP). The ALP is a forum that has been working collaboratively with aims to create and support a shared vision of Adult Learning through effective partnership working.

The improvement issue

Members of the ALP recognised the need to better coordinate the delivery of services to adult learners in West Dunbartonshire. Partners understood the benefits of taking a coordinated and more strategic approach. For example, leading to less duplication and more effective use of resources.

The ALP also recognised the need to include the learner voice in planning the delivery of services. This includes the opportunity for all partners to contribute to an annual learning event, where they directly engage with learners.

Partners of the ALP wanted to improve information sharing, to understand each other’s roles better and to be clearer about their contribution to the CLD plan.

ALP members recognised that the implementation of sub-groups of the partnership would allow members to focus on and develop focused areas of work, such as Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) certified courses, improved use of libraries and a two-way referral process for employability.

What West Dunbartonshire Council ALP did

Membership of the ALP includes Health and Social Care Partnership’s Work Connect Service; Council services including Libraries, Communities, and Employability; West College Scotland; Skills Development Scotland; West Dunbartonshire Council for Voluntary Services (WDCVS) and West Dunbartonshire Learner Voice Group.

Partners have developed an action plan to assist with the delivery and coordination of services. Working to the action plan, partners consistently monitor progress against this and the 3-year CLD Plan to ensure that aims are achieved. An annual evaluation of activities is helping members to identify next steps and improvements for adult learning programmes.

These actions and activities link to the themes in the national Adult Learning Strategy. Activities focus on sharing information and practice, providing an overview of adult learning activity in the area, and contributing to its improvement. The action plan enables the partnership to monitor progress. The ALP’s progress is included in their annual CLD plan report. To ensure effective governance, the group’s terms of reference is updated every January. The ALP undertakes annual self-evaluation to identify and plan for continuous improvement. This enables them to update the Action Plan for the CLD plan continuously.

As well as providing a central point for the sharing of information, partners have established ‘sub- partnerships’ that focus on different areas of work, including:

• The delivery of SQA certificated courses delivered in partnership with West College Scotland
• The use of libraries as learning venues
• Input by Skills Development Scotland and WDCVS to groups, and two-way referral with Employability services.

Adult learners are at the centre of ALP’s work, including a Learner Voice Group, which is represented in the partnership. The annual learner event enables ALP members to share information about their service and to hear directly from learners about their learning aspirations. This is enabling learners to influence local and national policies as described in the National Statement of Ambition for Adult Learning.

What the sustained impact has been

The ALP has enabled staff and volunteers to be supported effectively. There is increased awareness of what everyone’s role is in the partnership. As a result, referrals and signposting of services for learners has improved. 

Joint planning of improvements for adult learning is leading to positive outcomes for learners, including:

• Progression pathways – for example the Adult Learning team offering English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) assessments to New Scots and beginner level classes, with West College Scotland (WCS) offering higher level classes. ESOL family learning complements classes and is supporting social integration. ESOL learners are also supported to access a range of accredited learning offered within community settings, through the service level agreement with WCS.
• Learners achieving qualifications – the Adult Learning Team work in partnership with WCS to offer community-based adult learning in a range of subjects including criminology, child development and information technology – all courses offer learners accreditation up to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level five. The Adult Learning team offer core skills up to SCQF level four, through their own SQA centre. WCS are using Multiply funding to offer a level five course in numeracy, which is a progression route for community-based adult learners.
• Volunteering opportunities - WDCVS work with partners to offer volunteering opportunities to adults.
• Routes to employment – strengthened links with the employability services allows adult learners to access sector specific training and employability key worker support as appropriate.
• Quality accommodation for learning – partnership with the libraries is helping adult learning groups access free, good quality learning accommodation within local communities. 

Staff of ALP members can access free training procured or provided by the Adult Learning team, with some provided by ALP partners. Examples include:

• cost of living
• science, technology, engineering and mathematics
• numeracy
• climate emergency

The pilot course for the Level six Professional Development Award Adult Learning was offered to tutors and volunteers from across the ALP partners. These opportunities are contributing to improved services for learners.

ALP members can better demonstrate the impact of their work with learners. For example, the ‘sub-partnerships’ have enabled hundreds of learners to take part in a wide range of certificated learning in community-based venues. As well as developing skills and gaining qualifications, learners have fed back that the provision has provided them with a lifeline and a sense of community.