Outcome Improvement Process Report
Outcome Improvement Process Report
Section 31 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (the Act)
In response to a Participation Request submitted by Elie and Earlsferry Community Council (E&E CC) to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) under Section 22 of the Act.
EE&CC is a “community participation body” in terms of Section 20(1) of the Act and SRUC is a “public service authority” in terms of Section 21 and Schedule 2 of the Act.
- Background
SRUC received a Participation Request from E&E CC on 19 March 2024 in relation to SRUC’s Elmwood Campus. The outcome E&E CC wanted to improve as outlined in their Participation Request was “improved educational outcomes for the students in Fife through improved access to local land-based courses at Elmwood College”.
SRUC issued a Decision Notice on 4 June 2024, which included a proposed outcome improvement process, in response to the Participation Request. On 10 June 2024, SRUC received a response from E&E CC in relation to the proposed outcome improvement process. SRUC considered the response and issued a Notice of modification of an outcome improvement process, in accordance with Section 29 of the Act and regulation 10 of the Participation Request (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations).
On 27 November 2024, a workshop, as outlined in the above Notices, was held at SRUC Elmwood campus to address the question “How do we build on SRUC's foundation plans for the future at SRUC Elmwood to take an evidence-based approach to improving educational outcomes for learners, businesses and the wider community?”
There were 16 participants representing SRUC, SRUCSA, EE & CC, Fife Council, and Cupar Development Trust. Other community members and political leaders were invited but were unable to attend.
The agenda for the workshop included a list of issues and possible solutions identified by Elie & Earlsferry Community Council which they asked to be included in the discussion.
- Outcome Improvement Process – The workshop
The workshop began with introduction by the Chair, Andy Peddie, a local community member and SRUC Board member. He emphasised the need to keep students at the core of the process and not focus simply on estates, bricks and mortar.
For clarity and to ensure all workshop participants had the same information, SRUC’s Chief Operating Officer introduced data related to the estate’s condition, as well as SRUC specific and sector-wide financial information. He clarified that SRUC had not sold the Elmwood Golf Course but that it was being rejuvenated by SRUC’s commercial estates team and was progressing positively.
The Chair of Elie and Earlsferry Community Council expressed concerns over lack of community involvement and investment at the campus and the impact on staff and students at Elmwood. They asked that the workshop participants think innovatively and explore new options, noting E&E CC had circulated possible solutions in advance of the workshop.
All agreed discussions and outcomes should be student focused, not on buildings.
The participants were put into two breakout groups. The results of these discussions are included in the next section.
- Reporting requirements as outlined in Section 31 of the Act
(a) Summarising the outcomes of the process, including whether (and, if so, how and to what extent) the specified outcome to which the process related has been improved.
A depth of knowledge and understanding was demonstrated by the participants and it became apparent that similar topics had been raised and examined in both breakout groups – e.g. challenges across the FE/HE sector, adaptability and innovative thinking, digital technologies and partnership models, enterprising skills, industry and apprenticeships, tertiary delivery, supporting student community, staff support and upskilling, estates factors, future requirement, pipeline of students, community engagement, and communication.
It was an open forum where community concerns were raised and SRUC was able to be transparent and share the rationale and supporting data behind decisions made on the delivery model at SRUC Elmwood Campus.
The discussions revealed the significant level of evidence SRUC has used to make decisions was not fully understood by all stakeholders but was well received when shared – for example, the evolution of student mode of study with a natural change from on campus students to distance learning and work-based learning, across golf and greenkeeping in particular.
SRUC recognised this could be improved through better communication with the community and stakeholders. The importance of community engagement and collaboration was recognised by all. However, the message was enforced by Fife Council that community engagement was not about community dictating to business. There was a need to improve communication avenues to have all views heard from across all stakeholder and wider community groups.
SRUC heard the message and committed to engaging the community and improving communication in an appropriate manner.
(b) Describing how and to what extent the participation of the community participation body that made the participation request to which the process related influenced the process and the outcomes.
The community participation body that made the participation request, E&E CC, greatly influenced the process and outcomes. The content of their original Participation Request and subsequent Freedom of Information Requests made their concerns clear to SRUC.
E&E CC submitted a list of concerns and proposed solutions for discussion at the workshop. The list was not edited and provided in full to all participants as part of the agenda in advance of the workshop.
The E&E CC Chair was allocated time to speak at the top and at the end of the meeting in order to summarise their views.
Other community members were also in attendance from Fife Council, Cupar Development Trust, and SRUCSA (SRUC Students’ Association). They participated freely in the breakout group discussions.
(c) Explaining how the authority intends to keep the community participation body and any other persons informed about—
(i) changes in the outcomes of the process, and (ii) any other matters relating to the outcomes.
A message that came through clearly from the workshop was the need for improved communication between SRUC and the local community. The discussions in the breakout groups and their subsequent feedback demonstrated that there were many areas of success and progress being made SRUC-wide and at the SRUC Elmwood Campus, but there was a perceived lack of transparency and understanding which was a cause of tension.
In addressing concerns raised during the workshop, SRUC demonstrated that decisions were being made on a well-considered and evidence basis with supporting data – e.g. in relation to academic delivery and student experience.
The importance of community engagement, communication and collaboration was recognised by SRUC and they committed to engaging with all local community groups and stakeholders in an appropriate manner moving forward.
Posted by SRUC on 14/02/2025
