Concerns remain about the direction of a Moray Council education service following a return visit by inspectors.
Education Scotland officials have already made two visits to the authority’s community learning and development team (CLD) in the Buckie area.
Yesterday, a new report revealed inspectors continue to have concerns about the lack of direction in the department amid concerns that continued shake-ups within the council are affecting the service.
The CLD provision is responsible for providing support to disadvantaged and vulnerable people of all ages with a focus on early interventions and tackling inequalities.
Moray Council has no dedicated CLD service, instead choosing to use staff from across departments while working with other agencies.
In a report, Education Scotland inspector Ann Kilvin said work in the Buckie area, which also covers Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty and Portgordon, was “good overall” and praised community groups in the area for “continuing to thrive”.
However, the official believes a fourth visit is required in order to ensure progress is continuing to be made.
She said: “There is not yet a clear sense of direction across CLD in Moray.
“Moray Council continues to experience a period of significant change and this is negatively impacting on the CLD offer.
“Partners are making some progress in a few of the areas for improvement identified during the original inspection. However, further work is required both at strategic and local level.”
A spokeswoman for Moray Council said: “As recognised by Education Scotland, we are in period of significant change and we are working closely with our partners to improve the CLD provision in Moray.
“Our focus remains on the strategic direction of the service, and how this is delivered locally.
“We will continue to liaise with Education Scotland and prepare for their future inspection visit.”
