The WEA delivers learning by engaging with people in their own communities, rather than asking them to come to us. 

WEA staff and tutors deliver learning in local community cafes, community centres, libraries, job centres and warm spaces. The WEA also run open days, and activity days and visits to community groups, spending time with local people to discuss their needs and help them overcome individual and societal barriers to education participation. 

In some cases, this engagement emerges from pre-existing partnerships and community relationships while in others we will proactively target the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, as identified by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). Regardless of how or where we engage with individuals and communities, the aim is always to identify the help and support people need to take part in education and find the best means of enabling them to access it.

This is the essence of the WEA’s person-centred approach to learner engagement. By reaching out to people in their communities we aim to become a trusted partner, supporter and advocate for the people who ultimately benefit from our services. In some cases, the appropriate intervention might focus on skills, in others it may be about building confidence, while for others it may be helping them manage some health and wellbeing issues before they can take that vital first step towards education participation or economic activity.

This is what being adaptable, responsive and person-centred means in practice. The WEA approach creates a safe place for people to describe what they need, to a learning professional who is actively interested in helping them and is in an environment in which the client is familiar and comfortable. The combination of these three factors leads to a much more positive interaction and ultimately better outcomes. 

At the WEA we are open to education for all and do not discriminate who uses our service. In terms of access, the WEA goes beyond equality of opportunity but focuses on equity of opportunity too. Equality of opportunity suggests that all groups should have equal access. In reality, some community groups are far more advantaged or disadvantaged than others. By focussing on both equality and equity of opportunity the WEA aims to ensure that those who are the most challenged get a disproportionate amount of help and support to access the opportunities available. We will also ensure that if the WEA cannot directly help someone, we will endeavour to refer them to an organisation or person who can. 

Successful community engagement can take time and building trust with our intended beneficiaries can also be slow to earn. We hope that by proactively reaching out to local communities and meeting people in places they are used to visiting and are comfortable in will help break down some of these barriers. Furthermore, we use local tutors who live and work in our target communities and can therefore engage based on knowledge of the area its people and its challenges.

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