SLC is the sector leader in developing national guidance and supporting national projects and programmes. This is underpinned by a commitment to share our intellectual property widely with the sector to promote shared learning and innovation.

We have worked with Sport England to develop the Strategic Outcomes Planning Guidance (SOPG) and Leisure Services Delivery Guidance (LSDG) national guidance which will shape and support the public sector’s approach to recovery and building back fairer for many years to come.

The SOPG is now a well-established tool for local authorities to understand and gain consensus around the strategic aims of physical activity provision in their communities. It was updated in 2021 to take into account the impact COVID-19 has had on public sector services.

Duncan Wood-Allum, Managing Director, SLC who led SLC’s work on the SOPG said: “The SOPG, when applied appropriately, is a powerful framework of support for local authorities. It helps ensure an optimal but pragmatic approach to strategically plan and secure investment in services, so they have maximum impact on local strategic outcomes.”

The LSDG, launched in Autumn 2021, has been developed and refined through extensive sector consultation. It is designed to assist local authorities in every stage of their service delivery journey, from early planning to mobilisation and sustainability. In need of an update, SLC has developed and enhanced a range of elements which it uses to support its clients.

Anna Dalton, Director, SLC said, “The LSDG has been developed to simplify and demystify partnering for the public sector and their operational partners. It is management model neutral so can apply equal to private operators, leisure trusts or local authority trading companies.

SLC also supported the Quest and NBS Board and Sport England in 2019-20, working closely with the wider sector in reviewing the existing schemes.