Adult and community learning (ACL) covers a wide range of educational provision, much of which is based locally within the community. Teaching staff often come from the same community and have empathy and understanding for learners. There is a strong focus on widening participation, flexible learning and learner-centred provision. It sometimes involves outreach work with community members who have been excluded from learning in the past. ACL provision is perceived to be more inclusive and sensitive to difference, power and inequality than its more formal counterparts in further and higher education. Many ACL tutors have non-typical social or educational backgrounds, and this can help to make learning accessible to a diversity of learners. Research commissioned by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) in 2005 found that there was a lack of consistent work which explored staffing, leadership, or diversity leadership in ACL. From the information available, however, two key factors emerged: (1) The ACL workforce largely comprises a part-time, non-professional, casual labour force; and (2) There are structured divisions by gender and by race that reflect wider divisions of labour across public services. These factors may interact in ways which are damaging in terms of diversity. Believing that diversity brings cultural enrichment that increases the potential for innovation and creativity at senior leadership levels, CEL has introduced policies and activities aimed at improving the diversity profile of ACL leaders.