Since the announcement of the proposed Education Workforce Council in June of this year, the CLD Standards Council has been conducting professional discussions with CLD practitioners all over Scotland. We have prepared a summary of key findings and a full progress report.

Download: Summary of Interim Feedback

Download: Progress Report

Key points of interest include:

• Maintaining the Identity of CLD
• Recognition for the range of contexts of CLD practice, and the breadth of its impact
• Opportunities for collaboration and raising standards
• Parity of esteem
• Funding
• Registration and membership
• Existing CLD Standards Council functions
• Governance of the Education Workforce Council
• What should the new workforce body be called? The most popular of a variety of suggestions for names that would be more inclusive of a wider workforce was “Education and Communities Workforce Council”.

Engagement with our Members and professional discussions will continue over the following weeks. All data gathered by the CLD Standards Council will be used to inform the final response to the Empowering Schools consultation.

Empowering Schools: A consultation on the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish Government has opened a consultation seeking views on the detailed policy proposals being taken forward by the Scottish Government in the Education Bill.

The Consultation will be open until 30 January 2018.

You can access the consultation paper and link to provide your views from the Scottish Government website – https://consult.gov.scot/learning-directorate/education-scotland-bill/

The CLD Standards Council will support practitioners to consider the consultation through professional discussion events across Scotland.  Views of practitioners will also be gathered at these events and through directed forums and online questionnaires to enable the Council to make a response on behalf of the sector.

For further detail see our Governance Review page.

Ashley Pringle presents the award to Roz Gallacher and Robert Hynd

South Lanarkshire Council Youth Learning Service have been awarded developmental approval for the Youth work SVQ they deliver.

The approval will last for 5 years from August 2017.

The Panel would like to thank the provider for their hard work to create the submission for the first SVQ programme to be granted Developmental Approval. The panel appreciate the patience of the provider in explaining the evidence provided and the procedures for delivery of SVQ qualifications.
The commitment from the team at South Lanarkshire Council Youth Learning Service is very evident and is reflected in the strong feedback from External reports.

The Dundee International Women’s Centre has evidenced that it is a great provider of CLD practice, works collaboratively and influences the wider external context for the benefit of its members.

The Standards Mark has been awarded from October 2017 for three years.

Marion Allison presents cetificates to Trevor Gale

Congratulations to University of Glasgow on professional approval of –

• BA/BA (Hons) Community Development
• PGD Adult Education, Community Development and Youth Work

The Approval Panel would like to thank the delivery team for the time spent in creating such  strong and clear submission documents.  It was very clear from the submission and discussions during the approval visit that the team are committed and passionate about the success of these programmes.

In particular the panel felt that the evidence for equality and diversity was very strong.   It is apparent that the team have strong visions for widening access and that the support they provide to each other, students and practice supervisors is very evident in the submission and the discussions they had with the panel during the visit.   The students and practice supervisors were keen to share their positive experiences in being involved in this programme.

The CLD Standards Council Scotland Statement of Response to the Scottish Government

Initial response as issued: June 16 2017

EDUCATION GOVERNANCE: NEXT STEPS – EMPOWERING OUR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND COMMUINITIES TO DELIVER EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY FOR OUR CHILDREN

In his speech on June 15th, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, advised that the Scottish Government will consult on establishing an Education Workforce Council for Scotland which will take on the responsibilities of the Community Learning & Development Standards Council and the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521038.pdf

As the professional body for CLD practitioners active across Youth Work, Adult Learning and Community Development, we welcome the recognition of the significant contribution that our professional workforce makes towards the achievements of young people, adults, families and communities across Scotland.

The focus on an inclusive national registration system, builds on the successful CLD Standards Council’s mission to drive high standards of professional practice. Over the last two years the CLD Standards Council has grown in size and status and we embrace the opportunity and challenge to design and co-create an Education Workforce Council that is inclusive of core CLD values and principles.

We look forward to playing a full and equal role in the consultation on these critical proposals and are committed to supporting our CLD professional members throughout this process and beyond.

Marion Allison

Head of the CLD Standards Council Scotland

The Scottish Government published the Education Governance: Next Steps –
Empowering our teachers, parents and communities to deliver excellence and equity for our children  on June 15 2017.

CLD Standards Council Position Statement – 10 August 2017

This Position Statement prepared by the CLD Standards Council will prompt you to consider what the Next Steps proposals could mean for you and your practice.

Download: [fac_icon icon=”file-pdf-o” color=”#392D43″ font_size=”18px”]CLD Standards Council Position Statement

It is essential that the CLD profession engages in the process of consultation to realise the CLD values, creating an infra-structure that develops and supports quality, competent CLD professionals.

Over the coming months there will be opportunities to share your views. There will be professional discussion events around the country and on i-develop as well as online questionnaires.

Expanded Position Statement

This expanded version of the CLD Standards Council Position Statement includes further information on the development and achievements of the Standards Council, the Scottish Government’s policy for CLD, and the Standards Council’s response to the Education Governance Review.

Download: [fac_icon icon=”file-pdf-o” color=”#392D43″ font_size=”18px”] Education Governance Expanded Position Statement

See also the initial response from the Standards Council.

Sue Holland Smith receives certificate from Ashley Pringle

Congratulations to Tayside and Fife Professional Learning Alliance on achieving their Standards Mark Approval.

The Panel were very impressed with the strength of the collaborative working that takes place across the areas.  The panel also felt there was good use of technology and evidence that the learning is embedded in the workplace.

The Tayside and Fife Professional Learning Alliance covers –
Angus Council
Dundee City Council
Fife Council
Perth and Kinross Council

We are currently developing a strategy which will set out our vision and aims for the next 5 years. This is being taken forward with your input at its heart through the contributions you have been making; at our conference; via online consultations; during discussions with CLDSC staff members and partner organisations; at professional learning and approval events; through picking up the phone and having a coffee and a blether; and much more. We aim to have the Strategy approved at our Executive Committee meeting in August 2017. Thank you for all your contributions and support in the creation of our Strategy – you really do ‘shape your future’.

The Standards Council has been sharing experiences with colleagues from across Europe. Mike  Naulty (chair of the Professional Learning Committee), Ashley Pringle (chair of the CLD Standards Council) and team members spent a day with 30 visitors from across Europe as part of an Erasmus+ University Study Visit. We explained the role of the CLD Standards Council and had a very engaged dialogue with them about how this related to their own experience. The previous week, we hosted a colleague from the Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Portugal. Mario Montez is a teacher and practitioner of sociocultural animation; a number of Standards Council members organised visits and discussions which were a true learning experience for all involved. We hope to build further on these connections.

The revised Community Development SVQs, reflecting the comments and input of CLD Standards Council members involved in reviewing the qualifications, are now approved. The qualifications are at SCQF level 5 and level 6, providing recognised development opportunities for people active in the community or moving into employment in community development.
The potential for a Modern Apprenticeship in Community Development is also under consideration.

Watch this space for more information.

Panel of speakers at the launch

This major new publication from the CLD Standards Council is available to download free at http://www.i-develop-cld.org.uk/course/view.php?id=101.
The book highlights the essential role of CLD, how it has developed over the last decade and a half, and the challenges and opportunities for the profession now. It brings together the key policy and guidance documents across all aspects of CLD, together with original introductory material charting the development of the profession.  There is also a selection of critical comment, research and case studies, highlighting achievements, progress – and some missed opportunities. It identifies key questions and challenges for practitioners, managers and policy makers.

The Panel of speakers : Emeritus Professor John Field; Dr Ian Fyfe; Ashley Pringle; Stuart Hashagen; Marion Allison

Videos of the presentations will be made available on the I-develop page.

New Guidelines for Professional Practice Placement in Community Learning and Development were launched by the Minister at CLD Standards Council Member Conference on 29 March 2017. The Guidelines will strengthen the link between practice and academic learning and, with sections aimed at learners, educational providers and supervisors, they clarify roles and responsibilities, promoting consistently good practice.
The guidelines are available to download from the website.  Printed copies are also available on request.
It is recognised that the practice placement process is continuously evolving and will require new and refreshed resources to support it, so these will be added in future as they are created.

Map of contacts and events we have delivered or attended since the start of the year

• New booklet from CDAS –  ‘How Community Development Happens: Why stronger communities matter and what it takes to develop them’ Available to download from the CDAS website at – https://www.communitydevelopmentalliancescotland.org/wp-content/uploads/HowCDHappens.pdf
• Scottish Learning Festival 2017 – Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 September in the SEC, Glasgow.
  Programme and link to registration – https://education.gov.scot/what-we-do/Scottish%20Learning%20Festival
• CLDMS Conference will be taking place on Tuesday 31 October.  Watch the CLDMS website for details.
• Youthlink Scotland National Conference – Tuesday 14 November.  Details – https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/events/november-2017/youthlink-scotland-national-conference/

The PG Dip Education (Learning in Communities)  approved for 5 years from 2017.

Marion Allison presents Approval certificate

The  PG Dip  Education (Learning in Communities) Pathway starting in September 2017, is now part of a number of Pathways in the MSc Education programme within University of Edinburgh.
The Panel  noted that a key strength is the fact that the senior management team value the bespoke CLD qualification and recognised that it influences this and other programmes in the school.
The diversity of assessment techniques including the use of Blogs, Webinars, Digital Portfolios and video are welcomed. The support from the individual Academics and University digital technology team were noted.

The Approval panel values University of Edinburgh’s long tradition of civic duty in offering Community Education programmes to support communities . The panel wish to commend the collective work of the team in its commitment to ensuring sustainability of these programmes.