The Adult Learning survey from the Scottish Government is now open and we would like your help to encourage adult learners to complete the survey.

The survey is being conducted by the Scottish Government in partnership with Education Scotland and the CLD Standards Council.  The information from the survey will be used to develop the Adult Learning Strategy for Scotland.

We would like to invite Adult learners in Scotland to complete the survey to tell us about where they learn, why they learn, when they learn and how their learning experience could be improved.

The survey is designed to capture the views of all adult learners but we are especially interested in hearing from those who have faced barriers whilst trying to access and progress through learning. We are also very interested in hearing from adults who are uncertain about their learning journey.

Access the Adult Learning survey via the following link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/AdultLearningSurvey2019/

Please highlight this survey to your adult learners to help build the future strategy to meet their needs.

The survey is estimated to take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Survey now CLOSED 2 March 2020.  Paper responses will be accepted until 16 March 2020. Paper responses should be sent to Linda Cummings, address below.

Survey in alternate languages

The survey is available to complete in document form in alternate languages –

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Arabic – MSA

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Bengali

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Bulgarian

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – CANTONESE

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – FARSI

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – HINDI

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Mandarin

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – POLISH

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Romanian

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – RUSSIAN 

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Tigrinya

PDF: Adult Learning Survey – Urdu

If responses could be transferred into the online English version that would be most helpful, or completed printed copies can be returned before the end of February to –

Linda Cummings, Policy Officer, CLD, Colleges Young Workforce and SFC Sponsorship Division, Scottish Government, Directorate for Advance Learning and Science, 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, G2 8LU

CLD Standards Council

Dr Marion Allison, Director of CLD Standards Council will present a seminar at the Scottish Learning Festival 2019.

The title of the seminar is

Values to standards in Community Learning and Development

In this interactive seminar, participants will have the opportunity to consider and debate CLD Values, Ethics and Competences.
Adult Learning, Community Development, Family Learning or Youth Work: this workshop offers participants the opportunity to explore what happens when theory meets practice and what it means for learners.

The seminar is on Wednesday 25 September, from 16.15 – 17.00

Seminar code: M3E

Seminar room M3

The theme for SLF this year focuses on ‘Achieving Excellence and Equity’, through:

• creating a culture of empowerment that enables everyone involved in the system to contribute to the agenda of improvement; and
• the importance of wellbeing in developing a healthy, successful learning community.

There are also new twilight sessions available at 17.00

See SLF website to register for the event and book seminars

The Working with Scotland’s Communities 2018 report is available now to download as summary or full report. The CLDSC is linking with Education Scotland and the Scottish Government to ensure the key findings inform action to build the CLD workforce.

Let us know your views – email Contact@CLDStandardsCouncil.org.uk

ACOSVO is a membership organisation for third sector leaders in Scotland focused on excellent third sector leadership, and is now delighted to offer a 20% discount on new memberships for 12 months to CLD Standards Council members.

Find out more about the benefits of ACOSVO membership, on the ACOSVO website.

Further Details on how to claim your discount are on the ACOSVO Discount for CLD members page.

The CLD Standards Council led the recent review of the Youth Work National Occupational Standards. Access a PDF of the whole suite and the final Functional Map on our NOS page.

The NOS can be used in conjunction with the CLDSC Competent Practitioner Framework

Places still available for the Community Development Alliance Scotland conference, taking place in Edinburgh on 10 September. Keynote speaker – Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell, practitioner and national perspectives, discussion and dialogue. For more information and to register see the CDAS website.

CLDSC volunteer Maggie Paterson has reviewed HMI inspection reports to see what they say about volunteers.  The experience, skills and commitment of CLD volunteers and the impact of their contribution is highlighted again and again.  Read the review on i-develop

The review also includes some reflective questions to help you to evaluate and improve your support to CLD volunteers.

Inclusion Scotland is a ‘Disabled People’s Organisation’ (DPO) – led by disabled people. Its mission is to achieve the full inclusion of disabled people throughout Scottish society as equal citizens, by influencing decision-makers, supporting disabled people to be decision-makers themselves, and developing capacity, awareness and engagement.  We are thrilled to be an affiliate member organisation, sharing common values and ethics.

Audit Scotland has published a report on Principles for community empowerment, aiming to raise awareness of community empowerment in particular among scrutiny bodies.

Also from Audit Scotland – The  Local government in Scotland: Challenges and performance 2019 report  argues that “with a growing gap between demand and resources, more fundamental, transformational changes are needed in service provision”.

The Centenary Commission on Adult Education is marking the centenary of the Ministry of Reconstruction’s Final Report on Adult Education by reflecting “on the needs and possibilities for adult education today and for the century ahead”. Find more information from Learning Link Scotland

CLDSC membership provides access to the Times Educational Supplement Scotland, with many of the articles being of relevance to Members. (Reading and reflecting on what you might take from an article can count towards your Professional Learning hours!)
You can find the access details on the Members Benefits area of i-develop.
You will need to login to access this information as it is a member only benefit.  If you have any problems accessing please email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

Printed copies of TES for a month prize draw

We will hold a monthly prize draw to select a member to receive 4 issues of the printed TES magazine to pass round your organisation.

Just send your name and the postal address you would like the free issues sent to on contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk  and we will add your name to the hat.

Undertaking professional learning and development is a key requirement of registration and renewal of registration for Registered or Associate members of the CLD Standards Council.  The evidence and verification requirement in the process is based on an action review cycle.

Don’t have a system for recording Professional Learning? The CLD Standards Council has created templates that you can use, currently available in Word document format on the website  and soon to be available as online forms on i-develop.  Watch this space!

Are you in touch with your regional CLD Network? The 5 Networks are alliances of CLD practitioners, working collaboratively to support professional development. You can find out more about them on the networks page on i-develop.  CLDSC has provided grant funding to each of the networks to support the delivery of professional learning activities.  Keep a look out for what’s happening near you.

Our Professional Learning Strategy, Growing The Learning Culture, will be refreshed in the coming year.  Interested in being involved in a working group to take this forward? Get in touch with Kirsty Kirsty.gemmell@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

David Brown now represents CLDSC on the Scottish Youth Work Research Steering Group. David works in South Lanarkshire and is a member of the CLDSC Professional Learning Committee. Read further Information on the steering group.

Report on the CLDSC Conference held back in March is now online on the conference area on i-develop. You will also find the workshop presentations. You will however need to log in to i-develop to access these as a member.

Member’s Spotlight – would you like to be in the Spotlight?  Get in touch to share your practice, experience and CLD musings!  Latest spotlight was on Rory Brown

The Working with Scotland’s Communities 2018 report finds that CLD practice is still thriving while highlighting workforce challenges, including unmet demand in communities for CLD skills.

The CLD Standards Council and Education Scotland commissioned Rocket Science to carry out research into the CLD workforce in Scotland through a CLD Workforce Survey during 2018.
The final report from this research – Working with Scotland’s Communities 2018 is now available.

Read the summary or full report

The report provides the most-up-to date analysis available of the CLD workforce, and highlights:

• The reach of the CLD workforce as part of both the 3rd and public sectors, with an estimated 21,000 (full and part-time) paid practitioners in CLD roles across Scotland.
• That a large majority of CLD practitioners are employed in the 3rd sector, the number of CLD practitioners employed by local authorities (3,100) has been declining, and large numbers of volunteers play an essential role in CLD.
• A widely-shared perception that there is a persistent gap between CLD resources and the needs of communities.
• Evidence of high levels of passion and commitment amongst CLD practitioners but also that stress levels are high for many.
• Evidence of an emerging skills gap, with staff development needs that many employers are not confident of meeting.
• An aging workforce, 25% of whom intend to leave in the next 2 to 5 years, suggesting that more needs to be done to support young people’s routes into the CLD workforce
• Issues over limited ethnic diversity and a gender pay gap.

ACOSVO are delighted to offer a 20% discount on new memberships for 12 months to CLD Standards Council members.

ACOSVO is a membership organisation for third sector leaders and senior leaders in Scotland focused on excellent third sector leadership.  They connect and support over 500 leaders through the various stages of their leadership journey.  They provide services, networks and events, encouraging the sharing of ideas and best practice in a safe and confidential space.

To get the discount –

To claim your discount when you apply to join ACOSVO you will need the CLD Standards Council Members Discount code.

To get this log in to i-develop and go to the Members benefits page

The code and ACOSVO joining link are given on the i-develop page.

If you cannot recall your i-develop login details, there is a Lost Password reset function, or you can contact us on mailto:contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

The report recognises that Councils have a challenging role but have worked hard to improve and maintain services to their communities and improve how they use their resources.  However with a growing gap between demand and resources, more fundamental, transformational changes are needed in service provision.

The report gives information on individual councils as well as the national view, making recommendations for the future.

Read the report on the Audit Scotland website

The Scottish Government is consulting on the proposals for a new national public health body in Scotland, to be known as ‘Public Health Scotland’

Public Health Scotland will have an important role in translating public health intelligence and evidence into policy and practice; and realising the value of data to influence ever more meaningful connections locally, nationally and with communities to improve health and wellbeing.

The consultation  document and further information are online at  – https://consult.gov.scot/public-health/public-health-scotland/

The CLD Standards Council has submitted a response to the consultation –

Download: New National Public Health body consultation CLDSC Response

The Give a dog a bone… and an animal a home charity won the Scottish Charity Award for Celebrating Communities.  The Award was sponsored by CLD Standards Council.

Our chair Alan Sherry presented the award to the charity founder Louise Russell at the sparkling 2019 Scottish Charity Awards Ceremony hosted by Sally Magnusson.

Give a Dog a Bone is a young, unique charity tackling loneliness through animal companionship.  The charity supports the over 60s to afford a rescue pet companion. The team has helped hundreds of older adults and rescue animals to have a happier life, together, and it’s a win-win – the person gets a friend and the animal gets a home.
Already they have expanded their remit to include a Community Space project where they offer retired people a safe space to make new friend and learn new skills.

A Special Commendation was also awarded to Bridgend Farmhouse.

The CLD Standards Council and COSLA are delighted to have signed our new Partnership Agreement.

The commitment to allow local authority staff time to participate in the committees that drive forward the Standards Council’s work is all the more welcome in the light of the pressures that local authorities across Scotland are facing. It builds on the good practice of many councils who have supported their CLD professionals’ involvement in the CLDSC’s work and provides assurance to others considering involvement that this support will be available. COSLA has taken the lead in recognising the role of CLD as a profession in breaking down barriers to inclusion and opportunity, to the well-being and dynamism of communities and to the health of local democracy.

View the Partnership Agreement:  CLD Standards Council and COSLA Partnership Agreement May 2019