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.

New book from the Standards Council highlights the essential role of CLD.

The book can be downloaded free in a range of formats from i-develop – http://www.i-develop-cld.org.uk/course/view.php?id=101.

The book brings together the key policy and guidance documents across all aspects of CLD, together with original introductory material charting the development of the profession through a period of dramatic change and a selection of critical comment, research and case studies, it highlights achievements, progress – and some missed opportunities. Through this review of the recent past, it highlights key questions and challenges for practitioners, managers – and policy makers.

Tell us about your experience of professional learning in CLD – SURVEY OPEN UNTIL 7 FEBRUARY!

One of the key aims of the Standards Council is to improve the professional learning and development experiences available to CLD practitioners to develop their CLD practice. To help in doing this, we are seeking your views on the opportunities available to you: what are the good things that should be supported? What could be better? Is there a positive learning culture in your workplace?

We’re interested in courses that you’ve attended and in qualifications you’ve obtained or are working towards – but also in the professional learning that happens in many other ways and other contexts. We’d like you to think about the full range of activities you’ve taken part in or carried out, for example work shadowing, reading or an annual review with your line manager, that have contributed to your learning and development as a CLD practitioner. Or that could contribute more if done in a different way.

The Standards Council Professional Learning Committee leads this aspect of its work. We are looking to work with all of you as the members of the Standards Council to develop the learning culture in CLD – please help us to do this by completing our survey- https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/63Z5ZS3

The Survey will take roughly 15 minutes to complete and will be open until Tuesday 7th February.

We look forward to hearing your views. We will feedback to you on what members tell us, and we are committed to working with you to make professional learning work for us all.

Mike Naulty, Chair, CLD Standards Council Professional Learning Committee.

Future Governance of the CLD Standards Council:
Consultation on Draft Memorandum and Articles of Association

The CLD Standards Council (Scotland) was established in 2008 by Scottish Government Ministers as the professional body with responsibility for setting standards in Community Learning and Development. It was assigned to Education Scotland, as  host agency and is recognised separately on the basis that it should be one-step removed from government. From the beginning, it has been the ambition of those involved, working on behalf of CLD Standards Council members, to find a practical means of organisational development.

Over the last two years, Ashley Pringle, Chair of the CLD Standards Council, has worked with the Executive Committee and the staff team, in consultation with Education Scotland and taken legal advice, to develop specific proposals for changes in the CLD Standards Council’s governance arrangements. A proposal for the way forward has been agreed; the key features of this are:

• The CLD Standards Council registering as a company limited by guarantee, and so establishing its own organisational and legal identity.
• A Board of Directors, with the majority elected by and from the registered members of the CLD Standards Council (while allowing for co-opting directors who can bring particular expertise).
• The Board of Directors taking responsibility for the direction of the organisation within the remit agreed with the Scottish Government.
• The CLD Standards Council, including the staff team of Civil Servants to continue to work closely with Education Scotland and the wider Scottish Government.
• Our preference is that the next Chair of the Standards Council should be a Ministerial Appointment.

Once the new arrangements are agreed and established, the memorandum and articles of association of the new company will be the “constitution” of the CLD Standards Council.
We are now seeking members’ views on the draft –
[fac_icon icon=”file-pdf-o” color=”#392D43″ font_size=”18px”] Articles for Consultation

and on the proposed new governance arrangements as outlined above.

Please provide your comments by Friday 3rd February 2017 through this survey  – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/J7H25YK

All responses to the consultation will be considered and any major changes in the proposals will be fed back to the membership.

Current members of the CLD Standards Council Executive Committee have been invited to put their names forward for membership of the initial board, which will guide the organisation until the first AGM of the company; this will hopefully be held around November 2017. At that point Directors will be elected by the registered members of the CLD Standards Council.

Conference address: Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Key sessions: ‘Sex, drugs and CLD’
Open Space Shape Shifter

29 March 2017
Registration from 09:00, conference close 15:30

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central
Cambridge Street, Glasgow, G2 3HN, United Kingdom

Register here – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SHAPE17
Registration closes 10 February 2017

The CLD Standards Council has been working with  students, practitioners and learning providers to develop guidelines for Practice Placements in CLD.   We would now like feedback on this first version to ensure the tone and the content of the Guidelines reflects the needs of the CLD field.

Background to development of the Guidelines

In 2013 a group of over 60 Students, practitioners, learning providers and employers met in Glasgow to participate in what was a very enthusiastic discussion around the Place of CLD Professional Practice in Scotland.  CLD Standards Council for Scotland committed to capturing discussions from that day and a working group including various representatives from Universities, Colleges, students, third sector and employers met a few times a year to progress the work and create the guidelines.
CLD Standards Council would like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the working group in getting this important document to this stage.

The guidelines

This is the first version of Guidelines for Professional Practice Placement in Community Learning and Development

Guidelines document for consultation

Consultation

We are now seeking feedback on this first version to ensure the tone and the content of the Guidelines reflects the needs of the CLD field.  You will find that the working group have included dialogue boxes within the Guidelines to give you an opportunity to reflect on the content and to consider if the information included is relevant and appropriate for the CLD field.  This is your opportunity to contribute to the guidelines before they are formally published.  Your comments on the dialogue boxes can be inserted via the survey link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RG6RPJ7
Please provide comments on this document by 27 January 2017.

Next Steps

Following publication the next step will be to consider how the CLD field supports the Guidelines and ensures that they are incorporated into the everyday life of Professional Practice Placement in Community Learning and Development.

The CLD Standards Council have been appointed in partnership with Skills Active UK, to engage with CLD professional practitioners and work to review the Community Development Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ). Presently, there are two Community Development SVQs: Level 2 and Level 3. Both need to be refreshed alongside the associated National Occupational Standards.

A working group of key stakeholders has been established to revamp the content and structure for each SVQ. The revised qualifications are likely to cover similar topics included in the current qualifications, but they have been re-packaged, updated and include some additional optional and mandatory units.

We are keen that professional CLD practitioners have the opportunity to contribute to shaping this qualification to ensure that those working within the CLD sector develop the knowledge and skills required to demonstrate competence in the profession.

You can find additional detail of the proposed revised structure and content and give your feedback through this short survey –

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WFHBJTX

The Survey will close by 23rd January 2017.

Please share this link with your networks.

Information on how to deliver these qualifications and become an approved centre is available from the SQA – http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/74661.html

Day-light,  a commodity in short supply at this time of year. However, when natural light fades, Christmas lights and candles brighten our world demonstrating that when resources diminish in one area, need, creativity and determination invents something other.  This sentiment echoes recent developments in the CLD Standards Council as we continue to secure, strengthen and grow our people and our partnerships.

In October, our Chair Ashley Pringle met with Ms Shirley-Ann Somerville MSP, whose Ministerial portfolio includes CLD, providing her with a briefing on the work of the CLD Standards Council. In a discussion that ranged over a range of policy issues affecting the CLD sector, Ashley was heartened to hear from the Minister that our work is appreciated and seen to be making a valued contribution.

Members will know that the Scottish Government is hosting a consultation programme regarding Education in Scotland.  Thank you to all who recently shared their views and they are now being compiled for submission before the deadline date. However, the big news of the moment is the review of how the CLD Standards Council is governed.  The Executive Committee has appointed a governance sub-group who have been working hard with partners, including Education Scotland, and are presently giving due consideration to various options including the CLD Standards Council forming  a company limited by guarantee.  Agreed proposals will be winging their way to your inbox in the New Year so you as Members can have your say on the matter.

Our partnerships continue to grow and strengthen and the team and I have been supporting Community Planning Partnerships and Local Authority employers all over the country with CLD workforce engagement.  I was delighted to talk about equality and inclusion at the CLD Managers Scotland conference and share the CLD approach with the corporate world at the Global Entrepreneurial Leaders event with Wildhearts and Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.  Closer to home, working with Education Scotland colleagues to deliver Associate Assessor training for the new inspection framework is beginning to bear fruit as  membership continues to grow at  a steady rate, aided by improvements to the registration process.

Recently we were delighted to congratulate Jim Sweeney, Chief Executive of YouthLink Scotland and a long standing member of our Executive Committee on being awarded an M.B.E for services to young people.  Best wishes also to Robert Hynd of South Lanarkshire Council, of our Approvals Committee on being appointed as Chair of CLD Managers’ Scotland.  Huge thanks goes to Maggie Paterson formerly of Inverclyde Council who is giving her time to consider volunteers and the CLD Standards Council and congratulations to Graeme McMeekin of the Scottish School of Christian Mission on becoming Vice Chair of the Approvals Committee.  Our team continues to evolve and January will send a fond farewell to Jim Ross, Team Support and bring a warm welcome back to Lindsay Jane Brown in this role. We are also very excited about Kirsty Gemmell, formerly of Dundee City Council taking up the new role of Members’ Services Development Officer.  Congratulations must also go to Community Links in Clydebank on gaining the CLD Standards Mark.  If your organisation delivers professional CLD training book a spot at the February Standards Mark event in Edinburgh to find out more.  This road show is proving popular so book your place by emailing contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk
Just as project CLD e-reader, a compilation book of CLD theory and practice is concluded and ready for launch, new work arrived in the form of the review of the Community Development SVQ award. So, in the New Year if you feel the need to discuss matters like this with fellow CLD professionals in your area, look out for forthcoming training events delivered by the CLD Regional Networks which are being funded by the CLD Standards Council.  More information will be available after the holidays.

Regardless of the outcomes of all of these developments and consultations, one thing is for certain. 2017 will be a pivotal year in the evolution of the CLD Standards Council.  The team and I look forward to meeting with you all at our Shape Your Future Conference on Wednesday 29th March 2017 in Glasgow.  Sex, drugs and the Adult Statement of Ambition? This is definitely an event that you don’t want to miss! Follow me on Twitter @marionacldsc for more news and updates.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your continued support and contributions to the game-changing profession that is CLD. Your commitment and approach to working with and for the young people and communities of Scotland to improve and change lives is what truly shines a light on possibilities and aspirations.  So, on behalf of the CLD Standards Council Scotland I wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Marion

Marion Allison
Head of the CLD Standards Council Scotland

We are pleased to announce that we have a new streamlined registration application process.

The membership requirements have not changed but the process of application has been simplified.

The new process requires only a single step to submit the new application form and create an i-develop account.   This should make applying for membership far simpler,  and will also reduce administrative processing for the Standards Council staff.

The processes for those upgrading from associate to full member and where an applicant already has an i-develop account have also been revised accordingly.

See the new registration page on http://www.i-develop-cld.org.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=1616