CLD Response to COVID-19 Survey: Wave 3 Results

The CLD Standards Council asked practitioners to complete a short survey to gather information and examples on the CLD Response to COVID-19.

The responses are being reviewed in monthly waves. Wave 3 ran from 19 May to 17 June 2020.

112 practitioners responded to wave 3 of the CLDSC’s survey of the CLD Response to COVID-19. Two thirds of these had not responded previously so the reach of the survey has increased.

Wave 3 results confirmed that CLD practitioners are involved in essential front-line responses to Covid 19 in a variety of ways. A smaller proportion of respondents than previously reported involvement in supporting Vulnerable adults, and a higher proportion that they were involved in School hubs, which appears to reflect changes in needs and priorities. A point of concern is that there was an increase in the proportion of respondents worried about wellbeing at work.

Statistical results for wave 3

CLD Response to COVID-19 Wave 3 Results (PDF)Download

Previous wave results

You can also view –

What’s next ?

Wave 4 of the survey was closed on the 31 July. We are now analysing the data and considering how to best present the findings form the survey so far and to capture CLD practitioners’ experiences and impact in the next stages of recovery.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 29 July 2020

Final call on Wave 4 of the CLD Response to COVID-19 Survey

The fourth wave of the survey will close this Friday 31 July.
Please complete the survey here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/6R65JN/
Please also pass the link on to any CLD colleagues. We really appreciate your support with this task at this busy time.

CLDSC Virtual Meet Ups

The next member meet up will on Friday 14 August and you can register for the Meet-up on Eventbrite.

You can also suggest and select topics for the meet-ups, or volunteer to lead or present at a Meet-up by joining our Slack group workspace (you can download the Slack app on a tablet or phone). We can chat, share information, files, and more. Increasing numbers of people are joining and chatting about CLD practice. If you’d like to join, email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk and we’ll send you the workspace invite!

New CLDSC Introduction video

Have a look at our new video outlining our key roles as your professional association.
Please feel free to share with your wider networks to help raise awareness of CLD and how we support your professional practice and professional learning.

Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing

Starting 14 years ago as a network of local healthy living centres, Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing (SCHW) now involves around 75 community-led health and wellbeing improvement organisations. They have created a Blueprint for a Healthier Scotland to present as a proposal to the Scottish Government – you can access the blueprint and find out more on the SCHW website.

Children, Young People and Families COVID-19 Evidence and Intelligence Report

This is the third report from the Scottish Government with SOLACE and other partners to provide an overview of the evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown measures for children, young people and families, in particular for those experiencing the greatest challenges. A wide range of evidence sources were reviewed and intelligence was gathered from both local partnerships and third sector organisations.
View the report on the Scottish Government website.

A Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability in Further and Higher Education: Call for Evidence

The CLD Standards Council have been invited to contribute to the current review of provision and sustainability in Further and Higher Education. This review is being led by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) which is the national, strategic body that funds further and higher education, and research in Scotland. They have been asked by Scottish Ministers to review how best we can secure coherent provision by post-16 education bodies and the undertaking of research, in these changing times.
Further to the Cumberford-Little Report, One Tertiary System: Agile, Collaborative, Inclusive and our recent CLD pathway review it is important that a CLD response is made.
You can find further information on the SFC website.

Call for Contributors to a special issue of Education Sciences (online journal)

A special edition of Education Sciences Journal seeking to emphasise the value of informal education, its values and practices not only for students of education or informal education, but for society as a whole is being produced. The guest editors (Prof. Dr. Pam Alldred and Dr. Frances Howard [Nottingham Trent University]) want to curate a series of articles that celebrate the distinctive contribution of CLD practitioners to the development of informal education pedagogies. Contributions are invited covering (and not limited to) the following themes:

  • Critical pedagogy
  • Group work/self-directed learning
  • Digital Youth work
  • Anti-oppressive practice
  • Collaboration / co-production of knowledge
  • Placements / experiential learning
  • Residentials / Accompaniment
  • Detached youth work
  • Impact and measurement
  • Creativity / improvisation
  • Building relationships / relational learning
  • Cultural difference, gender, race, class
  • Social pedagogy

Further information is available here: ‘Educating Informal Educators’ An expression of interest / abstract is required by 11th September 2020 and should be submitted to: Frances.Howard@ntu.ac.uk
The deadline for full and final drafts of articles is 1st June 2021 for peer review.
Online publication is planned for Summer 2021.

Committee recruitment 2020

Shape CLD in Scotland.

Become a CLD Standards Council Committee Member and have your opportunity to be involved in shaping the way CLD practitioners learn, practice and apply our standards in Community Learning and Development


The CLD Standards Council Scotland is looking for CLDSC Members (Registered or Associate) to join its Committees. As a growing organisation, you would be joining us at a very exciting stage of development in CLDSC.

Duration of Appointments

All appointments will be made for an initial 3 year period. There may be times when those who have served the 3 years are requested to continue in order to complete ongoing projects or to allow for continuity of knowledge.

Who we are

The CLDSC is the professional body for Community Learning and Development practitioners in Scotland who are generally identified as being paid or voluntary workers in the areas of Adult Learning, Community Development and Youth Work.

Vision

“Our vision is that the communities and people of Scotland are served by CLD practitioners that are recognised as competent, confident and committed to equality, empowerment and life-wide learning for all.”

Mission
“Our mission is to drive high standards of professional practice in the CLD sector by the approval of professional learning, the registration of practitioners and the enabling of professional development, working with our members to be a voice for the profession.”

Strategic Objectives

  1. Deliver, maintain and further develop a professional Approvals structure for qualifications, courses and development opportunities for everyone involved in CLD.
  2. Maintain and develop the Registration system and establish members’ services for practitioners delivering and active in CLD.
  3. Maintain and develop models of Profession Learning and training opportunities for CLD practitioners.
  4. Improve and develop our organisational capability.
  5. Lead and contribute to relevant CLD policy and workforce information services.

The CLD Standards Council has an Executive Committee plus 3 functional committees: Approvals; Professional Learning; and Registration. Find out more about our Committees.

Who we need

We need people who can represent the increasingly diverse nature of community learning and development practice however, we are particularly interested in hearing from colleagues who are:

  • Newly qualified and/or in the early stages of their career
  • Active in the Third sector
  • Active in broader CLD contexts such as equalities
  • From the Further Education sector
  • Working or volunteering in a rural setting

What we ask of you

  • A commitment to raising standards across all aspects of our work
  • To support and serve on a committee for minimum of three years
  • To attend a minimum of three Committee Meetings a year
  • To work on projects out with the Committee Meetings which progress the work of the Committee.
  • To occasionally work on tasks out with the Committee Meeting dates (for example this could be as a panel member on approval visit or it could be participation in a working group looking at professional learning)
  • To secure the agreement of your line manager to this commitment
  • Completion of Induction training

What can you expect?

  • National Professional Learning opportunities
  • Networking – across CLD including third sector, local and central government; and across the UK and Ireland through connections to JETS (Joint Education Training Standards) and TAG (The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work)
  • Conference attendance and involvement
  • Shaping CLD Standards Council policy, practice and workforce developments
  • Support for you in discussions with your employer to confirm the benefits of you being actively involved in your Professional Body.
  • Travel expenses
  • Induction training

What next?

  • You might find it helpful to look round this website to familiarise yourself with the work we do.
  • Review the Terms of reference and person specification below
  • If you want to discuss the role in more detail, please email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk and one of the team will get back to you.
  • Download an application form below, (unfortunately at this time we cannot issue or accept paper applications).
  • Once you have completed the form, you can send it to us by email to contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk titled Committee Membership Application
  • Applications should be with us by 31 August 2020
CLDSC Committee Application Form 2020 (Word)Download
CLDSC Committee Member Person Specification 2020 (Word)Download
Committee Terms of Reference and Membership (PDF)Download
Committee Appointment Process 2020 (PDF)Download

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 23 July 2020

Remembering Srebrenica 25 years on

This month commemorates the 25th anniversary of the massacre in Srebrenica. In July 1995, thousands of people sought protection at a battery factory where a Dutch battalion of UN peacekeepers were stationed. Over a matter of days, Bosnian Serb forces executed more than 8,000 men and boys. The genocide is the worst atrocity in Europe since the second world war. In November 2018, our Director Marion Allison, was part of a delegation led by Remembering Srebrenica Scotland. In this pod-cast she reflects on her time in Bosnia and the values of community, communication and friendship. Listen through web browser or on Spotify

Wave 4 of the CLD Response to COVID-19 Survey

Since March we have been asking practitioners to complete a survey to gather information and examples on the CLD Response to COVID-19. In this wave of the survey, we are asking how CLD practice is being adapted again as restrictions ease but social distancing and other measures are still in place. This will tell us how the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 guidance for CLD Practitioners on working safely is being implemented in your area. Whether you responded to previous waves or not, please take the time to contribute to wave 4 about how things are changing as we move out of lockdown. The fourth wave of the survey will close on Friday 31 July.

Please complete the survey here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/6R65JN/

Please also pass the link on to any CLD colleagues. We really appreciate your support with this task at this busy time.

The results from the first and second wave of the survey have been collated and you can find the reports on the CLDSC website.
In case you missed it, the guidance on working safely can be found on the Scottish Government website, or you can download from the CLD Standards Council website in PDF format.

CLDSC Virtual Meet Ups

Huge thanks to everyone who participated in last Friday’s Member Meet Up. In particular Jenni Snell, Vikki Carpenter and Anita Jamieson who shared their experiences of Kahoot, Menti, Jamboard and Padlet, It was a great way to try out and play with different online learning tools with the guidance and help of colleagues. At the following networking chat, participants agreed that they would like a Members’ Meet-Up to discuss engagement. Working digitally has thrown up lots of challenges. From losing connection with known learners to reaching out to new ones and the value of outreach and detached work. The short discussion certainly got us all thinking. If you would like to take part in the next meet up on Friday 14 August you can register for the Meet-up on Eventbrite.

You can also suggest and select topics for the meet-ups, or volunteer to lead or present at a Meet-up by joining our Slack group workspace (you can download the Slack app on a tablet or phone). We can chat, share information, files, and more. Increasing numbers of people are joining and chatting about CLD practice. If you’d like to join, email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk and we’ll send you the workspace invite!

New Concept issue

A new edition of the Concept journal has been published. Articles include: Reflections on 40 years of ALP (Adult Learning Project); The Significance of Affective Social Relationships in Preventing Gender-Based Violence; and Lived Experiences of ESOL provision. Grab a cuppa and make yourself comfy for an interesting read: http://concept.lib.ed.ac.uk/issue/current

Scotland’s Census 2021 – Postponed until March 2022

National Records of Scotland has conducted an options assessment on the risks of Covid-19 to the delivery of the census due to take place in March 2021. It has come to the conclusion that in order to secure a high level of response rate, it will move the date of the census to March 2022. As many CLD practitioners offer information and learning sessions around completing census forms etc, this may impact on workplans. For more information and further updates, check the census website.
You can also subscribe to a Census newsletter.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 15 July 2020

CLDSC Member Virtual Meet Up 17 July 2020

Don’t forget the next Virtual Meet-Up this Friday 17 July 1-2 p.m. This time the topic is Sharing Digital Learning Tools. So, whether you are digitally agile or fragile come along and share your experiences, skills and the digital tools you’ve used. Register on Eventbrite for the Meet-up (NOW CLOSED)

To set the scene for Friday we have included a link to Dr Jane Melvin’s ‘ode to lockdown’ (PDF) – the verse below gives you a flavour.

“But what of the pedagogy, what did this all mean?
Had anything changed cos I just shared my screen?
For those with more confidence, experiences were shared
Resources were pooled and we felt more prepared.”

Guidance for CLD Practitioners on working safely

Last week we highlighted the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 guidance for the CLD sector, which aims “to help local authorities, third sector organisations and partners working in Scotland’s schools, colleges and communities to provide community learning and development (CLD) services safely.” Hopefully you’ve taken an opportunity to refer to the guidance, which was the product of significant discussion and debate involving CLD stakeholders with Scottish Government colleagues.

The guidance can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Or you can download from the CLD Standards Council website in PDF format.

There is also more specific advice available for CLD practitioners in particular practice contexts:

Wave 4 of the CLD Response to COVID-19 Survey

The fourth wave of the survey will close on Friday 31 July.
Whether you responded to previous waves or not, please take the time to contribute to wave 4 which asks about how things are changing as we move out of lockdown. We want to hear how CLD practice is being adapted again as restrictions ease but social distancing and other measures are still in place.
Please complete the survey here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/6R65JN/
Please also pass the link on to any CLD colleagues. We really appreciate your support with this task at this busy time.
The CLD Standards Council has asked practitioners in all sectors and settings to complete the short survey to gather information and examples on the CLD Response to COVID-19.
The results from the first and second wave of the survey have been collated and you can find the reports on the CLDSC website.

Refreshing an online resource for communities

Since 2014, the Communities Channel Scotland website has been acting as a first-port of call for many community organisations, providing and linking to important information and sharing the great work of groups across the country. In 2016, the website began hosting the Scottish Government’s Social Impact Pledge, which is a way for public bodies to improve the positive impact they have on communities. Over the next few months Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) intends to redevelop Communities Channel Scotland and to revitalise the Social Impact Pledge.
SCDC wants to hear from you on how to make this content as useful as possible for you. Please complete the following 10-minute survey to give your view. Visit the SCDC survey

Recruitment Coming soon!

We are refreshing the CLD Standards Council committees so there will be opportunities for members to apply to be involved in shaping the way CLD practitioners learn, practice and apply our standards in Community Learning and Development. Look out for details in the bulletin.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 8 July 2020

Review of Career Pathways for CLD

The CLD Standards Council (CLDSC) has identified that for those wishing to continue to develop their skills and professional practice, a clear, supported learning pathway is essential. We have conducted a review of the professional learning opportunities currently available, assessing the range of existing pathways and identifying actions to make them more effective and efficient.

The review report and summary are available on the website.

The review has been circulated to relevant Scottish Ministers and senior colleagues in universities, colleges and partner organisations to secure their support in addressing the actions recommended at a strategic level.

Issues like the availability and accessibility of CLDSC approved college and university CLD programmes, the barriers facing CLD practitioners at different stages along the path, such as funding and the need for a variety of modes of study, are highlighted and Improvement Actions proposed. The more local element of the review is ongoing and more information is needed about local and regional provision to find where there are gaps. If you can tell us about professional learning and development opportunities in your area or organisation, please get in touch. They don’t need to be happening right now – we’re keen to hear about what’s available generally. Email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

CLDSC see this review as fundamental to its vision ‘that the communities and people of Scotland are served effectively by CLD practitioners who are recognised as competent, confident and committed to equality, empowerment and life-wide learning for all’.

CLDSC Member Virtual Meet Up 17 July 2020

The next Virtual Meet-Up will take place on Friday 17 July 1-2pm. We got lots of ideas from the last Meet-Up for discussion themes and the topic for this Meet Up is Sharing Digital Learning Tools. So, this one is all about you and sharing your experiences (good or not!), skills and the digital tools you’ve used – especially over the last few months when we’ve all had to become more digitally agile! Even if you’re feeling a bit digitally fragile, join in, find out what others are using and/or share what you’re using.

Register for the Meet-up on Eventbrite

Don’t forget you can also join our Slack group workspace (you can download the Slack app on a tablet or phone). It has an instant chat facility and different channels for group discussions. We can also share information, files, and more. More and more people are joining and chatting about CLD practice. If you’d like to join, email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk and we’ll send you the workspace invite!

Wave 4 of the CLD Response to COVID-19 Survey

The fourth wave of the survey will be open till Friday the 31 July.
Whether you responded to previous waves or not, please take the time to contribute to wave 4 which is asks about how things are changing as we move out of lockdown. We want to hear how CLD practice is being adapted again as restrictions ease but social distancing and other measures are still in place.
Please complete the survey here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/6R65JN/
Please also pass the link on to any CLD colleagues. We really appreciate your support with this task at this busy time.

The CLD Standards Council has asked practitioners to complete the short survey to gather information and examples on the CLD Response to COVID-19.
The results from the first and second wave of the survey have been collected and you can find the reports on the CLDSC website.

Standards for Community Development Practice

The International Association for Community Development (IACD) has published a summary version of their Shared International Standards for Community Development Practice. These can be used for example to build shared awareness and understanding of what community development is. You can access both the summary and the full standards on the IACD website.

The CLDSC partnered IACD in the development of the standards, and CLDSC member Clare MacGillivray, also a member of IACD’s board, has been honoured by being named IACD Global Ambassador 2020. Many congratulations, Clare! See Clare’s acceptance speech on twitter.

TES Professional Learning Opportunity

If you are looking for useful reading material, remember that your CLD Standards Council Membership gives you free online access to TES magazine. Details are available in the Members benefit page on i-develop . But you will need to login to access this.
Email us at contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk if you have lost your username or password and are having difficulty resetting.

Restarting CLD Sector Guidance from the Scottish Government

The Scottish Government has issued guidance for the CLD sector on providing community learning and development (CLD) services safely.

The guidance can be found on the Scottish Government website.

The guidance was updated on 3 November 2020.

You can download the updated guidance in PDF format –

Covid-19 – Restarting CLD – Sector Guidance – Updated 3 November 2020(PDF)

Mr Richard Lochhead, Minister for Further Education Higher Education and Science has also issued a letter on the Covid-19 Framework for decision making: Scotland’s Route map through and out of the crisis: Phase 3, which mentions that the government is now looking at whether exemptions to operate with a 1 metre distancing (with agreed mitigations) may be applied to community learning environments and colleges and universities for small tutorials. The letter is attached here for information –

Letter from Mr Lochhead on Phase-3 (PDF)Download

CLDSC Member bulletin – 1 July 2020

CLD Response Survey Special

This week we are focusing on Wave 4 of our CLD Response to COVID-19 survey.

We have been asking you to complete this survey since the beginning of the pandemic and gathering your examples of how CLD practice is being utilised to support individuals and communities in the challenges that we all currently face.

How your data has been used

The data you have provided in previous waves of this survey has been used both to support sharing among practitioners and to highlight to decision-makers the role of CLD. It has informed the CLD Strategic Partnership, the Tertiary Education Strategy group, CLD Standards Council practice placement advice and the CLD guidance soon to be issued by Scottish Government.

Findings of the previous waves are available on the website –

The fourth wave of the survey

As we move out of lockdown and constraints begin to ease, we would also like to know how this is affecting your experiences and your practice. In addition to giving you the opportunity to share examples of success in adapting how you carry out your CLD role, the support you are getting for this and any issues, such as access to technology, affecting you in the current circumstances, the Wave 4 version of the survey asks about how things are changing. We want to hear how CLD practice is being adapted again as restrictions ease but social distancing and other measures are still in place. This will enable the CLD Standards Council to highlight examples of good practice, and to pick up any general issues affecting CLD practitioners. It is our intention that the data drawn from Wave 4 onwards will be of use as we look towards recovery and renewal

Please complete the survey:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/6R65JN/

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to the survey to date, we now ask you to complete Wave 4 to tell us about the next chapter in your story. If you have not completed the survey before, don’t worry Wave 4 gives you the opportunity to answer the previous questions too!

Once again thanks for your continued engagement with this work, and please pass the survey link on to any colleagues.

The CLD Response to COVID-19 -wave 2 survey results

The CLD Standards Council asked practitioners to complete a short survey to gather information and examples on the CLD Response to COVID-19.

The responses are being reviewed in monthly waves. Wave 2 ran from 20 April to 18 May 2020.

The results from wave 2 continue to show that in response to issues arising from the pandemic and the lockdown, large majorities of respondents are involved in support for people of all ages, particularly those at risk, and in working with community organisations who ae themselves responding. A large majority point to positive ways in which they have used technology to adapt their practice to current needs. Sizable minorities of respondents have concerns over their own well-being, and issues over access to suitable technology.

Statistical results for wave 2

CLD Response to COVID-19 Wave 2 Results (PDF)Download

Results from previous and subsequent waves

You can also view

The fourth wave of the survey

Wave 4 was closed on the 31 July. We are now analysing the data and considering how to best present the findings form the survey so far and to capture CLD practitioners’ experiences and impact in the next stages of recovery.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 17 June 2020

Virtual Meet-Ups – And Beyond!

At our recent Virtual Meet-Ups, those who attended indicated that it would be useful to have a more instant means of connecting with each other. We’re going to test this out by establishing a Slack group workspace. Slack is essentially a chat room and we can organise different channels for group discussions, share information, files, and more.
You can download the Slack app on a tablet or phone. If you’re interested in joining the Slack workspace, email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk and we’ll send you the workspace invite!

The next Virtual Meet-Up will take place on Friday 17 July 1-2pm – get the date in your diary! Topic and joining details will be issued soon.

Review of Youth Work SVQ Levels 5 and 6

We’re delighted to announce that Skills Development Scotland have awarded CLDSC the contract to review the SVQ Youth Work Levels 5 and 6. This work will take place between now and March 2021. We’ll be seeking input from those involved in Youth Work so watch this space for consultation opportunities.

IACD unconference – “Co-creating Future Stories of Hope and Action”

Have you ever wanted to attend a huge international conference? Now is your chance to do so from wherever you are in the world!
From 24th – 25th June 2020, IACD is thrilled to support the unconference, – Co-Creating Future Stories of Hope and Action. The theme of this event is, “A “Glocal” Asset and Strengths Based (Un)Conference.”
This is a truly international endeavour and will take place over 48 continuous hours around the globe.
Find more info on the IACD Virtual Conferenece page.

Minister thanks the CLD sector

Mr Richard Lochhead, MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science has sent an open letter of thanks to everyone across Scotland’s CLD sector. We sent the letter out to members, but you might also like to watch the extended video message on Twitter from Mr Lochead.

CLD Standards Council Executive Meeting

The CLD Executive Committee met on Tuesday15th June. Committee Members thanked our Members and the staff team for their efforts. CLD workforce development including qualification pathway and practice placements featured in the discussions.

An opportunity to highlight practice achievements and challenges

The International Association for Community Development (IACD) is currently developing an International Community Development Handbook for practitioners, with a target publication date of June 2021, and is inviting community development practitioners worldwide to register interest in contributing case studies for inclusion in the publication.
You can find further details and a template for case study proposals on the IACD Expressions of interest page.
The deadline for proposals is 30th July 2020.
We’d encourage CLDSC members to consider contributing. If you do, it would be great if you can also share your proposal with us and we will look at how case studies that aren’t included in the IACD publication can be shared on the CLDSC website or other platforms.

Register with the CLD Standards Council

We are still processing registrations so if you or any colleagues are not registered we would encourage you to become members.
You can become Associate or Registered members depending on their qualifications and experience.
Registration details and application form can be found on the i-develop registration page.