Standards Mark approval for the Jack Kane Community Centre

The Approval Committee of CLDSC are delighted to confirm the Standards Mark Approval for Jack Kane Community Centre. The Approval Panel noted that they were impressed with the good quality of the submission and heartened that CLD focus is embedded throughout the organisation.

The panel wish to highlight a number of good factors within the submission:2

  • Impressed about the support to students and staff including the payment of the PVG fee
  • Young Peoples Committee being active and live is a clear commitment to the young people in their community.
  • There is a clear and strong workforce development focus.
  • The Support and Supervision document and the Log Book gave our panel members document envy and should be used as an exemplar for other providers.
  • The overall learning culture within the organisation demonstrates a joined up thinking approach and provides a bigger picture approach to practice.

Congratulations to Jack Kane Community Centre!

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 01 September 2021

Role of Colleges in Improving Career Pathway for CLD Practitioners

Earlier this year CLDSC worked with colleagues from the FE sector to host a series of discussions on the ‘Role of Colleges in Improving Career Pathway for CLD Practitioners’.  A report has been produced which provides a record of each session.  It is also intended to act as a reference document for taking forward the ideas, issues and solutions discussed.  View the report on i-develop.  

CLD Practice Placement Spotlight  

As you will see in the report above, CLDSC recognises the important of Student CLD Practitioners receiving a quality CLD Placement experience to support their academic study and to help them to develop the skills and attributes of a Competent CLD Practitioner. 

As Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) colleagues gear up for this academic year they will already be considering who to contact to request if organisations can to offer a CLD Practice Placement Experience.  This puts a huge demand on time for these providers and over the next few weeks CLDSC will be providing contact details for each of our approved providers to allow you to get in touch with them if you are interested in offering a CLD Practice Placement.   If you are approaching the providers as an individual, it is important that if that you have discussed this with your employer. To assist with these discussions, or for employers who are keen to offer their staff this development opportunity, the document Why Employers need professional CLD practitioners (PDF File) provides some helpful information. It is also worth noting that Scottish Government has also recognised the importance of CLD Practice Placement and more information can be located in CLD Plans Guidance Note (2021-24).  To support this CLDSC produced an offer of support document (PDF File).

The following HE/FE providers who are keen to hear from you and discuss the CLD Practice Placement experience and opportunities. More contact details will be available in future CLDSC Member Bulletins on other HE/FE providers – watch this space. 

During engagement with its members, CLDSC has had numerous requests to hold a database which will provide details of organisations who are willing to offer a CLD Practice Placement Opportunity and what types of opportunities they can offer. Our membership has also emphasised to us the importance of Practice Placement Supervisors being CLD qualified. We will share further information on this over the next few weeks as part of the launch of CLD Professional Practice Placement Standards.  If your organisation wishes to be included in this database please contact susan.bisset@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk for further information. It should be noted that it will still be the responsibility of the HE/FE providers to negotiate the placements and ensure that they are relevant and appropriate. 

Thank you to everyone involved in providing and supporting CLD Practice Placements.

Virtual Meet Up – 29 September 2021, 1-2pm

Our August Virtual Member Meet-Up was postponed and will now take place on 29 September.  We will focus on sharing resources and professional learning around climate change, environment and sustainability.

We have been updating the Learning for Sustainability Theme space on i-develop, and will take a tour of what’s there.  And we’d also love to find out more about your sustainability practice – ‘Show and Tell’ colleagues about resources you’ve created or used.  

Meantime, why not have a look at the Education Scotland CLD Team’s Countdown to COP26: CLD Sector – Wakelet.

Register for the Virtual Meet up on Eventbrite.

CLD STEM Network

If you’re a practitioner who’s delivering STEM activities, join in the CLD STEM Network meeting on Tuesday 7th September at 10am.  The jam-packed agenda will include:

Learning for Sustainability Awards; COP26;  STEM professional learning grants; Scottish Learning Festival; Green Zone info; Earth Allies; Maths on Toast; Climate Fringe Week; Climate Emergency Training; and Youthlink National Youthwork Conference.

Click here to register your attendance.

IACD European Members Networking Session 

International Association of Community Development (IACD) is extending an invite to join a European Members Networking Session on Tuesday 14th September 2021 from 10-11:30am BST. This networking session is open to members and non-members alike in Europe.

This is the third networking session for members in Europe, and the conversation will be hosted by IACD Directors in Europe and Community Development Alliance Scotland’s Coordinator and former IACD Director, Colette McGarva.  

Register for the IACD Networking session on Eventbrite.

ESOL National Discussion Event 

The next ESOL National Discussion event, hosted by Glasgow ESOL Forum, will take place on Wednesday 8th September at 13:00-14:30.
The event will focus on volunteer roles in the Framework for Good Practice in Working with Volunteers in ESOL with particular focus on the language/conversation cafes. 
 
Register for the ESOL discussion event on Eventbrite.

Equally Safe at School

Equally Safe at School (ESAS) has been developed by Rape Crisis Scotland to support and guide secondary schools through a process of embedding a set of holistic measures to prevent gender-based violence. The approach was piloted with schools between 2017-21 and has now been developed into an interactive website with tools, information and resources to support schools and teachers to plan and implement a whole school approach. The Equally Safe at School website has a wealth of information for schools about GBV, how to support young people affected, and about the ESAS research conducted by the University of Glasgow – all of which can be accessed by schools, other professionals, parents, carers and young people.

Board Vacancies 

If you’re interested in expanding your experience, the following organisations are looking for new Board Members: 

NHS Education for Scotland – Do you have practical experience of the Scottish adult social work and/or care sector? Do you want to play a central role in supporting the provision of the high quality education, training and lifelong learning of NHS and social care staff? If so, NES would like to hear from you. NHS Education for Scotland are looking to appoint one member to their Board. For more information on this role and to apply, please see visit the NHS Education for Scotland entry on the Appointed for Scotland website. 

The closing date for applications is 17th September 2021.

NHS Highland – Are you passionate about the future of rural communities? Have you been active in community activities and agencies?  Do you enjoy working collaboratively?  Could you draw on your experience of working or volunteering in a third sector, community or other setting to support the work of NHS Highland?  Are you excited by the opportunity to shape sustainable health and social care services to better meet the needs of people living in rural areas?  NHS Highland are looking to appoint one member to their Board. For more information on this role and to apply, please visit the NHS Highland entry on the Appointed for Scotland website. 

The closing date for applications is 15th September 2021.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 25 August 2021

Reform of SQA and Education Scotland Expert Panel 

Representatives from the CLD Standards Council have been invited to participate in the Practitioner and Stakeholder Advisory Group, which is being constituted to support Professor Ken Muir in his role as independent advisor to the Scottish Government on the reform of SQA and Education Scotland.

The purpose of the Group will be to provide advice and feedback to Professor Muir and his Expert Panel as they develop recommendations for the Scottish Government on the reform of SQA and Education Scotland.

This group will comprise organisations, including staff unions and professional associations, that represent the following diverse range of interests related to the reform – children and young people; employers; local authorities; the tertiary sector; practitioners across different sectors and providers; and parental interests.  The expertise of Advisory Group members, and the networks they can access, will ensure that a wide range of perspectives and ideas inform the Expert Panel and the overall reform work.

Access the Expert Panel draft terms of reference on the Scottish Government website.

A COVID-19 Inquiry for Scotland

The Scottish Government is inviting views on the draft aims and principles of an independent public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) 
pandemic.  The COVID-19 Inquiry Establishment Aims and Principles paper is intended to shape its terms of reference with input from stakeholders, including bereaved families.  The proposed inquiry would be established by the end of the year, to scrutinise decisions taken in the course of this pandemic, and learn lessons for future pandemics. It would take a take a person-centred, human rights based approach with a focus on outcomes and timely reporting to identify lessons and recommendations. Particular consideration would also be given to the ‘four harms’ of the pandemic:

  • direct health impacts of COVID-19, including cases and deaths in care homes
  • other non COVID health impacts
  • societal impacts, including education
  • economic impacts

The public are now encouraged to share their ideas and comments on the suggested approach via email by 30 September 2021.  Further information can be found on the Scottish Government website. 

Roles played by Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) during Covid-19 Report

This week sees the publication of the Evaluation Support Scotland’s Report into the roles played by Third Sector Interfaces across Scotland during the Covid-19 Pandemic. #TSIxESSReport

The report highlights 5 key recommendations: 

  1. Celebrate the role of the third sector and volunteers during Covid-19 
  2. Build awareness locally and nationally of the role and impact of TSI’s 
  3. Invest in the capacity and reach of the third sector in local decision-making 
  4. Build on the opportunities that have come out of Covid-19 
  5. Review funding for TSIs

View the PDF report.  You can also watch the short explainer video which outlines the key findings and recommendations and join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TSIxESSReport.

CDAS Bulletin

The August Community Development Alliance Scotland bulletin is now available.  The highlight is the CDAS Annual National Conference which takes place on 29th September 2021 (virtually).  The conference programme features keynote speakers and workshops led by member organisations, You can register online for the CDAS Conference.

Also in the bulletin are items on job vacancies, funding and other opportunities.

Lead Scotland online security training

Lead Scotland is offering free training on zoom this September for people wanting to get to grips with different areas of online safety and security. 30 minute webinars (with extra time for activities and questions) on a range of topics are available: 

  • Protect yourself with strong passwords 
  • Remember your passwords using password managers 
  • How to use two-factor authentication 
  • How to update your digital devices 
  • How to back up your data 
  • Recognise email scams and fake emails 

These topics were chosen in line with the National Cyber Security Centre Cyber Aware 6 Actions. Lead is also commissioning and producing alternative formats including BSL, Braille, HTML, Polish, Urdu and Arabic amongst others. Visit the Lead Scotland website to access these resources. 

The webinars will be especially useful for disabled people or those who might find it harder to use the internet safely, but they are open and suitable for everyone. They are also useful for those who care for someone who needs some extra support using their digital device safely. All classes are free and open to the public. 

Lead Scotland is also offering 1 hour ‘Training for Trainers’ lunchtime sessions for practitioners, volunteers or others who support people with low digital confidence. For information on dates and time, as well as to sign up, go to the Lead Scotland website. 

National Care Service in Scotland – Consultation

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on a new National Care Service in Scotland – A National Care Service for Scotland – Scottish Government.

The recent Independent Review of Adult Social Care (the Feeley Report) recommended the creation of a National Care Service. However, there was a sense that it stopped short of consolidating the links between housing, homelessness, health and social care. This consultation seeks views on a National Care Service that supports people of all ages and presents a new opportunity to join the dots and place a greater emphasis on preventing homelessness. New duties to prevent homelessness across the wider public sector is of urgent relevance. View the Preventing Homelessness PDF.

Homelessness responses in Scotland have traditionally been located, strategically and operationally, within a housing context rather than with health and social care. And today, most local authorities have not delegated housing and homelessness to the Integrated Joint Board covering their area. The dilemma is often two-fold: 

  1. Most people who experience homelessness have no support needs beyond housing; however
  2. Those that do are among the most systematically disadvantaged groups in Scotland with most to benefit from an integrated approach. See Hard Edges Scotland for the renewed case for taking a whole system approach to severe and multiple disadvantage.

With all this to explore and more, you can join the discussion at an online event on 8 September 2021 at 2pm.  Please register on the Homeless Network Scotland website. 

Adult Learners’ Week Awards

Don’t forget to submit your nominations for Adult Learners’ Week Awards by 31 August 2021.  Entry is open to learners (individuals or groups) living in Scotland who are aged over 21 on 31 January 2021 and are either a current learner or a learner who completed their learning sometime since 31 January 2019. If you don’t have a nomination form yet, you can request one by emailing info@scotlandslearning.org.uk. 

CLD vacancies – Education Scotland

South East CLD Education Officer – 23 month secondment 
Closing Date – 12th  September 2021
Please visit the Scottish Government website for further information. 

Tayside CLD Development Officer-  6 month secondment 
Closing Date – 14th  September 2021
Please visit the Scottish Government website for further information. 

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 18 August 2021

Education Scotland Leadership Development Programmes: CLDSC Members Opportunity

Over the last few months Members have expressed interest in Leadership Development opportunities. The Professional Lifelong Learning team in Education Scotland are about to launch two programmes for people who are aspiring to middle leadership posts and for those who are already in promoted posts.  The courses are free and spaces are available for members of the CLD Standards Council and are due to begin in early September so there is a quick turnaround on this one!  If you are interested, please send us your details to contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk. Further information on both courses are contained in the links below.

Aspiring to Middle Leadership – This programme is designed to support aspiring middle leaders in developing their understanding of the roles of middle leadership and the skills required to carry out the key aspects of these role. 

Middle Leaders – Leading Change is a professional learning programme designed to develop confidence in the use of coaching within middle leadership, encourage reflection upon the key aspects of the role and further develop the use of an enquiring stance when planning and leading change.

CONCEPT Journal – latest edition

The latest edition of CONCEPT is available now, with lots of articles and reviews guaranteed to get you thinking. There’s something for everyone, including: a review of McGoey’s ‘The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World”; an article about the work of the Scran Academy throughout the pandemic; and who wouldn’t want to read more about a Theory of Geekery?

Professional Associations Research Network

CLD Standards Council is a member of The Professional Associations Research Network (PARN). PARN is a non-profit membership organisation for professional bodies, offering expertise, experience and perspective on key issues in the sector through research, consultancy, networking, events and training.  As part of our membership, we have access to a range of resources and research.  We recently contributed to research on Ethical Codes within professional associations and professionalism within sectors.  Point of interest arising from these include: 

  • the ‘vocationalisation’ of professions – a quicker educational route to access practice and less time spent being mentored by a seasoned/experienced professional – was an issue highlighted by 41% of UK-based respondents 
  • 60% of UK respondents noticed an effect on perception of professional expertise due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Examples include higher demand for professional expertise; greater public awareness and interest; and struggle for acceptance ad key workers.
  • 62% of respondents included obligations to act ethically in personal life within their ethical code.  35% included obligations around environmental sustainability.

Learning for Sustainability Awards 2021 – Don’t forget to nominate!

The CLD sector makes a significant contribution in supporting learners and communities to engage in Learning for Sustainability with a number of projects across Scotland covering the key topics of global citizenship, sustainability development education, outdoor learning and children’s rights.
Help to recognise and celebrate the contribution of community learning and development providers in building a more equitable and sustainable future for Scotland’s communities by nominating a project or practitioner. 

Place2Be Mental Health Champions Foundation programme

The next cohort of Place2Be’s online Mental Health Champions Foundation programme for youth workers starts in September, with the deadline for registering of 30th August.  This online mental health training enhances youth worker’s understanding of children and young people’s mental health and introduces approaches that foster positive well-being for them and the adults around them. It is free to both local authority and voluntary sector participants.

Course details

  • You will have a dedicated Place2Be professional (qualified mental health clinician) to join discussions and aid online learning.
  • 5-week programme with a new module uploaded each week (first week covers how to use the platform etc.)
  • Broken down into 15-minute sections to fit around your day (1–1.5 hours per week total).
  • No fixed timings – you can access the programme via any device and work through it at a time to suit you.

 Modules covered

  1. Understanding mental health & well-being Introduces factors that contribute to positive mental health and well-being.
  2. Nature and nurture Explores how early experiences shape the way we perceive ourselves and relate to others, and how those experiences create the pathways in the brain that support our development. 
  3. How can I help? Considers what a child’s or young person’s behaviour might be communicating about their underlying needs.
  4. Mental health: everybody’s business Reflects on the importance of positive mental health for everyone with a focus on the adults around the child or young person

The course is delivered on an app called ‘Hive Learning’ – not via Zoom. Everyone who registers to take part will be contacted by Place2Be with the details of how to log into Hive and access the course. You can register for the course by signing up on Eventbrite.

College Development Network #LeadershipMatters Mini Podcast Series  

Over the month of July CDN developed the #LeadershipMatters mini podcast series with four new podcasts exploring leadership from different perspectives. 
The podcasts are now live and available from the CDN website.

Available podcasts:

  • Leadership Journey with Grant Ritchie (opens Spotify)- former Principal at Dundee and Angus College and Fellow with CDN . During this podcast, Grant discusses his leadership journey, what helped and hindered him on that journey, and what advice he would give to emerging leaders.
  • Territory Mapping with Anthony Willoughby (opens Spotify) – author, explorer and founder of the Nomadic School of Business. In this podcast, Anthony chats about what he has learned about leadership from living and working with indigenous communities across the world. 
  • Collective Leadership with Janet Whitley (opens Spotify) – Collective Leadership Lead at Scottish Government. Janet discusses the work of Collective Leadership for Scotland, how they support partners and colleagues from across the public sector in the practice of collaboration and collective leadership, and how leaders in the FE sector can become involved.
  • Emerging Trends with Roddy Millar (opens Spotify) – Founder and CEO of Ideas for Leaders, and Co-Founder of the Scottish Leadership Institute. Roddy discusses his work as a writer and publisher in the fields of executive education, management and leadership. Roddy works with international business schools and we will be exploring the emerging trends in leadership practice across the world.

SCQF Upcoming Online Workshops

2 workshops aimed at representatives from Credit Rating Bodies – Credit Rating in Practice for Credit Rating Bodies and Quality Assurance for Credit Rating. Also running are Would You Credit It? and My Skills, My Future workshops. The August and September workshops filled up in record time so please book early to secure your place.

Scottish Charity Awards

The Scottish Charity Awards recognise and celebrate the best that Scotland’s voluntary sector has to offer and CLD Standards Council is proud to be sponsoring the Community Action Award at this year’s #ScotCharityAwards. The Awards Ceremony will be held online on Friday 1 October 2021 with the winners being announced on the night. Meantime, members of the public can vote for their favourite overall entry in the People’s Choice Award.  Vote here!

We’ll be hosting a Scottish Charity Awards Watch Party and would like to invite you to join us for virtual pre-ceremony drinks reception at 6pm with the ceremony taking place from 7-8pm. Get your gladrags on, top up your glass and join fellow CLDSC members to celebrate the work of CLD in the voluntary sector.

Register to join us on Eventbrite. 

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 11 August 2021

CLD Summer 2021

Wow – what a summer it’s been for the CLD sector in Scotland.  The sun was shining (well for some of the time) and the world opened up a bit which provided more opportunities for Members to work in the real world with learners, families, communities and young people.  It’s been amazing to follow all the summer activities that Members posted on the Twitter hashtag #BecauseOfCLD – if you’re looking for some inspiration and new ideas check out what your colleagues and friends across the sector have been involved in. We would like to say a huge thanks to everyone for your hard work and commitment over the summer and hope you all get a well-earned rest before the next learning programmes begin.  

Updated Guidance Beyond Level 0 for universities, colleges and CLD

The updated Guidance, published on 10 August, provides advice on COVID-19 transmission risk-reduction mitigations to support universities, colleges and CLD providers to plan for and operate in the academic year 2021-22. 

View the guidance on the Scottish Government website.

SLF Online 21-23 September 2021 – conference programme now live 

This first edition of the conference programme will let you see the keynotes and sessions which have been tailored around the theme ‘Renew, Refresh, Re-imagine: Learning from our experiences and looking to the future’.

There are several highlights in the programme including a keynote address by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville.  The Right Honourable Stuart Lawrence will be talking at the event. Stuart Lawrence is a consultant, youth engagement specialist, coach and public speaker. He is also the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, the British teenager murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993. 

The International Council of Education Advisers will be online for an evening session to chat about their latest report setting out the opportunities and challenges for the Scottish education system.

More sessions will be added to the programme in the coming weeks and all sessions will be available to book when the full programme is complete.  SLF Online is free to sign up and registration is now open.

Please visit the SLF website for the conference programme.

Volunteer Support Fund – closing date for applications 27 August 2021

The £3.3 million Fund will be delivered on Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners over the next 3 years. Organisations can apply for up to £30,000 to March 2024.

The fund is geared towards organisations in Scotland with an annual income of under £250,000. It will enable Scotland’s small to medium sized third sector organisations to recruit additional volunteers who will contribute towards delivering a new volunteering project, or extending/expanding an existing one, and improve how volunteers are supported in their role.

The fund will support organisations to deliver on four key outcomes:

  • Increase diversity in the third sector’s volunteer pool, to particularly include people who experience disadvantage or would traditionally experience barriers to volunteering
  • Improve governance, leadership and financial knowledge of organisations through the recruitment of skilled volunteers to enhance the third sector’s capacity
  • Improve organisational capacity to provide opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering
  • Enhance services delivered by organisations to better meet the needs of the communities they serve

A full overview of the fund plus information on how to apply can be found on Impact Funding Partners website.

Learning for Sustainability Awards – nominations closing date 12 September 2021

In partnership with the Daily Record, Education Scotland is delighted to launch the Learning for Sustainability Awards. The Scottish Government has identified People as a key theme for the COP26 Summit and has declared that it wants it to be the most inclusive COP summit ever to be held. This includes a strong focus on young people and on engaging disadvantaged and hard-to-reach communities. 

The Learning for Sustainability Awards support these ambitions and will help to recognise the amazing achievements of Scotland’s people and the settings, schools and communities that have demonstrated passion and commitment to building a socially-just, equitable and sustainable world. CLD projects can be nominated in any appropriate award category and in addition there is a specific Community Learning and Development Award. We hope you’ll be encouraged to submit a nomination so we can celebrate the valuable ways that Community Learning and Development providers help to build sustainable communities. There are 6 categories:

  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY YOUTH AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of young people aged 3-26 years
  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTITIONER AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of early learning and childcare practitioners and school teachers
  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of head teachers, heads of centre, managers, authority staff and promoted staff in school and setting leadership teams
  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEARNING COMMUNITY AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of early learning and childcare settings and schools
  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTER AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of individuals who provide invaluable support for learning
  • LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT AWARD
    – Recognising the achievements of community learning and development providers.

CLD practice makes a significant contribution to Learning for Sustainability, so please consider nominating. The deadline for nominations is 12th September 2021.

Find out more and nominate on the Learning for Sustainability Awards website. 

Virtual Member Meet Up – Planet Emergency
Friday 27 August 1-2pm

And talking of all things sustainability, our next Virtual Member Meet-Up will focus on sharing resources and professional learning around climate change, environment and sustainability.

‘Show and Tell’ colleagues about resources you’ve created or used.  There’s a Learning for Sustainability Theme space on i-develop, but it’s looking a bit empty just now, so we’d love to add up to date resources and links.

Meantime, why not have a look at the Education Scotland CLD Team’s Countdown to COP26: CLD Sector – Wakelet.

Register for the Meet-Up on Eventbrite.

COVID-19 Vaccinations Young People

Children and young people aged 12-17 with certain conditions are to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), before the majority of schools return on the 16th of August.  Also to be invited are children and young people aged 12-17 who are household contacts of adults or children who are immunosuppressed.  NHS Scotland is aiming to vaccinate these children and young people during August 2021. 

For more information, visit the NHS Inform website. 

NHS Horizons

NHS Horizons is a specialist team within the Improvement Directorate of NHS England and NHS Improvement.  Chief Transformation Officer Helen Bevan is showcasing a range of improvement tools and methods.  Each day, there is a Twitter poll for you to vote for the method/tool you use and/or like.  The winning improvement methods each day will go head to head into the quarter finals, semi-finals culminating in the final on 19th August.  Click on the hashtag to view the latest results: #ImprovementMethodOlympics and browse all the resources on the NHS Horizons website.

#ImprovementMethodOlympics
If you’re missing the sporting Olympics, why not take a look at the #ImprovementMethodOlympics on Twitter and find out about Schein’s culture iceberg, Positive Deviance, The 5 Whys and much more.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 4 August 2021

Challenge Poverty Week 4-10 October 2021

We are working with colleagues in Education Scotland CLD Team to coordinate events and information during Challenge Poverty Week. Watch this space for more details. Meantime, you can subscribe to the Poverty Alliance monthly newsletter for updates and use #ChallengePoverty and #NowIsTheTime to join the national conversation.

There is also free media and communications training available. This will share the latest research on how to frame poverty messages to build support for the solutions to tackle it. Find out more: at Free training – Challenge Poverty Week

Resilient Communities 2021 – Shaping Cross-Sector Collaboration

These online workshops will continue the local and national dialogue about what is needed to sustain and enhance connections and cross-sector working in response to Covid-19.
The workshops are designed to:

  • Share recent research findings with a range of stakeholders across the voluntary and statutory resilience sectors and networks in community planning. The project, led by the VCS Resilience Advisory Group to the Scottish Resilience Partnership, is an exploration of the practical experience for public agencies, community groups and third sector organisations working together locally on Covid 19.
  • Facilitate discussions amongst participants about how this learning can inform their current and future collaborative work on community resilience
  • Test an approach that can be adapted for local use to help stakeholders identify actions that they can take forward to develop and improve grassroots relationships and partnership activity for effective emergency mobilisation in the future.

Attendees will be fully engaged in shaping future pathways for progress on collaborations and partnership working on resilient communities.

The workshops are for public agencies, community groups and third sector organisations working together locally on Covid 19.

1-3.30pm – Tuesday 10th August
10am-12.30pm – Thursday 19th August
7-9pm – Wednesday 25th August

Book your workshop place today.

Leadership Campfires – 1 and 2 September 2021

Collective Leadership Scotland presents The Leadership Campfires, a two-day online global festival bringing together people to explore experiences and ideas for practising leadership as collaborative agency. It will feature a variety of self-hosted 80-minute campfires scheduled throughout the two days and offered across varying time zones. It enables participants from all over the world to meet and inquire about hosted topics revolving around Collective Leadership and Leadership-As-Practice.

All Leadership Campfire events are online, free and open to participants from all backgrounds or localities. All events focus on participation with participants and feature engaging and conversational content. Event titles include: ‘Leadership, Technology and Precarious Work’; ‘The Craft of Leadership’; and (who could resist?) ‘Toasting Marshmallows – Avoiding a Burnt Bottom’.

View the full programme and sign up for events.

DTAS Annual Conference 2021: “Community Climate Action”

The DTAS Annual Conference and AGM will take place virtually from Sunday 5th September to Tuesday 7th September 2021.
The programme for the event aims to be engaging, relevant and thought-provoking. Networking sessions have been included in the programme, and there will also be an informal networking space available immediately after every conference session where people can come together and carry on the conversation – or strike up new ones with new contacts.
Conference sessions will be recorded and made available in the Members’ Area of the DTAS website for members to access after the conference.

See the DTAS website conference page for the programme and booking details.

CLD STEM Network

The next meeting for the next STEM Network for CLD Practitioners will be on the 7th September 2021, 10-11.30am. Contents will include updates on learning for sustainability, COP26 resources and information, Earth Allies campaigning skills, Maths on Toast, and climate resources following by breakouts to network. Contact Laura.starkey@educationscotland.gov.scot for more information.

CDAS Conference – 29 September 2021 – Save the date!

The Community Development Alliance Scotland Conference takes place online on 29 September 2021. Programme details will be available soon.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 28 July 2021

Welcome to Ruth Washbrook

This week we are delighted to welcome Ruth Washbrook to our team. Ruth joins us from Scottish Government and will be our new Business Manager. She is looking forward to finding out more about CLD and supporting the smooth running of our business. Remember to say hello and introduce yourself at forthcoming CLDSC events.

CLDSC Support Offer – CLD Plans

CLDSC has written to local authority Chief Executives to advise of the offer available to support creation of the Workforce Development section of the CLD Plans. Practical support examples can be found on i-develop, along with the correspondence.

Learning & Development and Career Development NOS Published

Over the past year, CLD Standards Council has been leading review of two suites of National Occupational Standards (NOS): Learning & Development; and Career Development. These reviews are now complete and the revised Standards can be accessed individually through the NOS Database. You can view and download the entire suites, along with the Functional Map overviews on the NOS pages of CLD Standards Council website.

edX Scholarships

In October 2020, edX launched the Macquarie Group Scholarship Program to help support learners from “low income and underrepresented groups” in Australia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19 and are seeking skills-based learning opportunities to support their career development. Learners who are underserved, who are out of work, or at risk of losing their jobs in industries that are more impacted by COVID are the focus of the scholarships.
The next round of scholarships is now open. Scholarship funds of up to $500 (US dollars) are available which can be used for any edX course (excluding Masters Degrees and Executive Education courses). Apply here

Twitter-tastic!

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve reached 4000 Twitter followers (well, 4002 to be precise, as we go to press with this bulletin!). Thank you to all of you who follow, read, like, retweet and respond to our tweets.
In the past week, we’ve tweeted about professional learning opportunities, CLD job opportunities (#CLDJobOpps), practice awards nominations and much more. If you don’t follow us already, why not connect @cldstandards And don’t forget to use #BecauseOfCLD when you’re tweeting!

Want to find out more about CLDSC? Quiz Kirsty!

As the professional body for people who work or volunteer in Community Learning and Development, CLDSC exists to support practitioners in a variety of ways. As a Registered Member or Associate Member, you have access to a range of member benefits and resources to support your opportunities for ongoing learning and development.
Is your team/organisation is interested in …

  • finding out about available professional learning opportunities?
  • the ongoing benefits of CLDSC registration?
  • a whistle-stop tour of useful links/pages on our website and i-develop?

Kirsty is available to join you virtually for an hour or so at times that suit you to go over all of the above and also cover any specific areas you’d like more information on. While many staff/volunteers are already CLD Standards Council members, we also want to reach out to those who are not and support them to register. If you’d like your team/organisation to quiz Kirsty on all things CLDSC, email contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 21 July 2021

Ministerial Meeting 

Last week our Chair Alan Sherry and Director Marion Allison, met with Mr Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training.  Mr Hepburn’s remit includes responsibility for CLD. Discussions included the opportunities and challenges facing our Members and the wider CLD sector as we move towards COVID recovery.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advanced Learning Recovery Group

A Ministerial group chaired by Mr Jamie Hepburn Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has been established to help develop guidance on the operation of colleges, universities and community learning and development (CLD) providers for academic year 2021/22. Our Chair, Alan Sherry is the CLD representative on this group, with Dominique Carlisle-Kitz and Robert Hynd of CLD Managers Scotland representing the sector on sub-groups. Further information and minutes can be found on the Scottish Government website.  

CLD COVID-19 Recovery Advisory Group

The purpose of this group, chaired by Alan Sherry is to bring together senior stakeholders from CLD organisations to advise on the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the sector and advise on possible steps needed for recovery. The group will ensure a balanced consideration of the four harms and feed into the work of the Advanced Learning COVID Recovery Group, as noted above.  The group’s work will aim to inform guidance that impacts upon participation in CLD activities, which include adult learning (including adult literacies & English for Speakers of Other Languages), youth work and community development.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for universities, colleges and CLD providers

As Scotland moves into Level 0 new operational guidance is now available.  It provides advice on COVID-19 transmission risk-reduction mitigations to support the operation of universities, colleges and CLD services.  Members are reminded that the Guidance is subject to review. Further information can be found on the Scottish Government website. 

CARNival: Raised Voices

The Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) is running an international online CARNival from 2 – 10 October 2021 on:

  • Communities
  • Heath and Well Being
  • Education

There will be workshops, seminars and cultural events and confirmed speakers so far include:

  • Andrea Cornwall is Pro-Director (Research & Enterprise) and Professor of Global Development and Anthropology at SOAS, University of London.
  • Imogen Tyler is a Professor of Sociology and Head of the Department of Sociology at Lancaster University. 
  • Kaz Stuart is the Director of the Centre for Research in Health and Society and Professor of Social and Health Inequalities at the University of Cumbria.

The fee is £30 and bursaries and student tickets are available.  For more information or bursaries, contact Karen McArdle k.a.mcardle@abdn.ac.uk

Register to attend on Eventbrite.

Christie Plus 10 – Watch on-demand

The Robertson Trust’s recent event “Christie Plus 10: Are we smoothing the hard edges?” which reflected on the ten years since the publication of the Christie Commission is now available to watch online.  You can watch the event here.

Over the coming weeks, they will also be sharing a range of guest blogs looking at the impact of the Christie Commission, where we are now and what needs to happen going forward. To keep up-to-date with this, please check The Robertson Trust website, social channels or join the mailing list here.

Diversity & Inclusion in Education – University of Glasgow online course

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations, 2015). 

University of Glasgow is offering this 4 week course (approximately 18 hours in total) covering the following areas: 

  • Conceptualising diversity in education
  • Responding to diversity in education
  • Experiencing diversity in education: barriers and facilitators
  • Developing inclusive, equitable quality education for All

During this course, you will: 

  • Develop a critical understanding of the concepts and assumptions about diversity and difference, including notions of ability and disability, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and cultural background, beliefs and religion, and gender. 
  • Develop awareness of historical and contemporary definitions of inclusive education, taking into account policy, theories and models. 
  • Develop the ability to critically analyse contexts in order to identify barriers to developing inclusive and equitable quality education for all learners. 
  • Develop knowledge about ways to develop inclusive and equitable quality education for all learners, taking into account their diverse characteristics and needs.

For more information and to enrol, please visit the Coursera website.

Accessible formats of online security messaging

Lead Scotland has been working with a range of partners to develop 10 new accessible formats of online security messages.
These alternative formats were chosen by practitioners and service users to promote cyber resilience advice to people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, visually impaired, people with learning or cognitive difficulties, people whose first language isn’t English, those using adaptive digital technology and others who experience other accessibility barriers.

In both text and audio formats, the National Cyber Security Centre’s 6 actions to online security messaging has been translated into 6 languages: Polish; Simplified Chinese; Arabic; Punjabi; Urdu; and Romanian. The 6 actions have also been made into text formats: a structured text document (for use with assistive technology), HTML, braille, and large print. The alternative formats are free to access and share and can be found on the Lead Scotland website.

Lead Scotland will also be running free webinars for members of the public and organisations about online security and accessibility. They will also be running ‘training for trainers’ sessions to support organisations and practitioners to pass on information to their service users. Details about the webinars and training for trainers sessions will be released soon.

And finally – Virtual Meet Up reminder
Practice Placements Thursday 29 July 1-2:30pm

Provision of practice placements for CLD students is an expectation within the CLD Plans guidance. Come along to our Virtual Meet-up to find out more about the benefits for your organisation and CLD students as well as what support CLDSC can offer.

Register for the Meet up on Eventbrite.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 14 July 2021

Virtual Meet Up – Practice Placements Thursday 29 July 1-2:30pm

Provision of practice placements for CLD students is an expectation within the CLD Plans guidance. Come along to our Virtual Meet-up to find out more about the benefits for your organisation and CLD students as well as what support CLDSC can offer. Register for the Meet up on Eventbrite.

Career Pathways Member survey

Thanks to everyone who took time to complete the Career Pathways member survey last month. We’re currently analysing the results and will provide full feedback soon.
Meantime, here are a few key stats from the findings so far:

  • 122 CLD practitioners completed the survey
  • 85% stated the joined CLD Standards Council because they identify as a CLD practitioner; 83% joined because it supports the recognition of CLD as a profession.
  • 77% or respondents have faced barriers in undertaking study to further their CLD career.
  • 74% are interested in undertaking accredited CLD professional learning in future.

What kind of World do we want to live in?

Tayside and Fife CLD Professional Learning Alliance organised a 2 day virtual conference in April 2021. The aim of the conference was to refresh, revitalise and refocus the CLD workforce after a very challenging year during the Covid crisis. The output from the conference was captured and is available to view on i-develop.

Scottish Government’s Volunteering Support Fund

The £3.3 million Fund is now open for applications and will be delivered on Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners over the next 3 years. Organisations can apply for up to £30,000 to March 2024.
The fund is geared towards organisations in Scotland with an annual income of under £250,000. It will enable Scotland’s small to medium sized third sector organisations to recruit additional volunteers who will contribute towards delivering a new volunteering project, or extending/expanding an existing one, and improve how volunteers are supported in their role.

The fund will support organisations to deliver on four key outcomes:

  • Increase diversity in the third sector’s volunteer pool, to particularly include people who experience disadvantage or would traditionally experience barriers to volunteering
  • Improve governance, leadership and financial knowledge of organisations through the recruitment of skilled volunteers to enhance the third sector’s capacity
  • Improve organisational capacity to provide opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering
  • Enhance services delivered by organisations to better meet the needs of the communities they serve

A full overview of the fund plus information on how to apply can be found on Impact Funding Partners website.

Scottish Learning Festival 21-23 September 2021 – online

SLF is an entirely virtual event this year and the website is now live: SLF 2021 – Scottish Learning Festival There will be a range of live and recorded sessions; an exhibition area and networking opportunities. The conference programme is being developed and the website will be updated. You can also sign up for the regular e-bulletin ‘The Delegate’ for all the latest information and news about SLF 2021.

CLD Summer Programmes

It’s mid-July and CLD summer activities and programmes are well underway with adult learners, young people and community groups. Please link us in to your work by tweeting – tag us on @cldstandards and use the hashtag #BecauseOfCLD. We love seeing the amazing practice being undertaken in communities across Scotland and want to share it widely.

Time for You – mental health and wellbeing support

In between all the summer provision, don’t forget to take time out for you. If you want to access free mental health and wellbeing support, SAMH is providing the Time for You service for frontline workers in Scotland. There are three levels of support to choose from, ranging from online self-help to one-to-one therapy. You can find more information on the SAMH website.

CLDSC Member Bulletin – 7 July 2021

Draft Adult Learning Strategy Scotland


Thanks to Members who were able to attend last week’s Members’ Meet Up to discuss the Draft Adult Learning Strategy Scotland. The key themes discussed included:

  • Expanding and Extending Adult Learning,
  • Connecting the Adult Learning Journey
  • Communication
  • Access and Inclusion
  • Workforce Development

The CLDSC consultation response has now been sent to Scottish Government and we look forward to the next stages in strategy development. Response is available on the CLDSC website.

Practice placements for CLD Students

Are you involved in developing the 3 year plans for your CLD Partnership and wondering about how you will meet the expectation to provide practice placements for CLD students? Come along to our Virtual Meet-up on Thursday 29 July from 1-2:30 pm to find out more about the benefits for your organisation as well as for the students and how to go about it. If you are interested in becoming a placement supervisor and supporting your organisation to take a placement then this is for you too. Register for the Meet-up on Eventbrite.

World Educational Research Association (WERA)

Our Director, Dr Marion Allison is delighted to be presenting at this year’s WERA conference as part of the Closing the Gap: Communities and Schools in Partnership symposium. Professor Margery McMahon (University of Glasgow) will present Communities and their schools – reconceptualising school leadership with Alison Mitchell (Rosshall Academy / University of Glasgow) then sharing her experience of Networking with Community Learning and Development: a school’s perspective. Dr. Louise Sheridan (University of Glasgow) and Marion will conclude by illustrating The role of CLD Standards in Transformative Education – Within and Outside School Walls. Papers and presentation will be available shortly.

CLD Standards Council: Equalities Reference Group

The CLDSC Equalities Reference Group (ERG) was established by Members to create, improve and implement equalities and inclusion practices and processes that enhance the our professional values and principles. Furthermore, the group will also consider longer term matters for equalities and inclusion in relation to CLD professional practice in Scotland, including but not limited to professional learning, identity, recruitment, mobilisation and sustainability. To get involved and have your say please feel free to comment on our Miro board.

Connecting Scotland, closing the digital divide

Connecting Scotland has launched a third round of applications. The programme provides a device, data, training and support to digitally excluded, low income households. This new round aims to support individuals seeking employment or developing skills for employment opportunities.
To date the Connecting Scotland programme has supported over 36,000 households, including:

  • 17,289 families with children
  • 8,061 isolating and high vulnerability group
  • 4,120 young care leavers
  • 4,899 older and disabled people
  • 1,695 other vulnerabilities

SQA – SVQ Consultation

SQA Accreditation is carrying out a piece of evidence-based research into Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). These were first introduced in 1990 and the design rules have not changed much since then. They are looking to see whether the brand needs to be refreshed to ensure that the qualifications remain fit for purpose.
They would like to hear the employers’ views of SVQs. So, if you are an employer and based in Scotland then please contact the Information and Research Manager at Jaakko.Miettinen@sqa.org.uk

Online learning opportunities

From the SCQF –

My Skills, My Future Online Workshop Tues 24 August 2021, 10:00am – 15:00pm
An interactive online workshop (split over a morning and afternoon session) for those wishing to use the ‘My Skills, My Future’ suite of resources to support individuals in identifying the skills they have gained from other experiences outwith formal qualifications.
Register for the My Skills, My Future workshop

Would You Credit It? Online Workshop Thur 02 Sept 2021, 10:00am – 16:00pm
This workshop (split over a morning and afternoon session) will introduce participants in some detail to the SCQF and the criteria which will determine whether a learning programme is suitable for Credit Rating.
Register for the Would you credit it workshop

Introduction to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Online Workshop Tues 14 September 2021, 10:00am – 12:30pm
An online taster session for learners and practitioners looking for a basic introduction to RPL processes and practice. This will provide an ideal overview for those with no prior knowledge of RPL.
Register for the Introduction to RPL workshop

From SAMH – Time for You

SAMH is providing a new, free service which frontline workers can access right now!
The Time for You service offers instant access to free mental health and wellbeing support for frontline workers in Scotland. There are three levels of support to choose from, ranging from online self-help to one-to-one therapy. You can find more information on the SAMH Time for You webpage.

From Salvesen Mindroom Centre

Train the Trainer – Introduction to supporting neurodivergent children and young people Thursday 22 July 10:00am – 2:00pm
Find out how you can begin to support neurodivergent children and young people, and how to share your knowledge with others.
Join the virtual workshop to raise understanding of, and improve support for, neurodivergent children and young people who may experience learning difficulties and their families.
Learn how the short films about Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, DCD, and Tourette Syndrome can be used to expand your own knowledge and understanding of neurodiversity in a way that you can share. This course includes all training materials, follow up support and resources.
Cost: £40.00 Contact: training@mindroom.org
Booking the Train the trainer session on Eventbrite