Updated Covid-19 Guidance for CLD Sector

Scottish Government has published updated guidance for the CLD sector to include reference to the new protection levels which were introduced on 2 November.

Specific information has been included regarding the delivery of Youth Work and Adult Learning in each protection level. Please visit the Scottish Government website for more information.

Information for Community Development delivery can be found on the SCDC website.

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Meet Up – Climate Emergency – 13 November 1-2pm

Join in the Climate emergency conversation at our next Virtual Meet Up. As CLD Professionals, our Code of Ethics, competences and values call us to be critically aware, well informed and proactive in addressing inequality and injustice.

Can we do more individually and collectively to address these issues? Does our practice need to change now in order for us to protect democratic, human rights and the natural environment for our own and future generations?

Register to attend on Eventbrite.

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CLDSC Conference – 1 and 2 December 2020 – SAVE THE DATES!

Just a reminder that our Conference is back! We’re delighted to confirm that Gavin Oattes, author and managing director of Tree Of Knowledge will be our keynote speaker. Keep look out in your email inbox for registration and programme details.

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CLDSC Membership– Tell a pal!

Encourage someone you know to join. If you have a colleague who is not yet a member send them this link to our new membership information video. It is just 2 minutes long and tells them everything they need to know.

Remember there are associate and registered member options. Benefits include taking part in Member meetups, our annual conference (see info above!), learning opportunities, and being part of your recognised professional body, not to mention this newsletter.

Apply online on i-develop.

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Intercultural Youth Scotland Covid in Colour report

Intercultural Youth Scotland is “a youth-led movement dedicated to supporting young Black and young People of Colour to share, grow and succeed in their personal lives, at school and at work”. They “aim to give young people a chance to express themselves as well as help to expose the problems they currently face in Scottish society”.

Recognising the issues raised by both the Covid pandemic and the traumatic events leading to the Black Lives Matter movement, in their Covid in Colour research report they aim to tell “what the impact of these uncertain times has been on our Black and POC youth communities”.

Please visit the Intercultural Youth Scotland website for further information.

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DTAS conference – 9-12 November 2020

We’re looking forward to attending the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) virtual conference and hosting a virtual market stall. As with all things this year, it will be a bit different for us not to attend with our bundles of Competent Practitioner Framework booklets, Code of Ethics and of course, the obligatory CLDSC pens! However, it will be a valuable space to network and hear about the triumphs and challenges of DTAS members.

Visit the DTAS website for more information.

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EPALE Conference October 2020 – view videos

The EPALE Community Conference brought together world-renowned policy makers, trainers, and professionals who focus on the powerful potential of our daily choices in teaching, providing education and training programmes for adults in different contexts. Lots of exciting topics were addressed, exploring the problem of how to reach groups at risk of social exclusion and the issues of inequality in accessing digital opportunities, digital inclusion of rural areas and the need to make sure that technological platforms and solutions are inclusive and not exclusive.

All the speeches at the conference touched on participation and engagement as key elements of inclusive education and effective outreach. You can view the speeches, panel and workshops on the EPALE website.

Member Meet Up 13 November 1-2pm – Climate Emergency

Climate emergency represents a crucial moment for all human beings to take stock of our circumstances and review what impact our activities or lack of them are having on the planet and potential future generations. CLD Professionals have a code of ethics and set of values that calls us to be critically aware, well informed and proactive in addressing inequality and injustice – climate emergency and the Covid 19 pandemic exacerbate and magnify already catastrophic levels of inequality both locally and globally.

Can we do more individually and collectively to address these issues? How does our practice need to change now in order for us to protect democratic, human rights and the natural environment for our own and future generations?

To join the conversation, Register on Eventbrite.

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CLD Standards Council Conference 2020 – Did you save the date?

As we said last week, the CLDSC Member Conference is back! We are hosting a virtual conference over 1st and 2nd December and we’ll have a split day format (Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning) so that we avoid zoom fatigue and increase opportunities for members to participate. We’ll also make sure as many inputs as possible are recorded and placed on i-develop so you can access them if you’re not able to attend. More details will follow soon.

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Education Scotland Events

Education Scotland CLD colleagues are hosting a range of events over the next few weeks – see below for information and joining details:

Introduction to the STEM Ambassador Programme for CLD Practitioners
Tuesday 17th November, 4pm – 5pm Platform: Zoom
Sign up to join the session on Eventbrite.

ESOL Practitioner national webinar
Wednesday 18th November 10am – 11am
Register to attend the webinar

4 lunchtime Blethers for CLD practitioners in the West of Scotland
Register to attend the Blethers

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Outdoor Education Funding 

The Scottish Government has announced it will provide £2 million of funding to mitigate the financial challenges facing the residential outdoor education sector as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.  The package will include funding to help centres provide safe, impactful outdoor learning experiences to support young people’s education and wellbeing through this challenging period. Discussions on administration of the package of support continue and details of how to apply will be made available as soon as possible.

For further information please visit the Scottish Government Help for residential outdoor education.

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Get into Governance – Free Virtual Workshop

Joining a board is a great way to share your views, enhance your skills, expand your professional networks and make a difference to your local community.
To find out more about becoming a board member join CDN and Changing the Chemistry for the free Get into Governance virtual workshop on 9 November at 6pm.

The workshop will explore why you should consider going on a board, and hear from current board members in the education and third sector about their experience and what joining a board has done for them. It will also provide information on the support and training available including the new Get into Governance training programme.

Further information and booking on the CDN site.

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Exams 2020: Review and Scottish Government Response

Scottish Government commissioned a rapid review of the processes through which National Qualifications were awarded in 2020 after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The review made 9 recommendations for the future, 8 of which have been accepted by Scottish Government.

Among the recommendations accepted were suspension of the 2021 National 5 exams, development of improved systems for moderation of assessments not based on exams and – of particular interest from a CLD perspective – development of more systematic processes for working with and engaging young people, as stakeholders and rights holders in education.

The recommendation not accepted was for commissioning of independent research into the development and application of the 2020 Alternative Certification Model.

You can access the review report on the Scottish Government website and the Scottish Government Response.

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National Standards for Community Engagement – Recovery and Renewal

The Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) is offering a guide to the National Standards for Community Engagement, which aims to help with thinking about how to engage communities for recovery and renewal. It covers some of the issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic which are impacting on communities and which might make it more difficult for people to take part in engagement activity. It also points to useful resources and online tools that can help address these issues.

You can download the guidance from the Voice Scotland website.

CLD Standards Council Conference 2020 

Well, we thought it might not happen and it certainly won’t happen the way we thought, but, your CLDSC Member Conference is back!  We’ll be hosting a virtual conference over 1st and 2nd December so save the date!  After having to cancel our original dates in March, we’ve taken time to review and reflect on how our world is changing and learn from the lessons our online interactions have taught us.

Through increased engagement with members and experiencing a range of webinars, workshops, blethers and conferences during the last 6 months, we’ll have a split day format (Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning) so that we avoid zoom fatigue and increase opportunities for members to participate. We’ll also make sure as many inputs as possible are recorded and placed on i-develop so you can access them if you’re not able to attend. We’re still working on the programme, so watch this space for information and booking details. Can’t wait to see you!

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Framework for Good Practice in Working with Volunteers in ESOL

We were delighted to be part of the steering group developing the Framework for Good Practice in Working with Volunteers in ESOL and we’re now proud to highlight its launch. As you will know, volunteers bring enthusiasm and a range of other valuable skills. This Framework aims to aid organisations to reflect on their practice to ensure a positive volunteering experience for learners, volunteers and projects. We hope it will be an interesting read and source of support for projects of any size.  

You can continue to share ideas on Volunteering in ESOL page on i-develop. 
You might also want to attend one of the events below:

7th November: NATECLA Scotland conference online. Book here.
26th November: National discussion (Scotland) event for volunteer ESOL coordinators. Book on Eventbrite. 

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Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) Conference 2020

To mark the 2020 conference SERA has organised three online events. The theme for the week of events is:
Education and Educational Research – past, present and future.

Monday 16th November 4pm – 5:30pm
Wednesday 18th November 4pm – 5:30pm
Thursday 19th November 4pm – 5:30pm

Look out for more information about speakers and registering for the events on Twitter and the SERA website over the coming weeks.

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EPALE UK in Conversation with the Adult Learning Sector

EPALE is hosting a day of online workshops: ‘EPALE UK in conversation with the Adult learning sector’ on Tuesday 10 November 10.30am-3.30pm. 

Participants will have the chance to share learning experiences, discuss challenges facing the sector, and make valuable connections with like-minded adult learning practitioners.

Particularly relevant themes including digital skills, community learning, and inclusion, will all be covered.

Click to register on Eventbrite

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Carnegie UK: ‘Learning from Lockdown: 12 Steps to Eliminate Digital Exclusion’

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 the scale of digital exclusion in the UK has been exposed and exacerbated beyond previous understanding. While new initiatives have been rapidly and successfully delivered, substantially accelerating progress and ensuring thousands of individuals now have appropriate digital access, there is still much more to be done to ensure no one in the UK is left digitally excluded. 

In its new report, Carnegie UK sets out a series of 12 recommendations calling for ambitious action from policy makers, practitioners, academia and industry. The recommendations build on work on digital inclusion over the past decade, and particularly draw on learning and reflections from the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown period. 

You can read the report here and follow the hashtag #12stepsfordigital on Twitter to join the conversation. 

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Scottish Funding Council – Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability

Back in August, we told you that we’d submitted a response to the review of sustainability on Further and Higher Education being led by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the national, strategic body that funds further and higher education and research in Scotland. The review has now been published and you can access it on the SFC website.

Best Wishes
CLD Standards Council

CLDSC Member Meet-ups

Thanks to all those who joined in and shared their practice in using the CLD competences to challenge poverty at last week’s Virtual Meet-up. Our next meet-up will take place at 1 pm on Friday 13 November when we will look at the role of CLD practitioners in tackling climate change. Register for the Meet up on Eventbrite.

You can suggest and select topics for the meet-ups, or volunteer to lead or present on this or future Meet-ups 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!

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Feedback from Network inputs

During September, we provided inputs to a range of network meetings and webinars hosted by Education Scotland. We spoke with Adult Learning, Adult Literacy & Numeracy practitioners to tell them about what the Standards Council has been doing, highlight some new resources and get their views on the benefits of membership. We also asked people to tell us if there were any particular reasons that they hadn’t joined CLDSC – for most people who aren’t members, it’s on their To Do list!

Below are some of the benefits they identified of being a member of CLD Standards Council. If you’d like us to come along to your team or organisation to talk about registration, have a tour of i-develop or just find out a bit more about us, please get in touch.

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Citizen Literacy App Test and Evaluation Opportunity

The Citizen Literacy project is developing an app and learning resources to support adult learners improve their reading and writing skills.
The app uses voice and handwriting recognition technologies for learner input and features virtual tutor voices to provide information and directions to learners. The final version of the app will be free to use, with no registration required, no adverts and no personal data recorded.

There is an opportunity to provide direct input into the design process through a test and evaluation exercise for the app.
You can find all the information and web links you need to participate in the testing and evaluation exercise on the Citizen Literacy web page. You will also find a user and feedback guide and options for providing your feedback, as well as evaluation copies of the Teacher Handbook and Student Workbook, and a link to the ‘White Paper’ that provides background information about adult literacy in the UK.

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Feedback to the Social Renewal Advisory Board

Help shape a fairer recovery after coronavirus by submitting your ideas to the Social Renewal Advisory Board, which has been set up by the Scottish Government.
This is an invitation for you to tell the board what needs to change to bring about a Fairer Scotland in the future, based on your learning from the COVID pandemic.
Your ideas could focus on one of the themes discussed by the board: housing and place, work, income, public services, and attitudes and discrimination. Or on something else you think is important.
Any organisation should feel free to send in ideas. The Advisory Board would particularly like to hear from groups working with people with protected characteristics.
Further information is available on Communities Channel Scotland

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Community-led Action research toolkit

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National Youth Work Conference –

Youth Work 2020: Resilient, resourceful and reimagined

Online Event: Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th November 2020, 10am to 2.30pm.

The National Youth Work Conference will showcase the strength and adaptability of the sector, share practice from across Scotland – and internationally – and explore the future direction of youth work.
This event is for member organisations of YouthLink Scotland, but is also open to anyone who has an interest in making the youth work sector in Scotland ever more resilient, growing our resources and working towards a positive future for young people.
More information including programme for the event and online booking available on the YouthLink website.

Virtual Meet Up Challenge Poverty Week – 5-11 October 2020

If you didn’t manage to join our Twitter blether on Tuesday co-hosted with Education Scotland CLD Team, there’s still time for your to join the conversation. You can catch up with the Twitter chat by clicking here: #CLDChallengePoverty

But there’s a bonus! This month’s CLDSC Virtual Meet Up on Friday 9th October 1-2pm will explore the same key questions around CLD competences in practice in relation to poverty to encourage reflection, highlight issues and identify any Professional Learning needs.
Register for the Meet up on Eventbrite and connect with colleagues from across Scotland.

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Introductory Videos of Digital Learning Tools

Following on from interactive demonstrations at a member meet-up, 3 of our members- Anita Jamieson, Vikki Carpenter and Jenni Snell, have now recorded video demonstrations of 4 learning tools – Padlet, Kahoot,, Menti and Jamboard. These videos are available to watch on a new meet-up resources area of i-develop. (You will need to log in to access – email us at contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk if you have any trouble accessing)

The videos are only about 10 minutes long each and should give you a good taster for the tool and how you might start using it with your team or learners.

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New CLDSC Membership Information Video

Have a look at our new video which tells you all about how to register with CLDSC, what your commitments are as a member and what the benefits are of being a CLDSC Member. Watch on the CLD Standards Council website

Please feel free to share with your wider networks to help raise awareness of CLD Standards Council and how we support your professional practice and professional learning.

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Free OU Course – Online Teaching: Improving and Evaluating Courses

The Open University Scotland is offering a limited number of fully-funded places on its new microcredential Online Teaching: Improving and Evaluating Courses.

This course will start on 30th November and will run for 12 weeks, requiring approximately 13 hours of study a week. Upon completing the course, learners will gain 15 credits at SCQF level 11.

More information and the application form can be found on the The Open University website.

The deadline for applications is 19th October 2020.

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Public Health Scotland Strategic Plan

Public Health Scotland’s first Strategic Plan, focusing on COVID-19, mental wellbeing, communities and place, and poverty and children, shows the scope for links between CLD and public health. The plan highlights the need for collaboration, saying that “No one organisation, sector or community can tackle these public health challenges alone”. Public Health Scotland aims to “combine their expertise in health protection, data and intelligence and long-term population health, with specialist knowledge and evidence across the public and third sectors”, and to “work with communities and local, regional and national partners to improve health and wellbeing locally together”.

Please visit the Public Health Scotland website to view the Strategic Plan: ‘A Scotland where everybody thrives’.

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Carnegie UK Pooling Together Report

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities. Community hubs were found to be a critical part of the emergency response and the Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic.

Building on the learning from conversations with four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), their new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. You can also listen to Connected Communities North Ayrshire Council tell the story of the Virtual Community Centre, view the video on YouTube.

Best Wishes

CLD Standards Council

Challenge Poverty Week – 5-11 October 2020

We have a couple of events focussing on Challenge Poverty Week. First up, along with Education Scotland CLD Team, we plan to run our very first CLD Twitter blether to promote Challenge Poverty Week. The event will take place on Tuesday 6th October at 12pm until 1pm on the @edscotcld twitter account using the hashtag #CLDChallengePoverty. You do not need a sign in to read posts but we would encourage you and your staff to join in the discussion and post lots of comments.

Our second event is the next CLDSC Virtual Meet Up on Friday 9th October 1-2pm. Register for the Meet up on Eventbrite.

At both of these events there will be key questions asked about CLD practice in relation to poverty which will encourage reflection, highlight issues and support ongoing planning in relation to the impacts of poverty. The Poverty Alliance will be taking part in the discussions and we want to promote CLD’s role in supporting and highlighting poverty and the impacts of poverty.

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Blended Learning/Digital Engagement Blether

5 October 2-3.15pm

Online/blended delivery and engagement are hot topics just now. With some brief inputs from other practitioners, this blether will focus on how you’ve maintained engagement with current learners and encouraged new learners to participate – what’s worked, what hasn’t? It will also create the opportunity to identify strategies and professional learning needs.
Register for the Blether on Eventbrite

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Connecting with the Children in Scotland Network

The CLDSC is a member of Children in Scotland whose mission is to give all children in Scotland an equal chance to flourish; they bring together a network of people working with and for children, alongside children and young people themselves. Catherine Bromley, their Senior Communications Officer, has written a blog for our website, outlining Children in Scotland’s role and how members of the CLDSC can benefit from our membership.
You can read Catherine’s blog on the CLDSC website. From there, you can explore the Children in Scotland Members’ Hub. If you need to access any of the resources that require a sign-in, you can do so through your CLDSC membership, just email Contact@CLDStandardsCouncil.org.uk for details.

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Scotland Learns

The latest issue of the Scotland Learns newsletter from Education Scotland is now available! View and Subscribe on the Education Scotland site.
It has information to support learners, parents and carers as well as news and professional learning opportunities for practitioners. See also the resources for practitioners section of Scotland Learns.

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Supporting Student Carers course from the College Development Network

CDN and Carers Trust Scotland have joined forces to help improve support to over 12,000 student carers in Scotland, who are studying at college alongside providing unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Supporting Student Carers at College is a new innovative free digital training module that has been developed by CDN and Carers Trust Scotland from funding received by The Scottish Funding Council. The module will help practitioners to better understand the challenges faced by many student carers, and it provides guidance on how to improve support for these students at college.

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Funding Awareness Outreach offer from the Student Awards Agency Scotland

The Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government who help higher education students find the right information about support and funding. The Funding Awareness Team offer support and guidance by offering Funding Talks to groups of students and/or parents/carers on the funding available and how to apply. They also offer a digital alternative where they deliver the funding presentation online followed by a Q&A session. For more information about the online schedule please check the social media channels @saastweet

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Updates from Disclosure Scotland

• Applying for disclosure checks: From late March until 25 June 2020, Disclosure Scotland had been encouraging customers to only submit checks for coronavirus response workers. Since 26 June, individuals and employers have been able to apply for routine disclosure checks, which you can now do online. The latest forms are available on the Disclosure Scotland website.
• Disclosure Scotland e-bulletin: Interested in keeping up to date with what’s happening at Disclosure Scotland, including forthcoming changes in disclosure legislation that may affect you? Complete the Disclosure Scotland online sign up form to receive the quarterly e-bulletin.

The CLD Standards Council is a member of Children in Scotland. Catherine Bromley, their Senior Communications Officer, has written a blog for us, outlining Children in Scotland’s role and how members of the CLDSC can benefit from membership.

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Giving all children in Scotland an equal chance to flourish is at the heart of everything Children in Scotland does.

By bringing together a network of people working with and for children, alongside children and young people themselves, we offer a broad, balanced and independent voice. We create solutions, provide support and develop positive change across all areas affecting children in Scotland.

Without doubt, the COVID-19 crisis has deepened inequalities, delayed or halted services, diverted resources and compounded pressures on families across Scotland. But it has also created opportunities. We’ve seen how the third sector has mobilised, using its knowledge and expertise to work with statutory bodies and help shape local services. We’ve seen the value of networks really come to the fore and the difference that working together can make to communities.

As a member of Children in Scotland, you’re connected to thousands of professionals from across the children’s sector, across healthcare and community support services, education and the arts.

The forums and groups that we coordinate to meet regularly bring together knowledge and expertise to identify solutions and put them into practice. For example, the most recent meeting of our Children’s Sector Strategic & Policy Forum was attended by Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Under discussion was policy development on child poverty, a Scottish Budget focused on National Performance Framework outcomes, family support, mental health and child rights in education. The forum also focussed on the progress made on UNCRC incorporation, the publication of the Bill and what it will mean for children in Scotland to have their rights enshrined in Scots law.

Our members have access to some of the best training opportunities the sector has to offer. Now adapted to a comprehensive online learning programme that includes a number of free webinars, we deliver CPD where it matters most. But we also focus on self-care for practitioners as we know that the people who support children and young people need to look after themselves too.

Our Children in Scotland Magazine and our Members’ News provide essential reading for the sector. The magazine offers news, features and opinion as well as content updating you on the latest policies, projects and good practice, while the fortnightly Members’ News delivers exclusive insight from our staff and our members to share learning and forge connections.

Our Parliamentary Monitor keeps track of activities at Holyrood and Westminster to keep you informed of the latest policy developments relevant to children and families in Scotland, across the UK, and in Europe.

And our legal helpline with our partners at Gillespie Macandrew offers Children in Scotland members legal advice and guidance in free 30 minute consultations.

All of these benefits and services are available to our members through our Members’ Hub. Our website and social channels update on current projects and our participation work with children and young people.

For more information about our work in the last financial year, our Achievement Report for 2019-20 (PDF) includes detail on the projects and partnerships made possible by the knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment of all of our members.

Thank you for supporting Children in Scotland, and if you have any queries regarding membership or any of your benefits, please get in touch.

Catherine Bromley

Cbromley@childreninscotland.org

Senior Communications Officer
Children in Scotland

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CLDSC Members can access Children in Scotland resources through their membership. Once you have identified an opportunity you can contact us at contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk for details.

CLD Practitioners Health & Wellbeing Blether – 29 September 2-3pm

This blether is all about you! Information from the CLD Standards Council (CLDSC) Covid-19 Surveys highlights areas impacting on your health and wellbeing as practitioners including: volume/pace of work; return to face-to-face delivery; and job security. The CLDSC Code of Ethics will frame the discussion giving an opportunity to share issues of concern as well as time to discuss strategies and support.

To attend the Blether, register on Eventbrite

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Surveys closing soon – have you responded yet?

Online Professional Learning
The CLD Standards Council is reviewing our online learning provision. We are keen to gather your views and details of use of professional learning online, and the i-develop service in particular. This information will help us support the professional learning needs of CLD practitioners and to update the i-develop platform accordingly.

Please complete the Survey of Online Professional Learning

Supervisor Training and Support
The CLD Standards Council is planning to support students through the creation of a Scotland–wide placement supervisor professional training and development qualification. Help us shape this work by completing one the following surveys:

• Placement Supervisors survey – For those who are or have been a placement supervisor
• Students Survey – for students who have been on a practice placement within the last 5 years
• Survey for people who would like to be a supervisor

All of the above surveys will close on Friday 2 October.

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Youth Work Education Recovery Fund Now Open

The Youth Work Education Recovery Fund will enable the sector to support young people in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities engage and re-engage with vital learning opportunities.

The fund will be administered by YouthLink Scotland and is open for applications from Community Learning and Development services working with young people to build confidence and skills; support their mental health and wellbeing; and those that address the poverty-related attainment gap.

Funding awards of £20,000-£60,000 are available, with the aim of strengthening youth work and schools partnerships, increasing access to outdoor learning opportunities, and increasing the youth work provision for families and communities disproportionately disadvantaged by Covid-19.

Click here to apply

College Development Network Virtual Bridge sessions

CDN has partnered with Jisc to bring you Virtual Bridge, a brand new series of webinars. A direct response to the current crisis, these sessions have been designed to support college staff in delivering remote learning and teaching, but also have lots of great information for CLD practitioners not in a college setting.

The 30-minute sessions are now running twice a week (Tuesday and Friday, 11am) and anyone can join for free! You can also view past webinars on the CDN YouTube Channel

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SCQF – Professional Learning Opportunity

Looking for some Continuous Professional Development hours towards your CLDSC Registration commitment? Interested in Credit Rating a piece of CLD Learning you are developing? Or, interested in Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) then SCQF may be able to assist you

Please click here for the upcoming workshops

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Programme for Government Commentary

The CLDSC is a member of Children in Scotland, who invited us to contribute a CLD perspective on the Programme for Government for their members. The blog is published here.

Welcoming the programme’s positive references to CLD, and commitment to a Lifelong Learning Strategy, we highlight the challenge of ensuring that it engages individuals, families and communities as real partners, and links to strategies for community empowerment. And we argue that the challenge posed by the pandemic must be used as an opportunity to engage, connect, educate and empower.

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Kickstart Scheme

Kickstart is a UK Government Scheme that provides funding to employers to create 6 month job placements for 16 to 24 year olds who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

Please visit the UK Government website for further information

Any organisation, regardless of size, can apply for funding; organisations employing less than 30 Kickstart roles need to apply through an intermediary representative organisation. SCVO is offering this service to third sector organisations or you may be able to access support through your local authority

Please visit the SCVO website for further information

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Join Us at the Scottish Charity Awards Ceremony!

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 Celebrating Communities Award at this year’s #ScotCharityAwards. Sally Magnusson is presenting live and there will be surprise special guests too.

The ceremony is being held online on Friday 25 September and we’d like to invite you to join us for virtual pre-ceremony drinks reception at 6pm. Get your gladrags on, top up your glass and join fellow CLDSC members to celebrate the work of CLD in the voluntary sector. The ceremony is scheduled to take place form 7-8pm and we hope to watch together as it will be live streamed on YouTube.

To join us on the night, please register on Eventbrite

CLDSC Practice Placement Guidance

Academic Year 2020-21

Due to the continuing Covid-19 situation, we have updated our Guidance relating to CLD Practice Placements in Academic Year 2020/21.

Please click here for the Updated Guidance

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CLD Blethers

Delivering in partnership with CLD colleagues in Education Scotland, we have not one, but three blethering opportunities to tell you about!

1. CLD Practitioners Health & Wellbeing Blether – 29 September 2-3pm
   This blether is all about you! Information from the CLD Standards Council (CLDSC) Covid-19 Surveys highlights areas impacting on your health and wellbeing as practitioners including: volume/pace of work; return to face-to-face delivery; and job security. The CLDSC Code of Ethics will frame the discussion giving an opportunity to share issues of concern as well as time to discuss strategies and support.

To attend the Blether, register on Eventbrite

2. Blended Learning/Digital Engagement Blether – 5 October 2-3.15pm
   Online/blended delivery and engagement are hot topics just now. With some brief inputs from other practitioners, this blether will focus on how you’ve maintained engagement with current learners and encouraged new learners to participate – what’s worked, what hasn’t? It will also create the opportunity to identify strategies and professional learning needs.

To attend the Blether, register on Eventbrite

3. Challenging Poverty Week Twitter Blether – 6 October 12-1pm
   To promote Challenge Poverty Week (5-11 October), we’re hosting our very first Twitter Chat! Using the CLD Competences as a guide, we’ll look at key areas of CLD practice in relation to addressing the causes and highlighting the impacts of poverty. The Poverty Alliance will also be taking part. Search for the chat on Twitter by using #CLDChallengePoverty and don’t forget to follow @CLDStandardsCouncil and @EdScotCLD too!

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COSLA launches Blueprint for Scottish Local Government

CoSLA believes that the Blueprint will “allow Local Government to build around an ambitious vision for Scotland’s future – one based on the empowerment of people and communities”.

The Blueprint argues that “decisions should be made from the community up, not from the top down. In making the voice of local people heard and acted upon across all public services, we can address the huge health, social and financial costs of persistent inequality in this country.

We also recognise that engaging a representative group from across our communities can be difficult and that we need to be realistic about the work and time involved in ensuring that the voice of people heard is reflective of the wider community”.

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Community Development Alliance Scotland Annual Conference: Action, Impact and Change

Speakers at CDAS’s conference on 7 October include Doreen Grove (Scottish Government), Anna Clarke, President of the International Association for Community Development, and Phil Prentice (Scotland’s Towns Partnership). There’ll be time for discussion on key themes including influencing decision making, human-rights and inclusion.

To learn more and register for the conference, please go to the Community Development Alliance Scotland website

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Shaping the future of Adult Learning in Europe: EPALE Community Conference

6,7 and 8 October

To learn more and to register for the conference, please go to the EPALE website

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Community Conversation: Making Rights Real

17 September, 10am -12pm

Making Rights Real is a new grassroots human rights organisation in Scotland, and with the Scottish Human Rights Commission and the Participation and the Practice of Rights project is hosting this event for people living in Scotland who may be experiencing human rights concerns.

For further information, please visit the Making Rights Real website

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And finally, Thank You!

Our Virtual Meet-Up in aid of Macmillan last week raised £75! Those attending pooled information and experience of implementing Coronavirus CLD Guidance and delivering blended learning.

We also heard about a free 2-day online event being run by Co-operative College Learning Live (sessions include What is Co-op Learning, Social Action Showcase and Making Knowledge Together Through Radical Learning – all with a global slant). And of course a sweet treat recipe or two was shared too!

This guidance has been updated – please see UPDATED Guidance as of March 2021

Please see the following advice from the CLD Standards Council Scotland (CLDSC) in response to the disruption to delivery of CLDSC approved programmes caused by the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. Due to these exceptional and rapidly changing circumstances, this guidance is intended to manage and minimise disruption to CLD students attending Scottish Further Education Institutions (FEIs) and Higher Education institutions (HEIs) whilst seeking to ensure that the quality of CLD learning programmes is not compromised.

This is the guidance at September 2020.