New Faces

Photo looking down at two pairs of shoes, standing side by side on grey paving slabs, with the words “Passion led us here” written on the slabs. — ^{Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash}

New CLD Standards Council Committee Members

12 new members have been appointed across the 3 Standing Committees and as we welcome them we thought we would give you some update information. As a member-led organisation we have a governance structure designed to allow the voice and views of our membership guide how the organisation functions and grows. We currently have 4 committees for members to be appointed to – Executive, Approvals, Professional Learning and Registration.

To be included within any CLD Standards Council (CLD SC) Committee individuals must be registered with CLD Standards Council Scotland – Registered or Associate Membership.

To be considered as a member of a Committee individuals must obtain agreement and support from their line manager or governing board, to ensure time will be available to attend committee meetings and for participation in committee work.

Committee members are there to represent the views of the CLD field/sector and not the views of their employer/organisation as an employee.

Committee members commit to attending scheduled committee meetings or will intimate apologies as far in advance as possible.

The Executive Committee has overall direction setting and reporting responsibilities for the work of the CLD Standards Council and is led by a member who has been approved by the Cabinet Secretary for Education. The process of appointment is robust and involves an application stage, an initial interview with a sifting panel and then a final interview with the Chief Executive of the host agency – Education Scotland. Following that process, the Chief Executive make their final recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary.

The role of the organisational Chair is to guide the organisation over a 4 year term of office. This involves providing strategic direction and guidance to the Executive Committee and Director, representing and promoting the organisation across the CLD, Education and Public sectors and making representation on behalf of the membership to policy-makers, decision-takers and funders on CLD workforce support and professional standards.

The 3 Standing Committees – Approvals, Professional Learning and Registration – have a key role in overseeing and directing the work of the CLD Standards Council within the committee area of responsibility. The committee’s work closely with the staff team to achieve the ambitions of the committee work plan. The committees are required to keep the executive committee informed of progress and development of the work it is responsible for, highlight any issues of note or concern and refer any decisions with implications for the Council as a whole to the executive and the CLD Standards Council Director. There are opportunities for the 3 committees to work on shared projects and areas of interest.

We warmly welcome the 12 new committee members onboard and are very much looking forward to working alongside the committees over the next few months, to develop and publish their work plans and celebrate their success. If you would like any more information on our committees, you can visit further pages on our website or please get in touch by emailing us contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk

Volunteers and the State – where does volunteering fit in 21st century Scotland?

Volunteer Scotland facilitated a Festival of Politics panel event exploring the relationship between volunteering and the state. Our chair, Alan Sherry was part of the panel with Volunteer Scotland CEO, Alan Stevenson and Sara Redmond from the Health and Social Care Alliance.

Find out more on the Volunteer Scotland website.

Watch the video

The King and I

King Charles III is standing on the right and smiling down at Sue Briggs on the left. Sue Briggs, author and former CLD Strategic Development Officer with Aberdeenshire Council was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) at Holyrood Palace recently by King Charles III. This award was given for her service to Community Learning and Development with her career in CLD spanning over 40 years including local, regional and national work.

Sue Briggs, dressed in a floral dress and pink jacket, looking towards her MBE which she is holding up in front of her

Sue told us “I was very proud to hear the proclamation in the Palace of Holyrood House….”Mrs Susan Briggs for services to Community Learning and Development in the North of Scotland” as I stepped forward to receive my MBE. It was important to me that CLD was named in that arena. I accept that award on behalf of very many practitioners, managers, community leaders and organisations who embrace CLD as a path to tackling poverty and inequalities through learning and development in challenging settings.”

Sue was delighted to be awarded this honour and firmly believes many more people in CLD deserve recognition for their work. She went on to say ““Community learning and development work has been really important to me in my career and receiving the honour, for me, is about more than myself – it’s about everybody else who contributes to this field of work.”

Congratulations Sue from all of us at the CLD Standards Council.

News article from the member Bulletin August 2023

HEY BUDDY, OVER HERE!

We all need Professional Learning and Development. And it doesn’t always mean attending a conference, training session or workshop. Imagine if you could support your own (or someone else’s) professional learning over a cuppa and a chat? Well, that’s what our Supporting Professional Learning Together option offers.

Buddies

Buddies are experienced CLD Standards Council members who provide support to newer members particularly those working in contexts where this kind of assistance is not readily available. A buddying relationship offers the right to a safe space where you can share and challenge practice.

Professional Learning Verifiers

As part of your renewal of registration process, it’s essential for members to have their PL verified by their line manager or someone in a mentor type of role. We know that some members do not have access to an appropriate person to verify their PL within their place of work or the organisation where they volunteer. So, we’re here to help!

Mentors

This is a member-led process but given the additional pressures facing our membership at the moment, we are keen to help progress this as quickly as possible. Ideally, you choose to be involved and you approach another CLD Standards Council member with whom you feel you could have this kind of peer mentoring relationship. This is a professional development role and your peer mentor needs to be more than a friend and/or acquaintance and/or colleague. However, if you don’t have anyone in mind to approach, you can ask us to help match you with someone.

If you’d like to get involved, please complete and return this form telling us about who you are, what you’d like to be involved in and the areas/topics you want to chat about. We will then do some matchmaking!

News article from the Member Bulletin August 2023

Conference @ The Gathering!

It’s the annual CLD Standards Council Member Conference – with a difference! We are super excited to announce that this year we’re teaming up with our friends at SCVO and we will host #CLDSCConf2023 as part of The Gathering!

This year the CLD Standards Council will host our usual informative and interactive seminars and workshops during the day on 7 November, followed by our annual conference Lecture in the evening. By hosting our annual conference at the SCVO’s The Gathering it means that alongside attending our Conference events, CLD Standards Council members can also experience the fabulous packed programme of workshops, seminars, activities and everything else that is on offer at The Gathering over the 2 days.

Organised by SCVO, the Gathering is the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK, a place for all the amazing people working in the sector to network, showcase what they do and learn from each other. The Gathering takes place over 7 and 8 November 2023 at the EICC, Edinburgh and we have partnered with our friends at SCVO so that we can provide a CLD Standards Council Conference with a difference.

CLD Standards Council will also have a stall in the Exhibition Area for both days, so please pop along and say hello!

Pre-registration for delegates is now open and the full programme will be launched on 22 September when delegates can register for individual events, including our conference workshops, seminars and our traditional evening lecture.

BecauseOfCLD #SCVOGathering

News article from the Member Bulletin August 2023

New look e-newsletter

Why do we have a new look Bulletin?

Reviewing our Communications Strategy, with the wonderful Mairi Damer from Word Up, we decided it was time for a change. We wanted to make our Bulletin sleeker, smarter and straight to the point! You CLD peeps are busy folk, so we want to offer you all the exciting information without you needing to scroll down your screens for hours.

We even went on a short writing seminar to help us, can you tell?

With exciting developments across our members benefits such as the “Have Your Say” sessions on consultations and policy, along with “Equality Diversity & Inclusion Members Forum” and re-starting up our monthly “Member Meet Ups” we still have a lot to tell you about, so we hope you like it!

As part of our comms review, we asked how you wanted us to communicate with you. A huge thanks to all of you who responded. The feedback was crystal clear, with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook high up on the list of preferred methods, along with LinkedIn, emails and our newsletter e-bulletin, although you did alert us to the fact people weren’t always able to read our bulletin every week as you are busy… so that’s why we have gone monthly and added further information on our website to support it so you can access what you want, when you want to.

You Said… We Did…

Have you have noticed our improved use of social media? It’s a start and we are trying to get better at it so please give us a like, retweet and share whenever you can. As you suggested, we have set up a new closed Facebook group for our members to communicate more easily, we created a new LinkedIn page, we refreshed the CLD Standards Council SLACK Channel and please don’t forget about our old favourites – Twitter and i-develop !

WATCH THIS SPACE: Next steps will be to overhaul our website, with a fresher, brighter and more user-friendly design. We really value your input and we will be looking for your feedback on all these developments towards the end of the year. What works for you matters to us…. our members matter!

News article from the Member Bulletin August 2023

Statement from the CLD Standards Council and The University of Glasgow – 26 June 2023

See updated statement February 2024

The University of Glasgow and the CLD Standards Council Scotland recognise that this is a particularly stressful time for students and staff.

The University is doing everything it can to mitigate against the impact of this period of industrial action and has written to all affected students with the latest information, advice and support.

The University has committed that no student will be prevented from graduating or onwards progression if they are eligible to do so. Graduating students who have not received grades can attend graduation ceremonies and will receive a parchment, pending final confirmation of their degree classification. Continuing students can also enrol in the next stage of their degree programmes.

The CLD Standards Council confirmed that the University of Glasgow currently holds professional approval for the BA/BA(HONS) in Community Development, as a suitable course of study for employment within the distinct profession of Community Learning and Development. They continue to ensure that all professional standards are upheld and are working directly with the University on this basis. As a professional standards body the CLD Standards Council have no involvement in the industrial dispute.

Students and employers should raise any associated queries directly with the University.

Statement from CLD Standards Council

See updated Statement February 2024

As the professional body for adult, community and youth workers in Scotland, the Community Learning and Development Standards Council grants professional endorsement for relevant youth and community work degree programmes. At this time, we understand that the University of Glasgow is not fully compliant with the set standards in respect of the BA/BA Hons in Community Development. We are continuing to engage with the University to explore solutions that will meet the needs of all parties.

Dr Marion Allison
Director
CLD Standards Council

Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Youth Work – now approved

The CLD Standards Council are delighted to announce that the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Youth Work has now been approved and is ready for use. The MA in CLD: Youth Work provides a practical work based route for learners to gain employment experience and an SCQF level 6 or 7 qualification. It is just one of a range of qualifications in the suite of Community Learning and Development programmes.

Dr Marion Allison, Director of the CLD Standards Council said,

“We were delighted to extend our reach to deliver the review of this learning programme. The Modern Apprenticeship in CLD: Youth Work provides trainees and employers with a tried and tested qualification that ensures young people and communities have access to well-trained CLD: Youth Workers. The ambition for all of Scotland’s young people, learners and communities to be served by highly trained CLD practitioners is central to the CLD Standards Council’s mission”.

Further information can be found as follows:

Apprenticeships Scotland – Modern Apprenticeship Youth Work

Skills Development Scotland – Youth Work Framework SCQF Level 6 (PDF)

Skills Development Scotland – Youth Work Framework SCQF Level 7 (PDF)

Youth Work Modern Apprenticeships Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: Why has there been an “uprating of SCQF level from 5/6 to 6/7 in the MA”?

Answer: The MA level has been uprated as the SVQ was uprated from SCQF Level 5/6 to SCQF Level 6/7.

Question: Why are Core Skills now at SCQF Level 5/6 rather than the previous SCQF Level 4/5?

Answer: Workplace Core Skills must be applied at a minimum required level according to the level of the Modern Apprenticeship. Different levels may be acceptable, higher or lower, but developers would need to provide evidence to justify this. In the Steering groups opinion there was no compelling justification that would meet this criteria.

The following information aligns MA levels with minimum Core Skills levels; this should be used as a guide when considering a Framework submission.

MA Level – Minimum Core Skill level

SCQF level 5 – SCQF level 4

SCQF level 6 – SCQF level 5

SCQF level 7 – SCQF level 6

Question: Why are some Core Skills embedded and others are not?

Answer:

The core skills of “Communication, Working with Others & Problem Solving” have been judged to be embedded through the performance criteria for the mandatory modules.

ICT & Numeracy is not embedded in the CLD Youth Work MA mandatory modules. There is evidence for ICT in the optional unit CLD YW 08 but this can not be used for evidence.

Where the developer believes that the Workplace Core Skills do not require separate certification then a detailed mapping exercise must be carried out and included within the framework submission. Each element (or performance criteria) for each of the SVQ mandatory units must be mapped against each Core Skill task. SQA Accreditation guidance on signposting and mapping work-based core skills highlights the following distinction:

“The main difference between signposting and mapping Workplace Core Skills is depth. Signposting is indicative, and normally involves reviewing the SVQ competences against the Workplace Core Skills titles. Mapping involves a more in-depth review in which the job role is compared to individual Outcomes or Performance Criteria (PC) of SVQ and Workplace Core Skills Units.”

For clarity, even where core skills can be shown to be embedded, employers in the sector still have the option of requesting that separate certification is mandatory in the Framework.

Question: Why is there a mandatory enhancement requirement to the MA CLD Youth Work?

Answer: This maintains the position of the previous Youth Work Modern Apprenticeship and parity of esteem with the Community Development Modern Apprenticeship. The number and scope of the mandatory enhancements have been increased to allow as wide a choice as possible for the learners and providers, whilst meeting the feedback provided by the Apprentice Approvals Group that there should be “clear and concise differentiation” between the Youth Work Modern Apprenticeship frameworks at level 6 and at level 7. For this reason some mandatory enhancements only appear at the relevant level and not in both frameworks.

Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteer Scotland

Dr Marion Allison, Allana Mullen and Kirsty Gemmell sitting at a table signing document.

As part of volunteer’s weeks celebrations, the Community Learning and Development (CLD) Standards Council Scotland and Volunteer Scotland are excited to announce its new partnership. Through this partnership we will encourage groups and organisations within the adult learning, community development and youth work sectors to offer appropriate volunteering opportunities and give volunteers a positive experience through good volunteer practice.

Both organisations have a long standing history of setting and supporting national standards including , the Competent CLD Practitioner Framework, CLD Standards and the Volunteering Quality Pipeline. All with the aim of improving practice, encouraging learning, and supporting service delivery.

Adrian Murtagh, Head of Volunteer Practice, Volunteer Scotland said “With our commitment to volunteering and life-long learning, I believe that through this partnership we have an opportunity to formally recognise the amazing skill set that many volunteer engagers and practitioners have and display when managing and supporting their CLD volunteers.

The partnership will also support appropriate policy development through its commitment to learn together and share information. Other areas the partnership will support are; the recently developed Adult Learning Strategy, recognition of both quality standards, development of new learning opportunities and inclusive volunteering.

Dr Marion Allison, Director of CLD Standards Council Scotland said…”With more and more volunteers joining the CLD Standards Council and setting their sights on studying or gaining work in the adult learning, youth and community work sectors; our partnership with Volunteer Scotland will provide volunteers and their host organisations quality information and advice for learning and training. This partnership acknowledges the key role that volunteers have in the delivery of CLD services and compliments a range of work and learning policies at national and local levels”.

Both parties look forward to continuing to work together to build a strong partnership for the benefit of volunteering, good practice development and enhancing local communities.

CLD Standards Council and Volunteer Scotland MOU 2023 (PDF)