Annual Report 2022/2023 cldstandardscouncil.org.uk Chair's Statement After the challenge of the pandemic CLD practitioners have now had to deal with the consequence of the major downturn in the economy. As before, the sector has been at the forefront in supporting individuals and communities across Scotland in these difficult times. The innovation and dedication of CLD staff is recognised by the communities which you serve and highlights the importance of the Sector in delivering Scottish Government policy priorities. During 2022/23 CLD Standards Council members have participated in a number of consultation exercises related to the reform of Scottish Education. This has resulted in not only increasing the profile of the CLD Standards Council and the Sector but also in ensuring that our role in shaping the future of a Lifelong Learning system has been recognised. Much work remains to be done however, it is my view that we now have a stronger base to build on. Members of the staff team have been involved in a range of activities throughout the year to support the profession including the revision of professional qualifications, webinars on key topics and representing the Sector in a variety of fora. This work is central to what the CLD Standards Council provides in support of members and the profession in general. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the membersof the Executive and Standing Committees for their contributions and support over the year. As a members led organisation this active participation is essential to the work o fthe CLD Standards Council. Alan Sherry, O.B.E Chair, CLD Standards Council Director's Statement Over the last year the CLD Standards Council has continued to be a voice for the sector and a reliable space for members to connect, share and develop practice, problem solving and leadership. This has been achieved by responding to Members’ feedback and addressing our 2022-23 commitments to improve governance arrangements; enhance equalities work; review communication channels; report on the workforce aspect ofthe CLD plans and build support for coherent CLD pathways. Accordingly, Membership continues to grow and with almost 10 new members every month CLD representation in policy development and decision making fora has increased in both reach and status. Members from all areas of practice engaged and responded to the numerous consultation events about Education Reform with many of the recent reports illuminating the role of CLD practitioners in changing the lives of learners, communities and young people. This is worth remembering when reading our review of the workforce aspect of the CLD plans. CLD career pathways continues to inform the work of all committees with thanks to Approval panel members who work with colleges, universities and employers to ensure that CLD professional standards are met and include the digital aspects as per the refreshed CLD competences. Please remember tofollow us on X, LinkedIn and our new Facebook page to keep upto date with CLD Standards Council news. Our new Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion network has taken a fresh approach to understanding lived life experiences and systemic challenges. Members tell us that participating in Equalities Conversations, Member Meet-Ups, Learning Programmes and Conference events are invaluable to supporting their work as the challenges of the cost of living crisis continue. Overall, these are just some of the items contained within this report that are worth taking the time to read. My continued thanks goes to all Members for the work you do to support Scotland’s communities and learners of all ages and backgrounds. #BecauseOfCLD Dr Marion Allison Director, CLD Standards Council Who We Are and What We Do The CLD Standards Council is the professional body for people who work or volunteer in Community Learning and Development (CLD) throughout Scotland. Our work is guided by an executive committee and three standing committees (Approvals, Professional Learning and Registration) made up of Registered and Associate members. Being a members' led organisation enables our priorities to be defined by the membership and delivered to the benefit of members and the wider sector. 2022-23 saw the CLD Standards Council continue to create online and in-person opportunities for members'to improve their practice and be at the forefront of sectoral change and developments. Education Reform Joint Education Training Standards (JETS) UK & Ireland network Evidence Based Research(Community Learning and Development Plans Review 2021-24) Scottish Government Consultation and Policy Responses Modern Apprenticeship Programme and National Occupational Standards (NOS) adaptations Strategic Engagement Professional Networking Opportunities for CLD Practitioners URL Website links provided above where available Introduction Snapshot in Numbers 111 Participants took part in Meet-Upevents held across the year 378 Participants involved with National Occupation Standards (NOS) consultation process 8 Policy andconsultationsubmissions 2,964 Members 202 New Members since 1st of April 2022 251 Participants attended a development session Our Vision and Mission Vision “Our vision is that thec ommunities and people ofScotland are served by CLDpractitioners that are recognisedas competent, confident andcommitted to equality, empowerment and life-widelearning for all.” Mission “Our mission is to drive high standards of professional practice in the CLD sector by the approval of professional learning, the registration of practitioners and the enabling of professional development, working with our members' to be a voice for the profession.” Strategic Objectives 1 Deliver, maintain and further develop a professional Approvals structure for qualifications, courses and development opportunities for everyone involved in CLD. 2 Maintain and develop the Registration system and establish members’ services for practitioners delivering and active in CLD. 3 Maintain and develop models of Professional Learning and training opportunities for CLD practitioners. 4 Improve and develop our organisational capability. 5 Lead and contribute to relevant CLD policy and workforce information services. Our Work MA Youth Work Framework - Work began early 2023 on the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) framework in CLD Youth Work on behalf of the whole CLDSector - The CLD MA in Youth Work represents a key milestone in CLDcareer pathways for the sector National Occupational Standards (NOS) - NOS are UK wide standards which describe what an individual needs to do, know and understand in order to competently carry out a particular job or function - Collaboration and stakeholder engagement with cross-sector participants took place across the four nations - Community Development and Family Learning NOS suites reviewed and updated - Adult Learning NOS suite created to support the Adult Learning Strategy 2022-27 aims Professional Induction Programme Jamie Hepburn, MSP (Minster for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training) launched the Professional Induction Programme at 'The Gathering' in June2022. This online programme has run three times with 25participants so far. "Allowed me time and space to think of CLD values, competences i nmy new role." Professional Induction Programme participant "Highlighted the value in regularly setting aside time to engage in additional learning. I am considering how I develop my leadership skills and identify areas of professional learning I need to research." Professional Induction Programme participant Our Work CLD Plans Review - An analysis of the 2021-24 CLD plans was completed -reviewing, observing and studying Workforce Development issues facing the sector. - A report was produced to summarise learning and put forward recommendations to inform strategic level stakeholders and policy decisions. Leading CLD Programmes In late 2022, the second cohort of the Leading CLD Programme for Senior Managers commenced with over 20 participants from 14 local authorities. This programme is co-designed and co-delivered with colleagues from Education Scotland's CLD Policy Team and the Professional Learning Team. Outcomes included: - Providing colleagues a clear understanding and knowledge of current CLD research, policy and practice; - Enhanced personal understanding of effective leadership skills and attributes in a CLD context; and - Engagement with critical reflection about individual leadership within CLD practice Quotes from Cohort 1 of theLeading CLD Programme (2022): “Fantastic input & great practitioner discussions at the CLD LEAD course. Lucky to have been involved in this & hope it is continued for other CLD practitioners.” “Great courseand a great reminder of why I do this job.” “The Leading CLD programme was insightful, impactful, engaging and such a great opportunity to develop skills and network with other practitioners across Scotland.” “Thank you so much for the opportunity, this has been a fab course and so informative.” Governance Review Governance Working Group In early 2023, the CLD Standards Council Executive Committee approved the formation of a short term working group to review the organisation's governance framework. The working group is due to report back to the Executive Committee in August 2023 with recommendations. The group consists of representatives from the executive and 3 functional committees as well as general members of the CLD Standards Council. Expert advice is provided by Education Scotland’s Corporate Governance Team. New Executive Committee Members In March 2023, following asuccessful committee recruitment campaign, we welcomed new members to the Executive Committee. Skills Audit A survey was undertaken with colleagues across all Committee groups to gather information on their respective skills sets. Thirty one colleagues took part. Information was used to inform recruitment and selection processes as part of a wider governance review, along with understanding and supporting the interests of all members. Next Steps Information will be used from the Skills Audit work as a baseline to monitor changes in profile information of members (e.g. demographics) after recruitment drives. There will be a continued focus on supporting the development needs and interests of all members' supporting the CLD Standards Council Committee work. CLD Standards Council Members CLD Standards CouncilConference 2022 - Delivered in December 2022, with a focus on how best to support and develop the CLD sector workforce – staff and volunteers alike. - Inputs and keynotes from Jamie Hepburn, MSP (Minster for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training), Sara Thiam, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI) and Professor Ken Muir who led the review into Education Reform. - Launch of the revised Competent Practitioner Framework which incorporates the digital competence review findings. Have Your Say Sessions Sessions were established in Summer 2022 as an additional member benefit offer and enables members nation-wide to: - discuss and provide views on sectoral topics - feedback on strategy developments and implementations of consultations - shape change and inform practice and policy. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Members' Forum - The newly established members-led forum provides a safe space for practitioners to engage and discuss areas of practice/policy t oenable sectoral changes related to equality, diversity and inclusion. - Supports the creation, improvement and implementation of equality and inclusion professional practice for CLD practitioners/processes to enhance the CLD Standards Council values and principle. - Discussion on long term equality related challenges within CLD professional practice across Scotland (e.g. professional learning, identity, recruitment, mobilisation and sustainability matters). "I personally found them incredibly useful and it’s really helped develop understanding of CLD policy impact." " I had no clue how involved associate members could be in making Legislation and Practise applicable to everyone. Even if it is just as simple as changing words, it makes a massive difference to young people who want to be involved in bettering their communities they live in." "It was excellent getting to be involved in these meetings." (Have Your Say participants) CLD Standards Council Conference On the Opening Remarks "Alan was fantasticand dealt with the Q&A superbly." "Thank you today was fab." On the CLD Plans Workshop Session "Would have loved it to have been longer to spend time on a deeper dive, but a great workshop." "Thanks for having the online element." "After two years of waiting, it was a delight to be back together. I believe we are re-grounding the foundations, making them/us stronger, so we can weather any storm and hold the light for our children, young people, communities and planet." On the Ministerial Speech "It was good to hear the Minister's recognition of the value of CLD, and the need for the sector to speak with one voice." CLD Standards Council Conference Conference 2022: Speakers in Pictures Alan Sherry OBE Chair - CLD Standards Council Jamie Hepburn Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training Professor Ken Muir Delivering the annual lecture Dr Marion Allison Director - CLD Standards Council Sara Thiam CEO - Scottish Council for Developmentand Industry Sarah Latto Policy Officer, Volunteer Scotland 'CLD Talks' Capturing the views of members CLD Standards Council Networks Higher and Further Education Group In late January 2023 the reconvened Higher and Further Education Group Network met for the first time to explore areas of challenge and shared projects. Meeting dates have been scheduled throughout the year ahead with members of the group agreeing to work collaboratively on: - Better defined articulation routes from CLD Standards Council approved HNC programmes into approved university programmes; - An awareness raising campaign on CLD learning programmes ranging from community based learning through to the Masters and Doctorate level opportunities; and - Improving the collation and reporting of data from the colleges and universities to better inform course planning and support workforce planning in the sector. CLD Network Group Established a network group consisting of CLD Standards Council, Scottish Government Policy Unit, Education Scotland CLD team and His Majesty’s Inspector of Education. Undergraduate Course Approval BA/ BA (Hons) Community Development CLD Standards Council members' of the Approvals Committee met with staff, students and placement providers at the University of Glasgow to review the BA Community Development programme in the past year. The reviewing panel, led by Graeme McMeekin with four further committee members, were all impressed by the level of wellbeing and pastoral support that the university provides to their students, the importance that the university places on the placement element and the commitment of the staff team to remaining connected to communities across Glasgow. The panel recommended continued approval of the programme. “The approvals process while rigorous and robust, is also a supportive process which provides a space for in-depth discussion on the programmes we are so passionate about.” Dr. Sinéad Gormally Senior Lecturer in Community Development at University of Glasgow CLD Standards Council Networks Promoting the CLD Sector We have been engaging with a broad range of interested partners, keen to hear more about the values and impacts of the work of our members in local communities, and the broader CLD sector in general. TAG Professional Association ofLecturers in Youth and Community Work Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) Westminster Policy Forum Development Trust Association Scotland(DTAS) Celebrating CLD Success We have celebrated the success of practitioners and volunteers by sponsoring sector wide awards. The Scottish Charity Awards hosted by SCVO (CLD Standards Council sponsored the Community Action Award) The Scottish Education Awards hosted by Education Scotland National Youth Work Awards hosted by YouthLink Scotland College Development Network Awards 2022 (Dr Marion Allison, Director, was a member of the judging panel and CLStandards Council sponsored the College Community Learning Award) We offer a grant of £2k to networks for CPD Education Reform Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment The aim of this Scottish Government reform was to ensure all learner's achievements are fairly recognised, affording every learner an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth, depth and relevance of their learning. The CLD Standards Council formed this members-led response to support the work across Youth Work, Adult Learning and Community Development settings throughout the sector, facilitating robust discussions on qualifications and assessments supporting lifelong and life-widelearning , raising awareness of the significant impact to Scotland's learners that comes from learning opportunities CLD delivers to enable learners of all ages to gain qualifications and reach potential. CLD Standards Council Response - Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment Skills Delivery Independent Review In September 2022, the Scottish Government ra n an independent review of the skills delivery landscape in Scotland. This was to ensure that the skills system was fit for purpose to deliver Scotland’s national outcomes and meet future economic challenges including the transition to net zero. The CLD Standards Council took the opportunity to raise and promote the lifelong learning skills landscape, emphasising that skills delivery is critical for all ages and stages of learning. This also gave opportunity to raise the profile and highlight the role and agility of CLD practitioners and organisations supporting learning opportunities throughout Scotland. CLD Standards Council Response - Skills Delivery Independent Review National Discussion on Scottish Education The National Discussion on Scottish Education was to inform plans to create three new education bodies as well as a review of qualifications and assessment. The CLD Standards Council held number of consultations including one co-facilitated with independent consultant, Professor Alma Harris. This work was crucial in raising and promotingthe lifelong learning empowerment and inclusion principles surrounding community-based learning. Promotion of the CLD workforce and its critical role within and inclusive Scottish education system was also highlighted. It was vital awareness of the impact from learning out with traditional formal school settings were highlighted in this consultation response. CLD Standards Council Response - National Discussion on ScottishEducation Post-School Education, Research and Skills We held four online focus groups covering CLD perspectives from practitioners in Higher and Further Education, in Local Authority, in Voluntary and Charitable organisations and from CLD Students. A member of Scottish Governments Purpose and Principles team attended and was able to gather data first hand. The CLD Standards Council wanted to raise and promote the lifelong and life wide learning approach of CLD, as well as the empowerment and inclusion principles surrounding community based learning including Adult, ESOL, Family Learning, Communities and Youth Work. This report raised awareness of the role and agility of Community Learning and Development practitioners and organisations who support and offerlearning opportunities to Scotland’s learners and communities all year round. CLD Standards Council Response - PostSchool Education, Research and Skills The Coming Year Continue to develop opportunities for our members to have their voices heard in national government reviews and consultations relevant to CLD practice. Improve our digital access arrangements and strengthen our social media presence. Grow the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum Undertake a recruitment campaign to increase the number of members actively supporting the important work of the three Standing Committees. Work with Scottish Government, Education Scotland and others to support implementation of the national CLD strategies for youth work and adult learning. Acknowledgement and thanks CLD Standards Council would like to extend our thanks to the following people: We bid a fond farewell to Robbie Crow and his beloved guide dog, Yogi, as they left to begin a new role with BBC. We wish you well in your new role! Our membership Our Partners and Stakeholders Our Committee Members for their continued support Contact Us: contact@cldstandardscouncil.org.uk cldstandardscouncil.org.uk CLD Standards Council The Optima 58 Robertson Street Glasgow G2 8DU