About us :
Definition
of Community Development Learning
We use a range
of words and phrases within this website. Here we define what we
mean by Community Development, community work and Community Development
learning. The community development training checklist will help
you see how the definitions fit together and relate to your work.
What is Community
Development work?
The definition of Community Development is expressed
in the following key purpose:
Community
Development is a long-term value based process which aims to address imbalances
in power and bring about change founded on social justice, equality and inclusion.
The process enables people to organise and work together to: - identify
their own needs and aspirations
- take
action to exert influence on the decisions which affect their lives
- improve
the quality of their own lives, the communities in which they live, and societies
of which they are a part.
The
revised standards contain five key values: - Equality
and Anti-discrimination
- Social
Justice
- Collective
Action
- Community
Empowerment
- Working
and Learning Together
And
seven Key Areas that between them contain 25 standards. Key
Area One (Core): Understand and Practise Community Development Key
Area Two: Understand and Engage with Communities Key
Area Three: Take a Community Development Approach to Group Work and Collective
Action Key
Area Four: Promote and Support a Community Development Approach to Collaborative
and Cross-sectoral Working Key
Area Five: Support Community Learning from Shared Experiences Key
Area Six: Provide Community Development Support to Organisations Key
Area Seven: Manage and Develop Community Development Practice
What
is Community Development learning?
Community Development Learning takes place when individuals and
groups/organisations come together to share experience, learn from
each other, and develop their skills, knowledge and self-confidence.
It is a developmental process that is both a collective and individual
experience, based on a commitment to equal partnership between all
those involved to enable a sharing of skills, awareness, knowledge,
and experience in order to bring about sustainable desired outcomes.
Community Development learning is as relevant to policy makers and
local authority officials, for example, as it is to community workers
and community groups.
Community Development
learning occurs in formal and informal settings, including professional
qualifications as a community worker alongside exchange visits between
groups or an organised training course on Community Development
for local authority councillors.
In practice
this means:
- The content
of learning is rooted in people's experience and Community Development
principles.
- The learning
process is inclusive and participatory.
- The outcomes
facilitate the transfer of Community Development learning into
action for positive change within communities.
Community Development learning checklist
Full membership is intended for groups or organisations (not individuals)
whose main activity is centred on Community Development training
and learning. This means that you should be trying to bring Community
Development principles and values into all that you do. To help
you decide whether you should apply for Full membership you can
use this checklist which spells out some of the things we think
are central to Community Development training. None of us are perfect
but you should be trying to work to the following.
- You help
communities to define their own training needs rather than just
running pre-arranged courses. In other words, the process of training
is as important as the content.
- You use the
National Occupational Standards in Community Development Work
as the basis for planning and delivering your community work training.
- You use participatory
learning methods and acknowledge that participants have existing
skills, knowledge and experience that will form an important part
of the learning process.
- Your training
helps develop people's community work skills - ie the role of
enabler and facilitator helping local groups take collective action.
- In designing
and delivering training you address issues of access, equality
of opportunity and anti-discrimination.
- Your training
includes looking at the social issues and experiences facing participants,
including power and powerlessness, and helps people reflect on
and translate their learning into collective community action.
- Your group
works in a participatory, democratic and accountable way.
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