Policy News

Informing the shape of a Community Development learning and qualifications framework

FCDL is committed to supporting Communtiy Development learningbased on the practice, experience and learning needs of practitioners at all levels and across various community settings and context. We welcome the development of a framework which supports and promotes understanding across the landscape of stakeholders from practitioners on the ground, managers at various strategic levels, learning providers across sectors and settings and awarding bodies.

A framework for Community Development learning and qualifications is an important practical and strategic tool for outlining what is needed to support and encourage work with and within communities based on the values, skills, knowledge and experience reflecting the Community Development National Occupational Standards.

The England Standard Board have developed briefing sheets and questionnaire to provide an opportunity for various stakeholders involved with Community Development learning to inform the shape of the learning and qualification framework for Community Development.

FCDL would like to encourage you to take time to look at the briefing sheets and questionnaire provided in order to use your experience and reflection upon practice to shape the kind of learning and qualification framework needed to support, promote and resource different learning pathways for community development practice.

Download the quesionnaire by clicking here

Download the briefing sheet by clicking here

Tackling race inequalities
Communities and Local Government discussion paper

The Federation invited our members and allies to come together to discuss and explore this recent discussion paper in depth. These discussions led to a collective response, in which we also comment on the consultation process itself. Download our response here as a pdf document (May 2009). Details of the consultation, including the discussion document, can be found here.

World Class Skills for 2020 - equipping the UK to compete in the global economy

NIACE have produced a briefing on the Leitch Review, World Class Skills for 2020, which was published in December 2006. The NIACE briefing offers a summary of key points and some thoughts about positive aspects of the review's recommendations, and also issues and challenges. The briefing considers what Lord Leitch's report means for adult learners. Download the briefing here.


The development of new sector standards: Community Learning and Development

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), the sector skills council for the lifelong learning sector, is taking forward the development of professional and occupational standards for the Community Learning and Development sector across the UK. Click here for an update from LLUK.


SKiLD - a new learning project for development workers in local infrastructure organisations

SKiLD is a project of NACVS (National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service). The SkiLD team has recently been developing a learning programme for, and with, development workers to improve the skills and knowledge of people working with voluntary and community groups.

If your job involves giving hands on support to local groups (you could be offering general development support, or specialist help such as funding advice or training), then SKiLD could be for you.

See www.skild.org.uk for details of their learning activities. They are also developing a competencies framework (a realistic description of development work that you can use in practical ways to improve your work) and setting up focus groups to make sure that it fits the reality of this work.

SKiLD is for all local infrastructure organisations; from CVS, Rural Community Councils and Volunteer Centres through to community forums and local development trusts.

Contact:
The SKiLD team, SKiLD, Skills and Knowledge for Local Development, NACVS, 177 Arundel Street, Sheffield, S1 2NU
Tel: 0114 289 3964
Email: skild@navca.org.uk
Web: www.navca.org.uk

Fairer Funding
Through the Fairer Funding for Adult Learning Campaign, NIACE is seeking to get a fairer deal for adult learners in England. The campaign has generated considerable interest and support from learners, colleges and voluntary organisations across the country who are being affected by the cuts which are causing a reduction in the number and size of courses, increases in fees and redundancies amongst staff.

The Fairer Funding for Adult Learning campaign pack can be downloaded here either as a PDF document or as a Word document, and includes suggestions for ways to get involved nationally and locally. For more information, see the NIACE website at www.niace.org.uk/fairerfunding/Default.htm.

The Federation's response to Working Together - A Strategy for the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Learning and Skills Council
The Federation's response to this strategy, in which the Learning and Skills Council outlined its approach to improving working relationships with the voluntary and community sectors, is available here. The original Draft Strategy can also be downloaded.

The Working Together Strategy was published by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) - click here to link the NIACE website in order to download the pdf document. NIACE (the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education) and the LSC are now looking at how to implement the strategy. The Federation has been invited to continue to be involved in the Practitioners Steering Group. If you have any comments, ideas about how this strategy could support your work, or how your local LSC could implement it, please contact FCDL on 0114 273 9391 or info@fcdl.org.uk.

Building Civil Renewal: a review of Government support for community capacity building and proposals for change
To download the Federation's response to this consultation as a Word document, click here. The Government report set out proposals as to how community groups and community capacity building can be better supported at community or neighbourhood level, and asked for comments and for examples of good practice.

The Budapest Declaration: Building European civil society through community development
Delegates from 33 countries across the European Union and beyond, representing civil society organisations, governments, donor agencies and community groups, attended a conference in Budapest in March 2004. This international event acknowledged the priority now being given by the European Union to strengthen civil society and emphasise the important role which community development can play in supporting that process and protecting the human rights of all.

A key conference objective was to agree a common statement on community development in Europe, to be directed to the EU, national governments and other key stakeholders. Click here to read the text of this agreed statement (in Word).

Community Development Workers Survey
Click here to download the Summary Report of the Survey of Community Development Workers in the UK (in pdf format).

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