CLD Response to Covid-19: South Lanarkshire Council

Community Learning and Development (CLD) response during COVID -19 lockdown

South Lanarkshire Council – CLD Youthwork – Vertigo Theatre for Young People

Continuing our series of case studies for the West Region on the amazing response of CLD during COVID-19 lockdown we now want to highlight work from South Lanarkshire Council CLD Youth work.

Vertigo Theatre for Youth, a group based at East Kilbride Universal Connections and supported by South Lanarkshire’s Youth, Family and Community Service, have been undertaking a range of initiatives over the lockdown period. One of these initiatives takes place every Thursday evening, where young people from  the senior group come together online to talk about how they are feeling and take part in an interactive drama session. The young people discuss and plan projects that they can undertake to keep themselves creatively engaged whilst entertaining other families and young people within South Lanarkshire. On average 22 young people have taken part every day.

These projects have included story-telling videos for children and families, including stories told in British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton, that are published weekly. The young people have also been producing videos of themselves performing music from their homes. During one week alone the videos by the young people reached over 1,200 members of the public and had 395 engagements.

The Vertigo Committee of young people have been meeting online regularly and are making contact with the younger members of the group who do not use social media. Members of Vertigo are also currently working on writing poetry and monologues that represent their experience of lockdown, often concentrating on the positive aspects of the experience. These initiatives all aim to encourage young people to help support each other’s mental health, and to create a support network for young people during the current crisis.

Facebook link   https://www.facebook.com/Vertigo360TY/ or search Vertigo 360 on Facebook to see the stories and music videos.

Wee Blether reflections: The Power of Communities in Education Recovery

John Galt, Education Officer CLD, reflects on a recent wee blether hosted by Education Scotland and the CLD Standards Council

The Power of Communities in Education Recovery: Wednesday 5th August

One of our recent ‘Wee Blethers’ focused on what we’re learning about our communities across Scotland during the Covid-19 crisis and what messages that gives us for education recovery. The session was co-facilitated by the CLD Standards Council for Scotland and attracted an interesting mix of practitioners from education establishments, local authorities, community learning and development, third sector organisations and the Scottish Government.

The picture is a complex one. We heard that there is clear evidence that existing inequalities in communities across Scotland are being exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. We also heard though about the many examples of positive community-led responses to the crisis, often based on a strong understanding of what is needed locally, and organised around the knowledge and skills in the community to meet those needs.

We discussed the ‘power of communities’ and what a ‘resilient community’ looks like; how engaging with local communities can help to shape the curriculum – e.g. through approaches like Participatory Budgeting or by strengthening youth work and school partnerships; and the key role that community learning and development can play in supporting community-led activities and education recovery. Check out this link for more details https://share.wakelet.com/doc/2AvJL8-Gczc88TAJFyBEK

 

CLD Response to Covid-19: Dumfries & Galloway

Dumfries & Galloway Youth Work Service

Continuing our case studies on the amazing response of CLD during COVID-19 lockdown, we now want to highlight work from Dumfries & Galloway’s Youth Work Service.

Dumfries and Galloway (D&G) council youth work service identified several challenges as lockdown was introduced. These included the need to: provide young people with the latest information; establish a way to maintain contact with more vulnerable young people (previously engaged through the ‘youth work in secondary schools mental health initiative’); develop a new method of delivering youth engagement through digital platforms; and, consider a method of engaging young people with little or no access to the internet.

Youth workers responded swiftly to these challenges and: created digital information clips, and introduced a youth information line available 6 days a week, 12 hours a day; contacted vulnerable young people on an individual basis to provide on-going support; worked with young people to secure grant funding and co-produce 1000 ‘isolation packs’ containing activities and access to the ‘Hi5 STEM award’ for young people with no digital access; and, developed #HomeFest, a 4 day programme (10am-9pm) during the Easter holidays with a new activity available every hour.

Further to this, examples of targeted support include: provision of activity books for young parents to support their learning and care for their children; and assist young people to access funding for essentials like food, heating, and ‘top-ups’.

Local authority officers advise the geography in Dumfries and Galloway is recognised to cause a sense of isolation and disconnect for some young people. Therefore, youth work services and education staff are now jointly hosting a weekly webinar (also supported by the D&G youth council and school captains) where young people can ask questions of hosts with a collective range of expertise.

Local authority officers shared insight to some of the impacts to date. Examples of positive impacts include; 35 young people supported to gain their Hi5 STEM award since lockdown began; young people and parents seeking support from the youth work service for the first time, maintaining contact with young people previously registered with youth services to support them with challenges they’ve encountered in lockdown; youth workers temporarily deployed to social services experiencing strengthened relationships with social work colleagues; and, the opportunity to shift some service delivery online – with the success of #HomeFest influencing current service delivery

However it is important to note online engagement methods are viewed as most effective in the current circumstances – but not a replacement for face to face practice.

Negative impacts are reported to include: evidence of increased numbers of young people struggling with mental health issues, to be considered as part of any post-covid response; and, the digital deficit experienced by young people with a lack of access to technology at home.

D&G council youth work service identify a number of areas for consideration looking forward: Investment in staff training to facilitate delivery of high quality youth work online; Investment in local broadband infrastructure to ensure equal access for all young people; Funding for local authority youth work to support young people in the recovery from COVID such as managing loss, and reintroduction to social situations; and finally, reinstating youth work staff teams temporarily diminished in size (due to deployment of staff to other business critical council services), once restrictions are lifted.

For more information check out @YOUTHWORKDG on twitter and this short video: https://twitter.com/YOUTHWORKDG/status/1298307452446924801?s=20

 

CLD Response to Covid-19: South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire Council ESOL Service

Continuing our case studies on the amazing response of CLD during COVID-19 lockdown, we now want to highlight work from South Ayrshire’s ESOL service.

South Ayrshire Council English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) staff within the CLD service, identified several challenges as lockdown was introduced. Firstly, many staff were temporarily redeployed to co-ordinate free-school meal provision, and work alongside staff from other council services to deliver almost 2,800 meals a day. Secondly there was a clear need to maintain contact with the more vulnerable learners including those with mental health issues; and, provide continuity of support for learners working towards accreditation. Thirdly there have been technical challenges presented by staff remote working; upgrading IT infrastructure; and, securing online access for learners in rural areas.

ESOL tutors adapted to provide support for learners via video lessons and online tutorials, and also continue to provide English classes for learners who returned to their country of origin prior to lockdown. ESOL learners were involved in the planning of the learning sessions – including selecting times of delivery and identifying a digital platform they were comfortable using, thus reducing digital and financial barriers.

Tutors routinely translate and provide learners with the latest Government guidelines on shielding, social isolation and keeping safe, as well as all Police Scotland notices, and information issued by schools. Staff maintain a reflective log to capture activities, as well as issues that may be noted under duty of care, such as supporting a learner subjected to domestic abuse and signposting to Women’s Aid.

Local authority officers shared insight to some of the impacts to date. ESOL learners have positively benefited from continuing support provided by their tutors – receiving advice and guidance on aspects of their life affected by the lockdown. For example, signposting new families arriving in Scotland to register for free school meal provision.

Moving to a digital platform enabled the ESOL tutors to work with smaller groups based on the level of learning. This has resulted in increased confidence, with learners creating their own peer support groups out with the sessions. Subsequent peer support networks within the ESOL community have continued to develop. For example, with the support of the ESOL staff, learners now have a support network to source halal food from Glasgow.

Virtual participation is also helping to reduce barriers for parents/carers of school aged children. The ESOL team provides activities for children while their parent/carer takes part in a virtual ESOL session. There is also anecdotal evidence that parents/carers and their children are supporting each another with their learning. Learners have reported that the virtual ESOL support has been vital in keeping up to date with schools and nurseries.

More broadly, staff report positive impacts from working in multi-disciplinary teams delivering bespoke services during lockdown – with strengthened relationships and improved understanding of substantive roles. In addition, there have been positive benefits in staff undertaking professional learning and research while working at home.

South Ayrshire council ESOL service identified a number of areas for consideration looking forward: Issues arising from gaps in learning, social isolation and poor mental health will require sufficiently well-resourced CLD services to aid recovery. The Ayrshire ESOL partnership comprised of South, East and North Ayrshire Council ESOL services and Ayrshire College, has established a model to maximise learner engagement and progression – there may be merit in further examining how to apply this model to other learning pathways – with CLD provision as an entry point.

For more information check out @CLDSouthAyr on twitter

CLD Response to Covid-19: Dumfries & Galloway Lifelong Learning

Dumfries & Galloway Lifelong Learning Team

Continuing our case studies on the amazing response of CLD during COVID-19 lockdown, we now want to highlight practice from Dumfries & Galloway’s Lifelong Learning Team.

The team adapted quickly by transferring programmes to online platforms. This quick response ensured they could continue to offer learning opportunities in:

  • Adult learning
  • ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
  • Adult Literacy and Numeracy
  • Family Learning,
  • Digital,
  • Accreditation Learning opportunities

The team adopted a social practice approach to choosing which digital platforms to use. They surveyed learners to establish which digital platforms they already had access to, and were comfortable using. The team then began a steep learning journey of their own as they quickly developed their own skills to use these platforms effectively, and safely. This resulted in the team being able to offer these learning programmes on a range of platforms.

To help remove barriers to digital participation within vulnerable groups, the team provided a number of solutions including the lending of equipment, with additional set-up support. For example, iPads that were purchased for the Syrian Refugee families were delivered to homes fully set-up.

The programmes don’t just focus on learning and skills development. The team recognised how key it was to support the health and wellbeing of their learners in such challenging times, something that is especially important in the rural geography of Dumfries and Galloway.

The team secured funding from several charities/organisations which enabled them to provide learning packs with a health and wellbeing focus to over 200 vulnerable adult learners. The strong relationships the team already had with learners enabled them to customise the packs to meet individual needs. For example, some contained pots and seeds to support the delivery of relaxing STEM learning activities. The team delivered the packs to learners’ doors. Due to the geography of the area, many vulnerable learners were living in very isolated conditions and this was their only face to face engagement. Having this socially distant contact enabled them to have a general conversation about how they were coping. Many were living in very challenging circumstances and the CLD Team were able to support them with a range of issues including crisis grant applications, housing issues, accessing free school meal entitlement and additional shielding packages.

      

                               

The support provided by the team didn’t stop over the summer. The success of the adult learning packs helped to secure further funding from the National Lottery for 200 family learning packs which the staff delivered to the doors of families across Dumfries and Galloway over the summer holidays. These packs provided a range of fun learning activities for the family to do together. They also contained basic resources to create their own activities, for example pencils and paper. Again, this provided an opportunity for a face to face check in with families and ensure they were accessing all the support they needed. For example, they were able ensure that ESOL families were accessing Scottish Government Covid-19 Guidance. For families where the parents/carers were isolating, they were help to make additional deliveries of learning resources for the children to ensure they could continue to learn together over the summer break.

 

          

The children were very excited to receive their parcels!

In addition to delivering the packs, the team also ran a virtual summer programme for 4 weeks in July. Each day of the week had a different theme- Motivate Monday, Try it Tuesday, Walk Wednesday, Take a trip Thursday and Fun Friday. Activities included a virtual live life well course for adults, cooking, virtual Peep sessions, themed walks, quizzes, STEM sessions, photography workshops, family challenges, dance and yoga, crafts and games and more. This ensured that there was a wide variety, something for everyone.

The programme was delivered through social media platforms the families were already accessing. Participation rates in the summer programme were very high with most activities reaching an audience of 2, 000 and some reaching nearly 5,000. Feedback from the participants was very positive with many sharing photos and stories of them engaging in the activities  on their own social media feeds.

The move to a digital platform has enabled the team to expand their social media presence. One Lifelong Learning account alone went from just over 1,000 followers to 8,000 with posts reaching over 1.5 million accounts, including many other learning providers and families in the UK engaging with our content.

The impact on the team, both in terms of their practice and confidence levels has been significant. Staff who were nervous about introducing digital platforms into their practice have reported that the peer support colleagues and partners provided has been invaluable, as they develop their skills and approaches. The team are continuing to develop their digital skills to enhance their learning offer, not replace face to face delivery. This will ensure that moving forward, learners now have even more opportunities to engage in a blended learning model which meet their needs.

You can find out more through their social media channels: LIfelongLearningDGC Facebook  @DgcLearning

Adult Learners Week 2020

5th – 11th September Adult Learners Week 2020 in Scotland. We want to highlight all of the fantastic work that Community Learning and Development (CLD) do to deliver high quality adult learning opportunities across a wider variety of areas. These include social isolation, health and wellbeing, digital inclusion, English as a Second Language (ESOL) , literacies, numeracy/maths, family learning, community inclusion, progression pathways, financial inclusion, personal development and active citizenship. 

  The thing that surprises most people about CLD is the variety of roles and diversity of learning that is covered. People who work in CLD often have a variety of disciplines to cover and ensure they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide these. The CLD Standards Council is the professional body for people who work or volunteer in CLD. 

 Adult Literacy & Numeracy in Scotland follows a social practice model. It looks at the skills, knowledge and understanding that a learner has to build on and relates learning to a context within personal, family, working or community life. Provision is offered in a learner centred way and can use real life resources such as bills, letters, newspapers or other household resources to support learning to have a real life context. 

Community based ESOL is delivered by CLD teams across Scotland. Scotland has supported the Syrian Resettlement Scheme in recent years which also links to ESOL provision and wider CLD activity in communities although this can look different in different local authorities.  ESOL learners can come from any country in the world and groups can be made up of a variety of languages and cultures. 

 Community based adult learning in CLD can cover a wide variety of learning opportunities that are intended to be informal, relaxed, friendly opportunities that aim to break down barriers for learners who are hardest to reach. These can be adults with multiple barriers such as mental health, physical health, learning difficulties, alcohol and drug addictions, long term unemployment and social isolation among others. 

CLD Adult Learning covers a variety of areas such as confidence building, health issues, bereavement, life changes (such as divorce, redundancy) focussing on areas of high deprivation where poverty impacts on households and families. 

 CLD is a value-based practice and CLD professionals have committed themselves to the values of self-determination, inclusion, empowerment, working collaboratively and the promotion of adult learning as a lifelong activity. Programmes and activities are developed in dialogue with communities and participants, working particularly with those excluded from participation in the decisions and processes that shape their lives. 

 The focus of CLD in all areas of adult learning are improved life chances for people of all ages, through learning, personal development and active citizenship resulting in  stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and inclusive communities. 

 The Education Scotland CLD Team works to support the CLD sector in delivering high quality learning opportunities relevant to the communities that are in need. The team supports professional learning across different areas of adult learning in CLD and supports the creation of new policies and strategies. They are keen to share and promote interesting practice that is of interest delivered by CLD workers who work tirelessly to improve the communities and individuals they work with.   

Follow @edscotcld for more information

Family Learning during Adult Learners Week 2020

by Susan Doherty

A brief history of Family Learning and how it links to Adult Learning in Scotland…

Family Learning encourages family members to learn together as and within a family, with a focus on intergenerational learning. Family learning activities can also be specifically designed to enable parents to learn how to support their children’s learning.

‘Family learning is a powerful method of engagement and learning which can foster positive attitudes towards life-long learning, promote socio-economic resilience and challenge educational disadvantage’ (Family Learning Network, 2016).

To highlight the amazing work in family learning during Adult Learning Week I thought it would be good to reflect on where we have come from and all of the hard work that practitioners have done to get us to where we are today…

In 2016 we worked with practitioners, researchers, policy colleagues and stakeholder/partner agencies to write the Review of Family learning in Scotland. This document set out to capture what practice, research, policy and strategy looked like at that time and set out some key recommendations to take forward. These recommendations formed the building blocks of what family learning looks like in Scotland today.

At its core family learning is an approach to engaging families in learning outcomes that have an impact on the whole family. It can support improved attainment, attitudes towards lifelong learning, health and wellbeing, confidence etc. which leads to positive outcomes for both adults and children. Family learning is a negotiated process born out of the needs of families and the individuals within them. It builds the capacity from where people are and celebrates in their successes. Although universal, family learning can be used as an early intervention and prevention approach which reaches the most disadvantaged communities and can help close the attainment gap through breaking the inter-generational cycles of deprivation and low attainment. For adults this can be the first step to re-engage with their own learning and help them to support their child’s.

Since 2016 we have developed the Family Learning Framework  and informed the Engaging parents and families – A toolkit for practitioners. Family learning is also present in the ELC Realising the Ambition, CLD Adult Learning Statement of Ambition, and HIGIOS 4 and HGIOELC documents. This highlights the breadth of where family learning can and does have an impact – from early learning to adult learning. Practitioners have shaped all of these documents and their voices can be heard throughout.

Engaging families in a family learning programme can have an impact on their immediate identified need however through research we also know it can extend beyond the duration of the intervention and provide lasting impacts and improved outcomes.​

In practice family learning can take many forms which is driven by the needs of the families. Family learning practitioners are creative, nurturing and responsive to the needs of their families and understand their communities and the challenges that they face. They almost always work in partnership which supports robust services that have strong referral pathways for further learning as appropriate. Practice has shown us that practitioners value the time families spend together over a coffee to chat and build relationships and fun is the magic ingredient that keeps them coming back.

We have many wonderful case studies that we can share with you from across Scotland and we would encourage you to look for more on the National Improvement Hub. Here are just some that you may find interesting:

For more information on Family Learning, Parental Involvement/Engagement and Learning at Home, or to share your practice, please contact: susan.doherty@educationscotland.gov.scot and/or beverley.ferguson@educationscotland.gov.scot

Adult Learning – National Organisations

Here at Education Scotland we have been promoting Adult Learners Week and would like to take this opportunity to highlight the wide range of third sector organisations that also contribute to Adult Learning in Scotland. We do not have space to name everyone but here is a few of the national organisations. We know there are also lots of local community organisations too. Please tag us at @edscotcld  and we are happy to promote any adult learning happening out there! 

 Or feel free to tag Education Scotland CLD Officers @LauraMc50938627 @soozeeps @MacdonaldDehra

 There are a wide range of third sector organisations that contribute to Adult Learning…below you can read about some of the main organisations in Scotland and access their websites and twitter to learn more 

 WEA – Workers’ Education Association (Scotland) 

The UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education in England and Scotland. Founded in 1903, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is a charity dedicated to bringing high-quality, professional education into the heart of communities. With the support of nearly 3,000 volunteers, 2,000 tutors and over 10,000 members, they deliver friendly, accessible and enjoyable courses for adults from all walks of life. 

 They have a special mission to raise aspirations and develop educational opportunities for the most disadvantaged. This includes providing basic maths, English and IT skills for employment; courses to improve health and wellbeing; creative programmes to broaden horizons and community engagement activities that encourage active citizenship. WEA’s members also help support their mission and campaign for adult education. 

www.wea.org.uk/ @WEAScotland

 Learning Link Scotland 

Learning Link Scotland was established for and by third sector adult learning organisations. Learning Link’s vision for Scotland is for a learning nation where Scotland is not only the best place in the world to grow up in but also the best place to learn. 

 At the heart of their vision is that adult learning in Scotland will be recognised by all as a central element of personal and community empowerment. They strive to ensure that people will have access and equal opportunity to strong, independent and vibrant Third Sector adult education, and that organisations work in partnership with others to fulfil lifelong learning, social inclusion, and democratic aspirations. 

Their purpose is to ensure Third Sector adult learning organisations work together to create a successful, dynamic and forward-thinking Scotland.

www.learninglinkscotland.org.uk @LearningLinkSCO 

 Lead Scotland 

Lead Scotland is a charity supporting disabled people and carers by providing personalised learning, befriending, advice and information services.  They have projects across Scotland and a national helpline and information service.  The local services are community and home based, one to one or in small groups so that people have the right support to learn and participate. Lead Scotland support people to build a bridge to reach their ambitions of personal development, learning, volunteering and work. At a national level, they provide information and advice on the full range of post-school learning and training opportunities, as well as influencing and informing policy. 

www.lead.org.uk @leadscot_tweet

 Scotland’s Learning 

Scotland’s Learning Partnership is the national partnership for adult learning bringing together the interests of learners and providers in Scotland. By working to develop equality in the relationship between learners and providers we aim to: 

  • Advocate the common interests of learners and providers to key policy makers and politicians 
  • Promote non-formal adult and family learning through the Adult Learners Week and Family Learning Week campaigns 
  • Create, design and deliver innovative projects that reach the most excluded groups 

www.scotlandslearning.org.uk @SLPLearn

 

Online Learning Opportunities

Education Scotland CLD officers have collated a range of websites and specific online courses that may be relevant to those working in the Community Learning and Development sector. We hope you find these useful – please get in touch with Susan.Epsworth@educationscotland.gov.scot if you know of an opportunity worth sharing

Thinking Digitally Course Lead Scotland will be delivering the Thinking Digitally course, free for disabled people, carers, and those who provide services for disabled people and carers. This course provides a supportive environment for learners to improve their digital skills, earn a qualification (12 credits at SCQF level 6), and create an accessible ‘digital artefact’, such as a website or blog. You may benefit from this course if you are looking to: improve your digital confidence and competence, learn about different online tools for communication and collaboration, and discover how to produce accessible online content.

The course will involve 13 one-hour tutor-led sessions delivered over Zoom, with 10 weeks of supported group learning and 3 weeks to finalise your digital artefact and e-portfolio. To take part, learners will need to have basic digital skills, access to a computer that supports videoconferencing, and a stable internet connection. Learners will also need to be able to complete a course at SCQF level 6. This requires learners to have the time and capability to study independently for a few hours a week, and to reflect upon their learning, with support.

Please visit Lead Scotland’s website for more information about the course or email BuildBackDigital@Lead.org.uk for enquiries or further information.

Dumfries & Galloway College is offering an Introduction to Working with Communities. This course is specifically designed for those who are already working or volunteering in the community.  Successful completion will see you gain a Professional Development Award in Community Involvement as well as a range of units, contextualised to your role, in working in the wider community. The programme is designed to introduce you to Community Learning and Development (CLD) theory and practice, with particular focus on involvement in community capacity building, which is one of the three main strands of CLD. This level 6 award will prepare learners for possible progression to other programmes at an equal or increased SCQF level in the field of Community Learning and Development.    The award is suitable for learners who may have some understanding and experience of Community Learning and Development -but have no formal qualifications in the field. Those employed in the field of CLD, and who achieve a recognised qualification such as this award, may qualify for membership of the Scottish CLD Standards Council. This course will start on the 24th January 2022 and finish on the 17th June 2022. https://bit.ly/3lKGOqT

Scottish Centre Conflict Resolution are offering a free programme of sessions ‘Untangling the knots’ The course is aimed at practitioners who have a role working directly with young
people and their families within the Third, Health, Criminal Justice, Parenting, Family, Education, Social and Housing, Mediation or Conflict Resolution sectors, either as a practitioner/volunteer. You must be able to attend all 4 online sessions. Details: https://bit.ly/3epjB93

#CLDTalks Podcast Have you caught up with the new CLD Podcast yet?  Created by CLDSC Registered Member Conor Maxwell, CLD Worker in South Lanarkshire, the podcasts have been established to raise the profile of CLD across Scotland.  You can find the podcasts on all the usual podcast sites like Anchor.fm or Spotify and follow @CLDTalks on Twitter – make sure you use the #CLDTalks hashtag! There are two podcasts to listen to so far: Jim Sweeney MBE and Adele Martin.  You’re guaranteed insights, information, learning and laughs!

You can also see more podcasts relevant for CLD collated in this wakelet: https://wakelet.com/wake/v7TUKzcIiOzMo5GDRA-xO

ASH Scotland has produced a range of e-learning courses including Understanding Tobacco and Smoking and money advice. https://www.ashscotland.org.uk/training-and-services/

College Development Network Virtual Bridge webinars run Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s 11 – 11.30am. All previous webinars available to view on CDN’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLdC4tqYFWpsSAwTQTa5zQ details for 2021: Virtual Bridge Webinars – Choose Registration (cdn.ac.uk)

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Digishift series: We have been hosting big Zoom calls called DigiShift, in collaboration with Third Sector Lab, attended by hundred of charities.  These calls began as a space for everyone to discuss the challenges of moving quickly to digital service delivery.  They have become a collaborative networking space where we work together, with experts in their field, to formulate best practice. Past sessions are available on their YouTube channel and details of future sessions here: DigiShift – SCVO

Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health and preventing Self Harm and Suicide Animations have been co-produced by NHS Education for Scotland and Public Health Scotland to support the implementation of Scotland’s Public Health Priorities for Mental Health, Scotland’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027; and Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan – Every Life Matters
These new resources will help workers to understand the factors that influence mental health and resilience
in children and young people; engage proactively with children and young people about mental health, self-harm and suicide; and recognise when to seek help to support those in their care: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/17099/mental-health-improvement-and-prevention-of-self-harm-and-suicide

LEAD Scotland collected together websites, apps and information about how you can continue to learn online during this time. These are suitable for everyone, with lots of different options, from improving your English and Maths skills, to specialist courses designed by leading universities. https://www.lead.org.uk/free-online-learning-options-during-the-coronavirus/

LEAD Scotland have designed a new, free course in partnership with the Open University: Everyday computer skills: a beginner’s guide to computers, tablets, mobile phones and accessibility https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=5538

YouthLink Scotland have compiled all their digital youth work online sessions on their YouTube channel for you to watch when it suits – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqXvZw9UDJQtUFQaf1O6O2QoiGDhVKqWl

Education Scotland’s DYW officers have put together a programme of ‘end of the day blethers‘ over the next few months covering a range of subjects including ‘personal learning & achievement’, post-16 transitions’ and ‘equalities & inclusion’  https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/4866/dyw-end-of-day-dyw-blether-2020.pdf

Learn 100% online with world-class universities and industry experts – Browse Future Learn’s free online courses in subjects ranging from Psychology and Mental Health to Creative Arts and Media https://www.futurelearn.com/courses

Black Lives Matter – Explore resources from petitions to books and courses – to help you get involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, and educated about the history of black oppression https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/black-lives-matter-resources

SALTO-YOUTH training opportunities: including ‘An intro on how to use Erasmus+ for international youth work, Erasmus+ opportunities for youth https://www.salto-youth.net/

Abertay University has four free credit-bearing courses to help individuals develop their digital marketing abilities, and support businesses. They are delivered online and include live teaching sessions. https://www.abertay.ac.uk/courses/digital-marketing-micro-courses

Professional Development Resources for College Staff  on CDN LearnOnline https://professionallearning.collegedevelopmentnetwork.ac.uk/

Free online learning in a range of subjects from the Open University    https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses

Find training, tutorials, templates, quick starts, and cheat sheets for Microsoft 365, including Excel, Outlook, Word, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, OneNote and more https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/training

The Microsoft Certified Educator Program is a professional development program that bridges the gap between technology skills and innovative teaching, learn more: https://education.microsoft.com/en-us

Trend Micro https://internetsafety.trendmicro.com/webinars

Digi Learn Scot – a range of pre-recorded webinars to learn online at a time that suits you https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzFsp7PF70TMlqVM4nCsxSg?view_as=subscriber

Free courses from Volunteer Scotland exploring everything you need to know about involving, supporting and leading volunteers. Working with the Open University (Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership at The Open University Business School) this is a space for you to learn at your own pace, at a venue of your choice and with time built in for you to reflection https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/training-courses/volunteer-practice-training/online-learning/

Generations Working Together provides information, delivers support and encourages involvement to benefit all of Scotland’s generations, by working, learning, volunteering and living together. Membership is free for anyone living in Scotland and some of the training courses are free too https://generationsworkingtogether.org/

Supporting Learning Outdoors This course is for anyone who has a role in supporting the delivery of curricular based outdoor learning. The course is aimed at instructors, third sector and private organisations, classroom assistants, volunteers, or indeed anyone who wants to work in partnerships with schools to deliver meaningful outdoor learning experiences.   The course will help participants to gain an understanding of the Curriculum for Excellence, and the framework for delivering this to pupils, as well as providing resources and ideas to assist good partnership working https://www.sapoe.org.uk/courses/supporting-learning-outdoors/

EIS PACT programme offers research-based professional learning opportunities for all teachers and schools focused on policy, practice and pedagogy.  PACT is rooted in social justice principles, takes a human rights approach to poverty, and is designed to further support and deepen the development of a whole-school anti-poverty culture. We also recognise that this PL opportunity may also of interest/ benefit to others within the education sector, so while the PACT online programme has been designed with a clear focus on teachers and schools, we welcome the involvement of other education professionals such as college lecturers who work with school-aged children and QIOs, who are happy to participate on that basis, and with that definite focus. It is also not necessary to be an EIS member to sign up – this offer is for all in the profession https://www.eis.org.uk/PACT/AboutPACT

Public Health Scotland provides free online course in a wide range of subjects including Challenging Poverty Stigma: Course: Challenging poverty stigma – learning hub (publichealthscotland.scot)

Upcoming webinars and professional learning opportunities for CLD

The Education Scotland team have collated a number of webinars and online opportunities hosted by ourselves and others that may be of relevance to CLD practitioners and managers. See details of dates, times, platform where available and link for signing up below.

Tuesday 2nd August: 12.30 – 1pm, Scottish Community Safety Network: Climate change and community safety zine, https://tinyurl.com/ypuxf6h8

Thursday 4th August: 2 – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: Volunteer induction,  https://bit.ly/37dC4Fy

Friday 5th August: 2 – 3.30pm, Youthlink Scotland: Careers by design: Youth voice workshops, https://tinyurl.com/3beu57cy

Monday 8th August: 12.30 – 1pm, Scottish Community Safety Network: Home Safety Map, https://tinyurl.com/y8dbjacj

Tuesday 9th August: 10am – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: PVG & signatory training, https://tinyurl.com/ycktrwpx

Tuesday 9th August: 2 – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: Managing difficult situations, https://bit.ly/3x34TiP

Thursday 11th August: 4.30 – 6pm, Youthlink Scotland: Careers by design: Youth voice workshops, https://tinyurl.com/ys63a46w

Wednesday 17th August: 10am – 12noon, Volunteer Scotland: Volunteer change management, https://bit.ly/3x3e5nr

Wednesday 17th August: 2 – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: Supporting volunteers,  https://bit.ly/3DEFg9x

Monday 29th August: 6 – 8pm, Youth Scotland: Arts Toolkit Training, https://tinyurl.com/yrvmfzfs

Tuesday 30th August: Volunteer Scotland: Involving and matching volunteers to roles & tasks, https://bit.ly/3uW9bG8

Tuesday 30th August: 10am – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: PVG & signatory training, https://tinyurl.com/ycktrwpx

Wednesday 31st August: 2 – 3.30pm, Children in Scotland: Mindfulness for your wellbeing and creativity, https://bit.ly/3wIGugR

Monday 5th September: 4 – 5.30pm, Education Scotland: How does gender inequality affect attainment, wellbeing and participation? https://tinyurl.com/4z7y5hwf

Wednesday 7th September: 10am – 12noon, Volunteer Scotland: Planning for Volunteering, https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/training-courses/volunteer-practice-training/interactive-learning-bites/

Thursday 8th September: 10am – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: PVG & signatory training, https://tinyurl.com/ycktrwpx

Tuesday 13th September: 2 – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: Volunteer change management, https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/training-courses/volunteer-practice-training/interactive-learning-bites/

Tuesday 20th September: CDAS Annual National Conference, Edinburgh Training & Conference Venue and live streaming online, email cdascotland@gmail.com to register

Wednesday 21st/Thursday 22nd September: Education Scotland: Scottish Learning Festival, Registration – SLF2022

Thursday 22nd September: 2 – 4pm, Volunteer Scotland: Developing volunteer roles, https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/training-courses/volunteer-practice-training/interactive-learning-bites/

Also check out https://bit.ly/3fN7Fgi and https://bit.ly/2V4g5Iw for a range of pre-recorded webinars from the Education Scotland Digital Skills team. These were created for formal education setting, but the content will be a just as relevant to CLD practitioners. For example, learn how to use Microsoft Forms for quizzes and surveys or watch the session on online gaming and gambling.

Please contact Susan.Epsworth@educationscotland.gov.scot if you would like us to promote something on your behalf