EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - A summary of good practice standards for community development work

A summary of good practice standards for community development work

Introduction

The national occupational standards in community development work consist of 6 key roles that workers adopt within the processes and outline the skills needed to car you the roles.

Description

The national occupational standards outline clearly the skills, values and practice principles required for community development work and have been developed to provide a guide and a reference point for best practice. They provide the basis for promoting effective and appropriate community development work practice.

The Federation for Community Development Learning will work with practitioners, groups and organisations within the community, voluntary and statutory sectors to ensure that the Standards continue to reflect good practice in community development work and the different contexts in which it takes place.

Background information

In community development work the HOW and WHY, the PRACTICE and PROCESS are key. Central to this is the reflective practitioner. Community work for social change entails reflecting on incorporating the values into the many roles of community development work.

The guidance outlines the values of community development work as well as practice and principles for good community development work practice.

These are summarised as:

social justice;
self determination;
sustainable communities;
participation;
working and learning together;
reflective best practice.

Methodology

The standards are designed for use by:

community development workers and activists;
individuals and organisations adopting a community development approach to their work;
voluntary management committees;
employers of community development workers;
funders of community development work;
and community development education and training providers.

The standards applied will ensure that community development impacts on poverty, racism and social exclusion in a way that empowers, enables and encourages participation.

Conclusions

The national Occupational Standards in Community Development Work consist of 6 key roles that workers adopt within the process and outline the skills needed to carry out the roles:

Role A: Develop working relationships with communities and organisations.
Role B: Encourage people to work with and learn from each other.
Role C: Work with people in communities to plan for change and take collective action.
Role D: Work with people in communities to develop and use frameworks for evaluation.
Role E: To develop community organisations.
Role F: Reflect on and develop own practice and role.

Contact info

Federation for Community Development Learning
equalworks.education@tribalgroup.co.uk

Publication date

Project finished

//2006

Researcher

Federation for Community Development Learning

Links

Visit the Equal Works website

Download the 'Summary of good practice standards for community development work' (PDF, Eng, 2 MB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation, Support for local groups