CWC Workshops – Community Work in Challenging times

Maintaining Quality Principles & Standards
CWC Regional Workshops & National Seminar

Community work in Ireland is at a critical interface. The process of Cohesion saw the Local Development and Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) merging with LEADER Companies in rural areas, as well as structural changes to all Partnership Companies. In addition, it is now confirmed that the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs have requested the Centre for Effective Services to re-design the Community Development Programme and the LDSIP. Budgetary cuts to the sector are having, and will continue to have, major implications for the work being carried out at local level. In light of these challenges, maintaining the focus on quality community work and social exclusion is more critical than ever.

Towards Standards for Quality Community Work: An All Ireland Statement of Values, Principles and Work Standards recognises that, if effective community work practice is to be ensured in a rapidly changing Ireland of increasingly diverse communities, it is vital that standards are set to guide and focus practice. Towards Standards, therefore, outlines the values and principles that underpin community work and what can be expected of community workers and others using community work approaches. It is concerned with setting out the key principles, expectations and ethical boundaries relating to practice. The aim is to provide a reference framework for all community work stakeholders – communities, employers, funders, and education and training providers, as well as paid and unpaid practitioners.

Towards Standards for Quality Community Work was developed by an ad hoc group of practitioners, educators and funders from a variety of organisations and institutions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to be relevant in both jurisdictions. Organisations involved include, NUI Maynooth, CAN, Community Change Northern Ireland, Ulster Peoples College, Pobal, University of Ulster, Belfast Metropolitan College, as well as, the Combat Poverty Agency and the Community Workers’ Co-operative.

Regional Workshops & National Seminar

The CWC is holding a series of regional workshops that will focus on maintaining quality community work in the face of recent & evolving developments in the community sector outlined above. Using Towards Standards as a framework, the workshops will explore how community workers and those using community work as an approach in their work can maintain the principles and standards of quality community work.

The regional workshops will conclude with a national seminar on June 10th in Dublin (venue to be confirmed) that will seek to frame local experiences in an analysis of the intersection of democracy, governance and social exclusion, and to translate these experiences and concerns into a CWC position for action.

All workshops will be held from 11am to 2.30pm & lunch will be provided.

This is a free event, but numbers are strictly limited so prior booking is essential.  Download a booking form and for more information  contact info@cwc.ie or Community Workers’ Co-operative, Unit 4,Tuam Road Centre, Tuam Road, Galway, Phone 091 77 90 30

This project is funded by the Combat PovertyAge.