Community Development tackles injustices and brings about change through collective action. Practitioners are passionate about communities taking action to challenge inequalities and oppression and to improve social, political, economic, climate/ environmental justice. Community Development is a value driven way of working, an approach that is needed more than ever. Community Development is an approach/ a process adopted by paid workers and activists in many different spheres and situations – from housing, health, economic regeneration, faith, conservation, environment, within oppressed and marginalised communities.
 
Community Development is based on reflective practice – of learning from what we and others do. It is a skill that all CD practitioners need to develop and to encourage those they work with to develop so that good ideas are shared and critical theory constantly evolves  especially in the fields of group work, conflict, campaigning and organisational development.
 
ESB ensures the quality of more formal learning programmes, inside universities, in workplaces and community groups through a process of endorsement against our criteria. Endorsement is given to high quality programmes that are relevant to today’s work with communities and support students to develop as competent professional practitioners. ESB also provides a certification route for  practitioners using their current practice to demonstrate their skills and knowledge.
 
ESB is an established and independent Company ltd by Guarantee, which does not receive any external funding. It works in partnership with other agencies to raise the profile of community development and to create and sustain a structure for community development learning. ESB is run by practitioners and is open to anyone interested in community development learning to join.

ESB have produced a statement on the situation in Gaza following requests from our members and from the staff at Palestinian Universities (all of which have now been destroyed).

ESB echoes the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire which has been made by many international agencies.
Community Development is based on values of community empowerment, social and environmental justice, anti- oppression and collective action. ESB is primarily concerned with the learning and qualifications of CD practitioners in England and contributes to wider CD learning.
The horror of the war in the middle east is catastrophic for communities in Gaza and people around the world. Muslim and Jewish communities have seen members attacked, and schools, places of worship, community centres and other buildings damaged, at the same time as communities have come together in solidarity to protest and offer support. Community development practitioners are often on the front line trying to support communities, working to increase understanding and reduce tensions.

ESB will engage with endorsed programmes as part of this process to learn how students are being supported to develop their skills and knowledge so they are equipped to promote anti-oppressive social and political education and to handle the fall out of this crisis which will continue to impact on communities for many years.
ESB will support CD practitioners by compiling information and resources that they can use in their daily work to help people understand the history of the war and suggest tools to use when dealing with conflict and trauma in their communities.

We have started to compile some useful resources for practitioners and would appreciate any suggestions of material that you have used or are aware of, articles on the history of the crisis, sources of factual updates, conflict and mediation toolkits and so forth. Please send any ideas to us by contacting us.

The Endorsement and Quality Standards Board for Community Development Learning (ESB) was established in 1997 to provide a professional system of endorsement of quality for all types of training and learning in community development work.

The role of the ESB is to ensure the standards in training and learning for community development work and workers through the professional recognition of learning. ESB contributes to a professional community development workforce accessing high quality learning through the endorsement of different learning opportunities.

Endorsing your training and learning activities is one key way of demonstrating the quality of your learning provision

The ESB endorses a broad range of learning opportunities:
    •    Higher degrees
    •    First degrees and units within degree programmes which are relevant to CDW
    •    Higher National qualifications
    •    Work based learning programmes including Recognition
    •    Short and long accredited programmes
    •    Non-accredited learning
    •    Mentoring systems
    •    Other innovative and informal methods of learning.

For your participants

    •    Participants on your learning programmes know they are working to nationally recognised standards
    •    Participants on your learning programmes know that their programmes are organised around best practice
    •    Participants on your learning programmes will have the added value of ESB endorsed learning under their belts and this will improve their chances in acquiring community development careers.
    •    Participants on your learning programmes will be involved in continuous professional development that is right for the challenges of community development work.

For your organisation
    •    As an organisation you have the opportunity to develop best practice with support from ESB
    •    Your organisation will be seen as having the learner at the heart of your provision
    •    You can kitemark your provision demonstrating quality in community development learning

For employers
    •    Employers of Community Development Workers can see first hand that participants on your learning programmes have completed a period of study combining theory and practice and are competent to take on community development roles.

Contact us by clicking here. We can offer advice on what the type of endorsement is right for you.