Scottish Further Education Unit
The Scottish Further Education Unit provides a range of support to assist the development of inclusiveness in Scotland’s colleges. The Equalities, Diversity and Inclusiveness section of its website provides extensive advice, links and good practice examples which assist colleges to apply inclusiveness across the Quality Framework. In the year of publication of this document SFEU is undertaking the following activities.
Designing, developing and facilitating a community of practice for access and inclusion
The definition of a Community of Practice is a set of people who share a concern, set of problems or passion about a topic and who are willing to engage with and help each other reach solutions to common problems. SFEU will use a straightforward and easily accessible technology platform to facilitate the interchange of ideas and the development of resources through online interaction.
Access and inclusion events for subject specialists
A series of events aimed at helping practitioners develop the learning and teaching process imaginatively and innovatively to match learner needs arising from their experiences, interests, abilities and any barriers to learning. Material will be available through the community of practice and SFEU will facilitate action learning sets to support small groups of staff implement change in their own practice in order to implement inclusive learning.
Promoting positive mental health
A range of support activities to meet staff development needs in relation to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. This includes a two-day course in Scotland’s Mental First Aid and the development of an online toolkit, Supporting Student Mental Health.
Managing and understanding substance misuse
A range of support activities to meet organisational and staff development needs in relation to education and awareness of substance misuse; managing critical incidents; development of guidelines and draft policies to support students experiencing or recovering from substance misuse.
Young learners
A suite of staff development activities designed to address key issues arising from managing the learning and behaviour of disaffected and disengaged young learners. The suite includes sessions on child protection; managing behaviour — establishing an orderly learning environment; key features of learning process for young learners and responding to classroom crisis situations.
Engage or Enrage?, a toolkit for staff working with disaffected and disengaged has been developed and includes strategies and tactics for promoting the use of technology in learning and teaching activities, including ideas for e-learning and m-learning.
Legislation
Support, information and training days to assist colleges in meeting the requirements of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003. In addition, when the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (Scotland) Bill becomes law, support, information and training to assist colleges support and protect vulnerable adults.
Workshops
For groups of college staff on topics including designing and delivering for inclusive learning; altering attitudes, promoting equality and diversity, promoting race equality, meeting the needs of students with dyslexia, meeting the needs of learners with autistic spectrum disorders and promoting positive mental health.