Community Practice

We are addressing the huge diversity of training and qualifications provision in the areas of Community Development, Community and Voluntary Skills and Social Enterprise. We aim to provide accessible gateways to information about these areas. This will stimulate and support the aspirations and needs of young and adult learners and employers for career-oriented learning.

Specifically, we are looking to ensure that clear progression routes into higher education are identifiable. Our aim is to stimulate increased progression within and between academic and vocational routes for learners across Sussex.

We are working closely with a wide range of related organisations, such as providers, employers, practice specialists and funders. This will aid the understanding of career-oriented routes amongst learners, their advisers, professionals and HE practitioners. Regular steering group meetings are being held to ensure our work is responsive to a variety of needs.

Key elements of our work are to ensure that information, advice and guidance in this area is accurate and up to date, and that alternative forms of delivery, such as e-learning, are explored and developed.

We are seeking to improve the quantity and quality of Higher Education provision in this field and, as a result, to build capacity in community practice throughout Sussex.

You can see more details of our work in the Practitioner Network Community Practice update.

Linda Townsend - Curriculum Lead

Linda is the curriculum lead for the Community Practice curriculum area based at the University of Sussex.

Prior to joining the University of Sussex, Linda was based at the Social Exclusion Unit at the University of Surrey. She was the principle investigator on a European Commission project focusing on labour market exclusion of ethnic minorities and, in particular, Roma and Traveller communities across Europe (the Workalo project).

Linda has published material relating to disability and labour market exclusion of ethnic minorities. She has extensive management and teaching experience in both the voluntary and the public sector.

Also, she is presently the Convenor for the Foundation Degree in Community Development at the University of Sussex.

Email: l.a.townsend@sussex.ac.uk

Dee MacDonald - Curriculum Lead

Dee is the curriculum lead for the Community Practice curriculum area based at the University of Brighton.

Dee is a social researcher whose work, over the past few years, has predominantly centred on issues related to the community and voluntary sector and the public sector. Experience gained from this work has developed her interest in staff development issues for people working in or with communities. As Dee works for the University of Brighton in both her research and SLN roles, she is particularly interested in exploring progression opportunities to higher education.

Dee's own route to where she is now involved long periods away from formal education. She returned to education as a mature student to take the access course path to university. Her interest in the degree subject she chose (Social Policy) stemmed from personal experiences as well as interactions with voluntary organisations as a volunteer.

Email: d.m.macdonald@brighton.ac.uk

Amanda Kingston - Administrator

Amanda is the administrator for the Community Practice team based at the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. She provides administrative support for the team, organises and facilitates at meetings and coordinates events and training courses.

Amanda’s background is in the public sector and prior to working at the University of Sussex she was an Executive Assistant at the Learning & Skills Council.

Email: A.J.Kingston@sussex.ac.uk