steady as we go!

I think it is important for all of us to stop for a moment and reflect on what we are doing in where we are at this moment.

While some of us are prepared to push ahead at speed to form a steering group other practitioners haven’t even got to the starting blocks yet.

Yesterday I attended the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector literacy network meeting, where I spoke to some practitioners whom I had sent the blog address so that they could participate in the debate.

While they were very supportive of the idea, they felt that the blog was engaged in a conversation of which they were not a part and felt that it was a continuation of the TQAL course. This highlights the danger of the forum being seen as a clique by those who were not involved in TQAL.

Although I am aware of the need to set up a steering committee of some type to take things forward I would like it to be more representative of the wider groups within ALN in Scotland and not just former Tqallers.

I briefly spoke at the meeting to encourage those present to sign up and engage in the formation process and the debate on what we should stand for and how the forum can best represent the interests of all ALN practitioners.

It is possible that there are other reasons for people not participating more fully beyond TQAL land. These could be that they are not aware that it exists yet or that they know it exists but have not been given instructions as to how to log on. This is something I had struggled with myself and had some difficulty with the VLE.

In order to rectify this situation, and to rescue the whole project, I would suggest that people who are already participants on the blog, personally invite some people onto the blog by using the envelope icon to email someone a post. Send it to people you have emails for but are not too familiar with and ask them to sign in. Explain that they do not have to participate if they feel uncomfortable about this, but that it is good to join so that we can get an idea of the numbers that are interested it the formation of the practitioners’ association (for want of a better term).

Tell people how they can post a blog or leave a comment and also how to add themselves to the list of followers. I tried to invite the whole of the GCVS Literacy network group but it only allows for 10 emails at a time. I intend to invite as many people as possible using this method even if I don’t know them or don’t see eye to eye with them on other issues. The point is we must get more people involved.

On other issues, I think the formation of a steering group should be held off at the moment until we get more people involved. I think the time lines set out already are too narrow and unrealistic and this has been recognised by some colleagues. There is no need to rush this. It is better to nurture something that will be enduring and truly reflective of a cross section of practitioners from different areas of ALN. However, I do believe that we should be forming some type of manifesto that sets out our priorities and goals for the association. I would like to see an association formed that was going to allow for practitioners within ALN to celebrate the work that they are involved in, promote the social practice model over skill based and deficit models and allow for the sharing of experience and innovation. It should also be an arena where we can address the issues facing ALN practitioners the length and breadth of the country regarding precarious work situations and contract uncertainty as well as challenging deteriorating conditions of employment. There are many other things that the association should stand for such as helping to combat poor information channels to overcome the feeling of isolation in some areas of our work.

Of course there would have to be some management/finance structure as well in order for the association to function and work out how we can fund events like regional and national fora. It has to be democratic and if officials are elected to posts then they must be held accountable with the right of instant recall if necessary.

We should be aiming for some time towards the end of January to be having a series of regional meetings with the aim of having a national conference in April 2009. Nala in the Republic of Ireland set out a series of regional meetings and then moved toward a national conference where delegates voted on a programme of aims and objectives.

As for the support required to set up a website and produce a newsletter, time sometimes moves slowly in these areas in organisations due to other commitments and therefore, various avenues should be explored.

I am sure if we can thrash out some type of blueprint/manifesto by using the wiki or continuing the discussion blog then we can attract more of our ALN colleagues towards our ideals and aspirations.