New BTEC Qualification for Community Advocates developed with the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network

As part of “Neighbourhood and Home Watch Week 2011 – 18th to 26th June 2011, a new BTEC Qualification will be launched for Community Advocates.

The new “BTEC Advanced Award for Community Advocates” has been developed in partnership with the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network and the Safety Net Associates Group. It will be available through the National Neighbourhood Watch Academy part of the CSP Academy (www.cspacademy.ac.uk).

The qualification has been developed to:

• Address the skills needs of volunteers working with community organisations including the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network and those who support them.
  
• Attract more people to become engaged with Neighbourhood Watch and other community organisations/ventures/initiatives by providing formal and recognised professionalisation via an accredited qualification that until now did not exist.
  
• Enable volunteers from community organisations to communicate effectively with members of communities and staff from public bodies
  
• Determine the concerns and priorities of communities in relation to safety and the prevention and reduction of crime and anti social behaviour
  
• Contribute to the development of priorities and objectives for promoting neighbourhood justice and social inclusion in partnership with others
  
• Learn what is required to enable people from different backgrounds to get on well together, influence decisions in their locality and feel they belong to their neighbourhood
  
• Develop and sustain effective working relationships with members of community organisations and staff from public bodies
  
• Enable groups, communities and organisations to address issues which affect community their community and social inclusion
  
• Enable groups, communities and organisations to go beyond influencing onto doing by taking positive social action.
  

As part of the qualifications development it was piloted with representatives from the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network. This has now resulted in the first 14 officially qualified Community Advocates in the UK.

As from the 18th of June the qualification will be available for full public enrolment.

Minister for Crime Prevention and Antisocial Behaviour Reduction Baroness Browning said:

“Neighbourhood Watch is a great example of how communities can come together to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour and make our streets safer.”

“But it’s important we keep this movement alive by encouraging new and more diverse membership, as well as embracing new and different ways of communicating.”

Speaking at the launch of the qualification, James Maddan, Chair of the National Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network said:

“This exciting new initiative will provide a valuable resource for neighbourhood watch members who are interested in developing their personal skills."

"The Neighbourhood & Home Watch Network is indebted to Safety Net Associates for their support in developing the programme and I look forward to further collaboration between our two organisations”

The Safety Net Associates Group said:

"We are proud to have been given the opportunity to develop and deliver the new BTEC qualification in partnership with the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network."

"We are confident that this new qualification will not only benefit the existing membership but also provide an added incentive and enabling tool for people to get involved with Community Organisations such as Neighbourhood Watch. This in turn can only benefit the communities which we are all a part of."

In order to register your interest in this new qualification or to find out more please contact 0845 299 7144, email learning@cspacademy.ac.uk or visit http://www.cspacademy.ac.uk/National-Neighbourhood-Watch-Academy.htm