About SCAPP
SCAPP (Scotland’s Community of Access and Participation Practitioners) aims to provide a practitioners’ network to support the development and professionalisation of a strong widening access and participation community in Scotland and by doing this embed, enhance and support effective practice in Scotland.
SCAPP aims to be a sustainable, member-led community of practice and to be inclusive with a focus on supporting those directly engaged in delivery, with the purpose of embedding, enhancing and supporting effective practice in Scotland. The membership is growing to include representation from universities, colleges, skills, voluntary and public sector organisations and will continue to build the network to represent the diversity of interests, activities and work in which practitioners are engaged.
SCAPP is governed by a Steering Group with representation from across the university, college, school and charity sector.
SCAPP is funded by the Scottish Funding Council to deliver its activities.
SCAPP Mailing List
If you’d like to become a SCAPP Member and receive email updates on news, events and research or resources from the sector, please join our mailing list.
SCAPP Aims and Objectives
Scotland’s Community of Access and Participation Practitioners sets out to achieve the following aim:
To provide a practitioners’ network to support the development and professionalisation of a strong WA and WP community on Scotland. This will be open to all parties, with a focus on supporting those directly engaged in delivery, with the purpose of embedding, enhancing and supporting effective practice in Scotland.
SCAPP is governed by four objectives:
- Networking and Events
- Professional Learning and Development
- Evaluation and Research
- Quality Standards
Networking and Events
Provide opportunities to collaborate, discuss and share practice, resources and skills. Identify and work with existing communities of practice across Scotland to ensure a positive impact on the learner journey.
Professional Learning and Development
Develop and enhance practice by creating, identifying and promoting learning and professional development and training opportunities. Develop working groups, activities and training related to Widening Participation and access to Higher Education.
Evaluation and Research
Encourage development of WP evaluation activity, skills and training, and sharing practice in the effective use of evidence to improve implementation and evaluation strategies and to encourage input to an evidence base for impact of interventions for the sector. Work with research to ensure practitioners have access to up-to-date evidence to inform their work.
Quality Standards
Ensure quality of practice by supporting and promoting the alignment of practice with evidence. Continue to develop and enhance a formal accreditation process to endorse and value the work of practitioners and to assist in raising the status of Widening Access and Widening Participation.
Who can join?
The network is open to all and will have an emphasis on supporting those directly engaged in delivery of widening access and participation to higher education. Amongst others, we welcome school leadership and teaching staff; careers advisors; college and university widening access/participation teams; access researchers and those working in the third sector.
Contact scapp@stir.ac.uk if you wish to join or click here to join the SCAPP Mailing List
SCAPP Steering Group
SCAPP is governed by a Steering Group with representation from across the university, college, National Schools Programme, school and charity sector.
Group members 2024-2025:
- Kenny Anderson, Director SWAP West (Acting Chair)
- Alice Smith, Assistant Director, LEAPS
- Anna Wallace, Senior Policy Advisor, Scottish Funding Council
- Eve Lewis, Director, SPARQS
- John McGilp, Headteacher, Coltness Academy
- Patricia Anderson, Development Manager, SCAPP
- Jill Christie, Learning and Development Coordinator, SCAPP
- Shona Barrie, Director of Admissions and Access, University of Stirling
- Lisa Baxter, Student Association & University Partnerships Manager, Forth Valley College
History of SCAPP
The Framework Governance Group tasked a Short-Term Working Group (STWG) of WP practitioners to create a community of practice in Scotland for the widening access and participation sector. In doing this, they sought to build on the work of existing networks, their volunteers and their experience which were operating locally and nationally for years, (for example, the SHEP Network and its Practitioner Best Practice sessions; the SWAP practitioner groups). After agreeing a range of aims and objectives, the STWG sought funding from the Scottish Funding Council to create a Development Coordinator (DC) post so that SCAPP could be managed and grow to support everyone across the sector in Scotland. Part of the DC role will be to develop a sustainable membership model going forward so that practitioners across the sector can continue to have a strong professional network to support them in their work. SCAPP will be led and shaped by its members.
SCAPP is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) until July 2025