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A group of young people in room, looking at a board which features a drawing of a person. One young man is pointing at the drawing.

Take your first steps into youth work at SCQF level 4

Learn more about the First Steps to Youth Work qualification at SCQF level 4, available to people …

6 Nov 2025
A person's arms, with a kitten being cuddled inside their hands.

Love animals? Start your journey in veterinary care at SCQF level 5

Want to work with animals? Learn more about the Lantra Diploma in Veterinary Care and Animal …

6 Nov 2025
Four children wearing bright yellow safety vests sit and smile on a wooden play structure at Baltic Street Adventure Playground, surrounded by trees and outdoor play equipment

The SCQF and Clyde Gateway: Helping Glasgow families learn, work and grow

Discover how Clyde Gateway and the SCQF is helping Calton families gain skills, find jobs and build …

23 Oct 2025
headshot of Dr Lee Coutts

From leaving school at 15 to head teacher: Dr Lee Coutts’ journey shows that All Learning Counts

When Lee Coutts left school at 15 without Highers, he couldn’t have imagined he would one day …

16 Sep 2025
Headshot of Madeeha Kanwal

SCQF Week 2025 – All Learning Counts: Madeeha’s journey

For SCQF Week 2025, we’re highlighting real stories that show how learning in all its forms can …

16 Sep 2025
Pauline Radcliffe

SCQF Week 2025 – All Learning Counts: Celebrating every pathway

Find out why it's important to recognise all forms of learning, in a blog by our CEO Pauline …

12 Sep 2025
The SCQF Partnership (SCQFP) is looking for qualified suppliers to provide flexible, expert support to help deliver our Digital Strategy. This could include digital project implementation, technical support, eLearning solutions, data management, and improving processes.

Invitation to tender: Digital support services

The SCQF Partnership is looking for qualified suppliers to provide flexible, expert support to help …

5 Sep 2025

Invitation to tender: Recognition of Prior Learning system research

The SCQF Partnership is inviting proposals from qualified organisations to undertake research to …

5 Sep 2025

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

Glossary Term

Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

Glossary Term

Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.