Gloucestershire LGA Branch 4th March 2005

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Mastering Community Cohesion
David Curtis
Community Cohesion Adviser
Government Office for the South West
0117 900 1873
david.curtis_at_gosw.gsi.gov
.uk
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Mastering Community Cohesion

• Background and context
• Dealing the right hand
• The local players
• Example

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Mastering Community Cohesion
Background and context

• Northern towns disturbances
• Changing Britain (Crime, asb, migration, hate
  incidents)
• Commission on Integration and Cohesion interim
  statement (see next slide)
• Local Government White Paper (8 guiding
  principles of Community Cohesion)

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Mastering Community Cohesion
21 Feb 2007 Darra Singh Interim Statement on
findings of Commission on Integration and
Cohesion Our interim statement does not
represent all of the research that we have
commissioned into the different types of areas
across the country and it does not reflect the
remaining visits we have yet to make. But it is a
summary of the key themes that people have told
us are important. Based on over 600 responses to
our consultation, and conversations held with
over 1,000 people so far. So I would encourage
you to read it. Tell us if we have got the
context right, and what local solutions we can
consider before coming back in June with our
final report. The statement says some strong
things, in particular about the need for everyone
settling in England to speak English. 60 per cent
of the people we asked said that was a key
barrier to not being English. However, it also
confirms the strong link between cohesion and
deprivation and it suggests that integration and
cohesion are not only about visible and cultural
differences, but that divisions can also be
caused by what people have in common -
particularly when it comes to competition around
access to public services.
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Dealing the hand working locally
Mastering Community Cohesion
Getting this rightavoids this
Government cant tell you exactly how work with
your sister agencies and communities to develop
your locally tailored approach
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The local players
Mastering Community Cohesion

• No hard and fast solutions but
• Know your local characteristics
• Consult and empower
• Relationships leading to trust and confidence
• - agency to VCS to community to agency to
  politician to officer to media -
• Clearing roles agreeing leadership promises to
  keep
• Embed cohesion in corporate, strategy and
  contingency planning
• Data and knowledge
• Measurement (indicators)

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Mastering Community Cohesion
But if all this fails..

• And
• becomes
• The hard work put in particularly in building
  trust and confidence will lead
• to a quicker restoration of business and
  feeling of well-being

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Case study of establishment of Community Cohesion
Task Group   Immediate mission and Terms of
Reference were     - Managing the impact on
Cohesion and Tension -  Supporting partners
(Particularly the police) -  Maintaining
citys reputation   Actions were   -  to brief
Elected Members, MPs, Officers and equalities
staff by e-mail -  formal briefing of council on
31 January   -  formal briefing of communities by
Council Cabinet member -  formal briefing of
local MPs at the House of Commons the following
week   3. Feedback and Reactions   need to
increase trust and confidence in both media
reporting and handling   At Friday prayers (2
days later) Imams expressed support for the way
police had handled events.   It was important to
address other community groups and
representatives such as young people, faith
facilitators, women and service areas of the
council. One reason the operation worked very
smoothly and subsequent tensions were minimised
was the level of trust and the very good
relationship that agencies and community leaders
have worked hard at since 21/7. Members of the
task force were all empowered to make decisions
on behalf of their organisations to enable speedy
actions, regardless of rank.
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Hints and Tips
Mastering Community Cohesion

• Regional Community Cohesion Network
• (see electronic forum http//www.gosw.gov.uk/)
• Commission on Integration and Cohesion
• http//www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk/
• Local Govt White Paper Chapter 8 and
• Chapter 2. http//www.communities.gov.uk

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• The great enemy of the truth is very often not
  the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
  but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and
  unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort
  of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
• JFK 1917-1963