Salford Community Cohesion Strategy

Transcription

1 Salford Community Cohesion Strategy Bringing people together IN Salford

2 Community Cohesion Strategy / 01 Introduction The development of the Community Cohesion Strategy was undertaken by Salford City Council in partnership with the Strategic Leads Group on Community Cohesion (SLGCC) on behalf of Partners IN Salford (the local strategic partnership for Salford). The SLGCC is a city wide working group that is representative of key partners across Salford. These partners have made a firm commitment to developing and implementing a Community Cohesion Strategy for Salford. The strategy requires commitment from all partners in the city to deliver the priorities and actions identified, and to work together to make Salford a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. The strategic priorities for community cohesion for Salford have been developed on the basis of the eight guiding principles identified in the government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities published in October They have also been strongly influenced by the work developed by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion in their report Our Shared Future, and by the government s subsequent response to that report.

3 Community Cohesion Strategy / 02 What do we mean by community cohesion? At a national level, following proposals from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, the following definition was developed by Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA). Community cohesion is what must happen in all communities to enable different groups of people to get on well together. A key contributor to community cohesion is integration which is what must happen to enable new residents and existing residents to adjust to one another. An integrated and cohesive community is based on three foundations: People from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities. People knowing their rights and responsibilities. People trusting one another and trusting local institutions to act fairly. As well as three ways of living together: A shared future vision and sense of belonging. A focus on what new and existing communities have in common, alongside a recognition of the value of diversity. Strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds. In simple terms, when we talk about community cohesion in Salford we mean: Feeling comfortable and positive about living and working alongside your neighbours.

4 Community Cohesion Strategy / 03 Community cohesion and integration Community cohesion is linked to the issue of integration but they are not the same thing. Community cohesion looks to bring people together on the basis of shared values while also celebrating the diversity of communities. Integration is about making spaces and places for people from different backgrounds to interact and enabling existing and new people to adapt and contribute to their new circumstances. Our Community Cohesion Strategy places a strong emphasis on activity that supports integration. It recognises the importance of creating a cohesive community, to welcome new arrivals and help established communities cope with change. What do we mean by community? People living or working within a defined geographical area, for example; a council ward, neighbourhood, housing estate and/or People who share a particular identity, for example; people of a similar age, who have a disability, practice the same faith, students.

5 Community Cohesion Strategy / 04 The context for community cohesion in Salford Salford has experienced recent changes in the make up of its local communities and this change will continue. Globalisation and economic change have meant that there has been a shift in patterns of immigration to the UK and also in temporary migration for work. In addition, the pace of change has increased. Nationally, the Commission on Integration and Cohesion was tasked with developing practical solutions to building cohesion at a local level. The commission s report Our Shared Future was published in June 2007 and contained a number of specific recommendations and practical proposals for local cohesion work. The government has welcomed the report and set out some key actions to take it forward. The Community Cohesion Strategy builds on the policies and actions that have been identified both in the report Our Shared Future and the government s subsequent response. The Community Cohesion Strategy is closely aligned to other strategic developments in Salford.

6 Community Cohesion Strategy / 05 Making The Vision Real - Salford s Community Plan ( ), identifies the following vision for Salford: In 2016, Salford will be a beautiful and welcoming city, driven by energetic and engaged communities of highly skilled, healthy and motivated citizens, who have built a diverse and prosperous culture and an economy which encourages and recognises the contribution of everyone, for everyone. The plan contains a priority theme with direct relevance to the Community Cohesion Strategy: To create an inclusive city - to ensure that all citizens have the resources and support they need to participate fully in the life of their community and in society generally. The key priorities within this theme are: To close the inequalities gap in Salford. To build and support all individuals to play a full role in their community. To build cohesion by enabling communities, especially excluded communities, to influence decision making in the city.

7 Community Cohesion Strategy / 06 The Salford Local Area Agreement (LAA) , has a designated indicator and supporting indicator that directly relate to community cohesion. LAA Priority Designated LAA Indicator Supporting LAA Indicator Community Cohesion National Indicator 1. % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together. National Indicator 2. % of people who feel they belong to their neighbourhood. The indicators within the Local Area Agreement, including the two relating to community cohesion, will all have three year targets for improvement. Salford has already set itself targets for improvement under a Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA2). Two of these targets focus on improving performance on issues that are linked to community cohesion. 1. To increase the number of people who believe their area is a place where people get on well together from 57% at the end of 2006/07, to 60%, at the end of 2007/08, and then 65% by the end of 2008/ To increase the number of people who believe they can influence decisions in their area from 23% at the end of 2006/07, to 26% at the end of 2007/08 and then 30% by the end of 2008/09.

8 Community Cohesion Strategy / 07 In addition, the proposals for a new set of National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships from April 2008, includes several performance indicators with relevance to community cohesion. These offer the potential to develop a more comprehensive performance framework for monitoring progress on community cohesion. The proposed indicators include: The percentage of people who feel they belong to their neighbourhood. Civic participation in the local area. Participation in regular volunteering. Engagement in the arts. Migrants English language skills and knowledge. Building resilience to violent extremism. People treating one another with respect and consideration. Several of these indicators are new, and as a result, any targets would need to be defined following the establishment of a baseline. At a local level, a sense of place, shared civic values and the ability for local communities to be involved in the decisions that shape their local areas, are key factors in building community cohesion. Salford s neighbourhood management structures, with their community committees and associated devolved budgets, play a vital role in community cohesion work by bringing people together at neighbourhood level to work on projects that benefit the whole community. This not only creates a sense of common purpose but also helps create stronger links across communities, and develop pride in local areas.

9 Community Cohesion Strategy / 08 Community cohesion in Salford Community cohesion cannot be achieved or aspired to if any group of people are excluded. Salford is about all groups including black and minority ethnic people, people of different faiths and cultures, young and older people, disabled people, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Everyone has a role to play in making Salford a more cohesive city. The strategy is a unique opportunity to secure commitment to building cohesive communities, and to begin to develop and build on expertise and knowledge in Salford about what works. There is already partnership work underway that supports community cohesion in Salford.

10 Community Cohesion Strategy / 09 At a local level, there is a strong focus on work to support community cohesion, with well developed opportunities for local people to be heard and influence decision making through community committees and neighbourhood management structures. There are also examples of project work to support cohesion locally, including work with the Yemeni community in Eccles, and the Better Together initiative in East Salford which aims to celebrate diversity and bring different communities together. Multi-agency partnership work to support the integration of new arrivals is well-established, including the work of the Multi-Agency Forum on refugees and asylum-seekers and the Migrant Workers Project in East Salford. Lack of cohesion is often associated with negative perceptions of crime. The work of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and the fear of crime in Salford, provides a firm foundation to develop further work to support community cohesion. There is a strong commitment across Partners IN Salford to work jointly to support and develop community cohesion in the city.

11 Community Cohesion Strategy / 10 There are however challenges and emerging issues. The pace of change in communities is unprecedented. Communities are changing, and the emergence of new communities, creates new challenges for agencies. This will require new approaches of collecting information and data and a flexible approach to community engagement. This will provide a full understanding of the communities, both to provide a full understanding of the communities, both long standing and new and emerging, that make up Salford, which will enable all partners in the city to plan and develop services effectively. As our communities evolve, there needs to be a continued focus on tackling hate crime and harassment, in all its forms. In addition, the increasing complexity of our local communities will require a better understanding of the factors that contribute to tensions, how to monitor those and respond effectively to them. Work that brings different communities together to support dialogue and build tolerance and trust will become more important. This could be work at a city-wide level to support dialogue across communities with the support of groups such as the communities of identity. However, there also needs to be work at a local level to support more activities that bring people together in ways that benefit the whole community.

12 Community Cohesion Strategy / 11 Our ambitions 1. Establishing leadership and engagement Strong leadership and engagement are essential to community cohesion. An agreed local vision, arrived at through engagement and advocated by strong respected leaders, will provide a positive focus for community cohesion activity. Leadership at a strategic level The Community Cohesion Strategy will enable Partners IN Salford to develop a shared understanding of community cohesion in Salford, provide strategic direction and secure high level commitment. Partners IN Salford established the Strategic Leads Group on Community Cohesion (SLGCC) to develop and support the delivery of the strategy. Political leadership Local authorities as leaders of their communities are best placed to understand the challenges and complexities of the areas that they serve. Salford City Council sees the role of all elected members in the city as integral in the championing of community cohesion. There is a dedicated lead member for community cohesion, who is also a member of the SLGCC.

13 Community Cohesion Strategy / 12 Community leadership For Salford, community engagement is a key element in supporting community cohesion. Empowered community groups, and effective community leaders from the voluntary sector, can act as gateways to their communities and allow community cohesion activities to take place. This strategy sets out a commitment to strengthen leadership and commitment from all sections of the community to support community cohesion in Salford. We recognise that knowledge of what makes a cohesive society is constantly being developed and updated. Work will be undertaken with key individuals in the statutory, private and voluntary sectors in Salford to allow them to develop an understanding of what they can do to support and actively engage with the community cohesion agenda, and develop actions and responses that build cohesion in the city. In Salford we will: Develop and deliver a programme of training and support for leaders and key individuals to develop skills, knowledge and confidence about what makes communities cohesive. Develop a marketing and communication plan that enables leaders and key individuals to promote the Community Cohesion Strategy, and convey priority messages about what creates cohesive communities.

14 Community Cohesion Strategy / Developing shared values and a shared sense of place Shared values are a basis for creating a shared future. This strategy seeks to support the development of shared civic values in Salford. Regular social interaction between people supports the development of a sense of community. This strategy aims to promote opportunities to bring communities together in a way that improves places and lives. In Salford we will: Explore and develop the role of citizenship in Salford, and identify how it can support the development of community cohesion in schools and neighbourhoods. Promote the council s core values and their role in supporting community cohesion. Build on the success of community committees and community action plans and through them identify projects that encourage communities to work together for mutual benefit and activities that celebrate the diversity of the local community. Recognise and develop the role that culture, leisure and sport have in enabling people to connect to the communities and places around them. Create well designed, safe open spaces and facilities that allow people to meet and mix. Work in partnership to ensure that English language courses are widely available and recognise that a shared language is essential to cohesion and integration. Continue to work in partnership to develop strategies for welcoming new arrivals.

15 Community Cohesion Strategy / Improving information and communication Reliable information on communities and their needs is vital to ensure effective action planning and allocation of resources. Agencies need to work together to develop data that provides up to date, joined-up information about local communities, both in terms of neighbourhoods and communities of identity. This needs to be supplemented by contacts and networks within communities who can help to identify the local issues behind the data. Local knowledge about and from our communities will help to ensure that projects and actions are effectively targeted. Organisations need to prioritise transparency and fairness, and build trust with communities. Effective communication, backed up by accurate data and information, can play a vital role in supporting community cohesion. There is a need for organisations to do more to explain how resources and opportunities have been allocated, to minimise the risk of perceptions of favouritism.

16 Community Cohesion Strategy / 15 There is also a role for organisations to actively challenge misconceptions that could cause tensions between communities. This is particularly relevant where long-settled communities have a perception that some newer communities get unfair preferential treatment. In Salford we will: Work in partnership to improve the quality of data available on both neighbourhoods and communities of identity. Support the development of the Salford Information Observatory to ensure information and data is aligned and shared more effectively. Promote the Partners IN Salford Principles in Good Governance. Ensure that the data is used to inform decisions on the allocation of resources at a local level, and ensure that decisions on the allocation of resources and opportunities are clearly explained. Challenge misconceptions around preferential treatment, particularly with regard to newer communities such as refugees and migrant workers.

17 Community Cohesion Strategy / Community safety and tension monitoring People from all communities want to feel safe in their everyday lives, and in the places where they live, work and visit. Crime and the fear of crime can have a detrimental impact on community cohesion. The following are priority community safety issues in relation to community cohesion in Salford: Hate crime must be effectively dealt with. Individuals and communities need to feel confident that incidents of hate crime are taken seriously and are dealt with in an effective and supportive manner. Tensions between communities can occur in any locality. Identifying and monitoring the issues that cause those divisions allows development of effective programmes of work to mediate and build understanding between different groups within communities. Work needs to be undertaken to address disaffection amongst young people. If left unaddressed, this can lead to anti-social activity, and also contribute to the development of a gang culture causing tensions between young people from different communities.

18 Community Cohesion Strategy / 17 There is a need to challenge those who for political, religious or other reasons seek to undermine an integrated society and threaten the safety and well-being of others. In Salford we will: Build on the existing partnership work to effectively record, report, detect and ultimately reduce hate crime in Salford. Ensure that there is effective monitoring of tensions between communities and where issues are identified, actions are put in place to effectively defuse tensions. Work in partnership to reduce disaffection amongst young people. Develop projects and frameworks that support and enable communities in Salford to challenge the ideas and activities of extremists.

19 Community Cohesion Strategy / Involving and supporting young people Children and young people have a part to play in shaping the society of today and the future. They need to be provided with the skills, knowledge and opportunities to interact. They also need to be encouraged to take part in shaping the city in which they live. In Salford we are committed to creating opportunities for children and young people to participate in the design, development and evaluation of services. We recognise the potential children and young people have to contribute to decisions at every level and appreciate the many benefits to be gained from their effective participation. Work with children and young people can make a valuable contribution to community cohesion. In Salford we will: Develop work to promote community cohesion in schools, including work on citizenship. Support schools to address bullying, racism, homophobia and religious harassment. Provide positive activities for young people. Support the delivery of the Children s and Young People s Participation Strategy, and the implementation of Hear By Right standards in Salford. Support work with socially excluded young people.

20 Community Cohesion Strategy / Intergenerational work Community cohesion can often be undermined by a lack of dialogue across generations. Lack of dialogue can contribute to misunderstandings but it can also lead to a sense of isolation for both old and young members of communities, communities being fearful of young people (particularly groups of young people), and a lack of mutual respect between older and younger people. In Salford we will: Work with representative organisations to identify and overcome the barriers to better communication between generations. Develop projects at a local level to encourage mutual understanding between generations. Recognise and develop the role that projects focused on heritage can play in developing inter-generational dialogue and a sense of identity and place.

21 Community Cohesion Strategy / Interfaith work Faith communities have an important role to play in community cohesion work in Salford. We need to better understand the role that faith groups and inter-faith forums can play in both promoting cohesion and preventing divisions, and learn from and build on any existing good practice. In addition we need to understand the ability of faith-based groups to build social capital and how that can contribute further to community cohesion work in Salford. In Salford we will: Support the development of the Salford Faith Network. Develop a programme of events that celebrates faiths and cultures in Salford and provides opportunities for all communities to participate. Identify and recognise the contribution that faith-based groups can make to community cohesion work in Salford.

22 Community Cohesion Strategy / Valuing and developing the role of local third sector organisations Local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector organisations can provide the glue that binds communities together and create opportunities for people of different backgrounds to work together on shared goals. Local third sector organisations can also provide an effective voice for communities of identity to voice issues and concerns. In Salford, much community engagement activity is delivered by the third sector, often on behalf of the council or other statutory sector partners. Capacity building of voluntary and community organisations is promoted within the Voluntary Sector Compact Agreement. In Salford we will: Support the continued development of the five recognised Communities of Identity. These are: - Disability Forum - Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Forum - Faith Network - Refugees and asylum-seekers - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network Identify opportunities to bring together third sector organisations to support mutual understanding across communities. Agree the challenges and objectives for the third sector in building community cohesion in Salford. Build community cohesion objectives into the Voluntary Sector Compact Agreement.

23 Community Cohesion Strategy / Tackling inequalities and deprivation Efforts to develop community cohesion must be under-pinned by effective work to tackle inequalities and increase opportunities and the quality of life for all. Individuals or communities experiencing discrimination and prejudice are less likely to connect to, or feel part of a wider society. Work by public bodies, who have a duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equal opportunities, needs to be supported by similar commitments from the private and voluntary sectors. In Salford we will: Support the mainstreaming of equalities and cohesion work through Partners IN Salford. Tackle disadvantage through developing work to connect local people to job opportunities and the benefits of economic growth. Work in partnership through the Local Area Agreement to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities, improve economic prosperity through education attainment, skills, employment and enterprise and improve community safety. Recognise the role that employers have in tackling discrimination and facilitating interaction, and promote the importance of having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community. Develop the work of the Ethnicity Monitoring Framework to improve equality monitoring systems.

24 Community Cohesion Strategy / 23 Community cohesion - from strategy to action The Strategic Leads Group on Community Cohesion (SLGCC) will lead and coordinate the delivery of the strategy by advising, supporting and evaluating the work of Partners IN Salford in relation to community cohesion. The SLGCC will continue to identify good practice, key policy issues and innovative thinking in community cohesion. They also advise partners through Partners IN Salford, on what can be done to help to build stronger and more cohesive communities and minimise the potential risk of community tensions. On an annual basis, the SLGCC will review progress and agree future priorities to support the continued delivery of our ambitions for community cohesion in Salford.

25 Community Cohesion Strategy / 24 In support of our ambitions, we have identified the following initial priorities for further action: Develop and deliver a pilot programme of training and support with partners to develop skills, knowledge and confidence about what makes communities cohesive. Develop good practice resources and a toolkit on community cohesion for use by partners across Salford. Develop an updated demographic profile of communities in Salford. Develop strategies to welcome and work effectively with new arrivals to Salford. Develop community engagement processes for new and emerging communities. Develop and coordinate a programme of events that celebrate cultures and faiths in Salford, building on current good practice at neighbourhood level. Maximise provision of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and English language courses within Salford. Develop inter-faith work and seek ways for faith groups to work together to promote community cohesion. Review and develop work to monitor and minimise community tensions. Work with schools to support the introduction of the new duty to promote community cohesion. Promote intergenerational work to encourage greater understanding between older and younger residents. Support the continued development of the Communities of Identity forums. Work with the University of Salford and colleges to develop their role in promoting cohesion. The Community Cohesion Strategy requires commitment from all partners in the city to deliver the priorities and actions identified, and to work together to make Salford a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together.

26 Community Services 100 Chorley Road Swinton Salford M27 6BP Tel: Fax: Visit: This document can be provided in large print, audio, electronic and Braille formats. Please contact Community Services at Salford City Council, telephone number Potrzebujesz tùumaczenia tego tekstu? - zadzwoñ do naps na Vous avez besoin de traduction? Téléphonez-nous sur