Building united and resilient communities - developing shared futures
The final
report [External link] from the Commission on Integration and
Cohesion setting out the steps that need to be taken to build strong,
cohesive and integrated communities is published today.
The independent Commission chaired by Darra Singh was
established by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and tasked with considering
what local and practical action is needed to overcome the barriers to
integration and cohesion. Over the past year they have visited towns and
cities across the country gathering evidence on how communities themselves
are taking action in response to their own circumstances and particular
cohesion challenges.
The Commission’s report, Our Shared Future puts forward a
wide-ranging set of recommendations for practical action to address
cohesion and integration issues at a local level, along with suggestions
for a national framework to support these.
Some of the key areas covered by the report include how we promote and
support English language speaking, developing a new role for local
authorities with strengthened support from national government and how we
put a renewed focus on citizenship.
The report contains detailed research into how cohesion issues are
affecting areas in different ways and how the nature of the cohesion
challenge has changed.
In 2001, tensions between established groups led to disturbances in some
Northern Towns. This unrest prompted the Government to respond at a
national level - setting out a new cohesion policy based on the
experiences of those towns. As Britain grows more diverse and globalisation
brings new patterns of migration, the challenges may have changed and
become more complex. Each area of the country is different and local
responses are therefore needed to respond to the issues of cohesion and
integration.
The report underlines the need to move away from a single
approach towards more sophisticated analysis and tailored local
solutions in order to make communities more resilient and united in dealing
with the present and future challenges. It stresses the need for a more
local approach in each area.
Chair of the Commission Darra Singh said:
“Diversity continues to be both a huge economic and cultural strength for
our country. As a nation we have a long tradition of fairness and
tolerance and these traditions hold true today. We are also more united
and cohesive than most countries across Europe and around the world.
“Our latest research shows that almost 80% of people think that
individuals from different backgrounds get on well in their area, and as
a Commission we have been struck by this sense of optimism and commitment
to building strong communities.
“At the same time, Britain continues to become a more diverse country
with globalisation bringing new patterns of change. We have to recognise
that there are communities who are experiencing migration in a way they
haven’t before. This can raise real challenges in different parts of the
country about how we promote integration and ensure we have strong and
united communities.
“Whilst there is no cause for alarm, there is a clear case for action.
Our report sets out the challenges and the practical steps that everyone
– individuals, organisations, local and national government – can take to
overcome them and work towards developing our shared future.
“These proposals need to be acted upon at a local level to ensure we are
well-placed to tackle the new challenges and do not risk losing the
cohesion we hold dear.”
The principle of shared futures underpins the work of the Commission.
Shared futures is about an emphasis on articulating what binds communities
together - rather than the differences that might divide them -
and is about prioritising a shared future over divided legacies. This
is at the heart of the Commission’s recommendations.
The Commission make recommendations on a number of key integration and
cohesion issues including:
Citizenship and Integration
Citizenship is about recognising what we have in common, rather than
focusing on difference. The Commission have looked closely at what more can
be done to support greater integration and interaction and to encourage
more people to play a more active role in society. They recommend:
A nationally sponsored community week - with a strong focus on celebrating
the history and diversity of the local area and bringing people from
different communities together, this week would provide an opportunity for
local people to play a more active role in their local area - and
develop relationships with people from outside their communities at the
same time. Shared activities like regenerating local parks or community
centres should be used to give diverse communities shared goals and a sense
of purpose. Places of worship should open their doors and invite
people in to see what happens in them. Local employers could open
their doors to show how they are contributing to the local
community. Street parties and festivals should be used to demonstrate
what neighbourhoods and local people have in common.
Activities should focus on civic pride, developing local understandings of
citizenship and democracy and shared values.
National school linking programme - Through visits,
virtual links, speaking events, trips and cross school learning, school
children would have the chance to meet up with other pupils from across the
county and/or country. The programme would be nationally co-ordinated
through a dedicated website.
Volunteering - the Commission would like to see a new
national programme of voluntary service for young people expressly linked
to local citizenship and the chance to contribute to their local area.
Cohesion and integration would be at the heart of these programmes and
focus on bringing people from different backgrounds together e.g. old and
young people, people of different races and faiths, to work on shared
projects in their local area. The community week could provide a focus for
this work but the Commission would like to see the youth volunteering body
“V” taking the lead on this all year round and in particular would like to
see young people taking part in voluntary work immediately after their
GCSEs.
The Commission also want to see more opportunities for adults to get
involved in their local communities. They suggest that large employers
should consider allowing employees up to 3 days paid leave a year to
participate in activities e.g. volunteering for a local charity.
GCSE Citizenship ceremonies - The (short course) GCSE
in Citizenship Studies is currently the fastest growing GCSE. There were
38,000 entries for the GCSE in 2005 - up 10,000 on 2004. Due to demand
from schools a full course is currently being developed that will be
available by 2009.
The Commission recommend that graduation ceremonies be held for young
people completing their Citizenship GCSE. They say that in time this could
be rolled out to all pupils. Organised by schools and linked to town hall
ceremonies, the joint ceremonies would provide an opportunity to publicly
mark a young persons understanding of what it means to be a responsible
citizen in modern Britain and put a greater emphasis on what we all have in
common.
Managing Integration
Strong local leadership is vital to managing successful integration and
cohesion particularly when responding to changes in the local population.
The Commission set out a new role for local authorities to lead on cohesion
issues backed up by more support from national government where necessary.
They recommend:
A new role for Local authorities - All Local
authorities should spend time mapping their local areas and local
population, understanding who lives in each ward, the make up of local
schools and the different religious groups worshipping in their area. This
information should then be used to strengthen local leadership, help local
authorities to know more about their local communities and how to better
meet their needs. It will help them to identify integration issues arising
within communities, likely changes in population and develop targeted
interventions in response. The Commission recommend that local authorities
consider both the needs of new communities, and the responses from settled
communities. They point to existing schemes where the issues of
settled communities have been managed by engagement between Local
Authorities and local residents’ associations, for example, or through
targeted communication and myth-busting.
National integration body - The Commission are
recommending the creation of a new national body to manage
integration and provide support for local authorities experiencing new
migration. Sponsored by Communities and Local Government, this
independent body would be responsible for supporting the integration of new
migrants. Drawing together best practice from around the country and
providing advice and guidance to authorities and public bodies dealing with
integration issues, the body would also look at how responses need to be
better tailored to reflect different groups e.g. spouses, seasonal migrant
workers, students on educational exchange programmes and provide an advice
line for local authorities experiencing issues.
Specialist integration and cohesion teams should be on
hand to support local authorities deal with particular local issues and
challenges arising from significant changes in the local population. Part
of the national integration body, the teams would be made up of integration
experts with experience in managing change, conflict resolution, public
service planning and mediation skills. They would advise local authority
leaders, local communities, schools, hospitals and other public services on
the actions they could take to support integration and work with settled
communities to manage new migration and change.
Local contracts. The new integration body would work with
local authorities to develop local agreements or contracts for new arrivals
that would set out the expectations and responsibilities that local areas
have in terms of what is and is not acceptable behaviour. These would build
on the excellent work already been done in some areas.
English Language
MORI research produced on behalf of the Commission found that 60 per cent
of the people surveyed agreed that the biggest barrier to “being English”
was not speaking the language. The Commission have looked at ways to better
support migrants and settled communities to get the language skills they
need.
Translation - The Commission would like to see an end
to the assumption that materials should always be translated into community
languages - translation should be reduced except where it builds on
integration and cohesion. The Commission recommend that the Department for
Communities and Local Government publish guidance, based on the principles
set out in their report, to help public bodies make informed decisions.
More English language provision – money saved through a
reduction in translation should be reinvested in English language provision
to boost language skills amongst non-English speakers and ensure that
vulnerable groups get the support they need. The Commission also urge
the DfES to reconsider current ESOL funding arrangements in the wake of
concern amongst those that they consulted and look at more innovative ways
of making ESOL provision available.
Business
The Commission believe too it is only right that those who
benefit most from migration, including businesses that employ migrant
labour, should pay a contribution towards the cost and provision of ESOL
training. The Commission are clear that only large businesses would be
asked to contribute in this way - and that this idea is something that
is already being done by some leading employers.
Funding
Funding single issue groups rather than using public money to support whole
community projects can be regressive and divisive and should be the
exception rather than the rule.
In a survey carried out on behalf of the CiC almost half of respondents
said that it was ‘differences’ and lack of contact that prevented people
from different communities getting on well together.
Throughout their report the Commission stress the importance of communities
being helped to interact, they make clear that the way in which community
projects are funded is a crucial part of this.
The Commission recommend that unless there is a clear business and
equalities case, single group funding should not be
promoted. In exceptional cases where such funding is awarded the
provider should demonstrate clearly how its policies will promote community
integration and cohesion.
The Department for Communities and Local Government should produce
guidance for grant making bodies and local authorities to
assist them in making decisions about single group funding.
The Commission also make clear that there are sections of Government
funding that need to be considered in terms of their impact on integration
and cohesion. For regeneration budgets, for example, they recommend
that the new Communities England ensures that it spends its money in a way
that brings people of different groups together, and this applies to a
number of other organisations in the report such as the Arts Council, and
Regional Development Agencies.
Notes to editors
This Press Notice applies to England
1. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion is an independent
body chaired by Darra Singh, Chief Executive of Ealing Council.
2. The Commission was established by Ruth Kelly the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government in August 2006.
3. Darra Singh was appointed chair of the Commission in June
2006. The other 13 commissioners were announced on 24 August
2006. They are: Michael Keith, Nargis Khan, Hamza Vayani, Leonie
McCarthy, Frank Hont, Harriet Crabtree, Ed Cox, Sam Tedcastle, Steve
Jordan, Decima Francis, Steve Douglas, Ebrahim Adia, Ramesh Kallidai.
4. Today's news release is issued by the Commmission on
Integration and Cohesion via the Department for Communities and Local
Government media network.
Press Enquiries: 020 7944 8033 Out of Hours: 020 7944 5945
E-mail: press.office@communities.gov.ukPublic
Enquiries: 020 7944 4400
Communities and Local Government Website: http://www.communities.gov.uk
