Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS

Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPSCommunity Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS 1 1 Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS

Community Cohesion:SEVEN STEPSA Practitioner’s Toolkit

The Home Office is grateful to all those who contributed to the preparation of the bookletand in particular to:

Chris Browne, Government Office for the East MidlandsClare Codling, London Borough of HarrowLeo Musyoki, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Page, Department of Education and SkillsCraig Russell, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Cohesion and Faiths UnitMarch 2005

Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS2

ContentsIntroduction 3

Step 1. Leadership and Commitment 5

Step 2. Developing a Vision and Values for Cohesion 9

Step 3. Programme Planning and Management 14

Step 4. Engaging Communities 19

Step 5. Challenging and Changing Perceptions 25

Step 6. Community Cohesion and Specialist Areas 30

Step 7. Ensuring Sustainability of Programmes 35

Appendix: Pathfinder Contact Details 38

Shadow Pathfinder Contact Details 39

Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS

IntroductionCommunity cohesion describes the ability of communities to function and grow in harmony together ratherthan in conflict. It has strong links to concepts of equality and diversity given that community cohesion canonly grow when society as a whole recognises that individuals have the right to equality (of treatment,access to services etc) and respects and appreciates the diverse nature of our communities. The LocalGovernment Association defined a cohesive community as one where:• there is a common vision and a sense of belonging for all communities;• the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and positively valued;• those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities; and• strong and positive relationships are being developed between people from different backgrounds and

circumstances in the workplace, in schools and in neighbourhoods.

The Community Cohesion Pathfinder Programme was established to encourage local authorities and otherstakeholders to develop new methods of integrating community cohesion into mainstream service delivery.The toolkit draws on the experiences of the 14 Pathfinders and 13 Shadow Pathfinders who took part in theprogramme (see Appendix for contact details). It provides details on the approach taken by the Pathfindersand Shadow Pathfinders to improve community cohesion in their areas. It contains case studies, practicaltips and hints on what works and what doesn’t work.

You may have already seen the guidance for local authorities entitled “Community Cohesion – An ActionGuide”, published by the Local Government Association (LGA) and its partners. This drew on much of thePathfinders’ 18 month programme although it was published prior to the completion of this programme. Thistoolkit differs from the LGA publication in that although it will be useful for officers and members of local

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authorities, it has been specifically designed with practitioners from all agencies in mind - including all thosewho are charged with developing and improving community cohesion, whether they are based in localauthorities, police forces, voluntary or community groups.

The toolkit identifies seven steps to developing community cohesion, these are:• Leadership and commitment• Developing a vision and values for community cohesion• Programme planning and management• Engaging communities• Challenging and changing perceptions• Community cohesion and specialist areas• Ensuring sustainability of programmes

The toolkit also aims to provide practitioners with more in depth case studies and practical examples ofworking towards community cohesion. Practitioners may like to use this guidance alongside the Home Officeinteractive CD ROM Pathfinder Toolkit, which features the seven steps alongside case studies from thePathfinder projects, some of which are described in this guidance.

Community cohesion lies at the centre of what makes a strong, vibrant and safe community. It is animportant issue for all of us, whether we live in the heart of a big city or in a leafy village. Attempts to createsustainable communities by regenerating areas and renewing housing markets need to consider the impacton community cohesion in these areas. Community cohesion is about inclusion, making the effort to find outabout others, treating each other with respect and building good relations between different parts of thecommunity. It is not just about race, but is equally about, for example, the relationships between young andold and between residents of different estates or residents within a single estate.

It is not just the Pathfinders and Shadow Pathfinders who have been working on building cohesion. Manylocal communities have also been working to improve these relationships in their own areas as they toorecognise that by not working to build relationships and to develop a sense of community, they would bestoring up problems for the future.

The cohesion agenda is equally relevant to a rural district as it is to a city council and so is this toolkit. Manyof the case studies are as applicable to the countryside as they are to the inner city. We therefore hope thatit will be used across the country in a variety of locations, to good effect.

More information and guidance on community cohesion is available on the Home Office website atwww.communitycohesion.gov.uk.

4 Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS


Step 1: Leadership andCommitment

Leadership and commitment are essential to thedevelopment of community cohesion. Someoneneeds to take responsibility for managing anddriving through the changes required to build amore cohesive community. However, there is nosingle leadership model to achieve this as differentmodels ultimately suit different areas. Some areastend to encourage high profile leadership with itsattendant publicity, whilst others find a lower keyapproach suits them better.

What is clear however, is that someone needs toexercise leadership and demonstrate commitment(whether the local authority, the police, faith groupsor the voluntary sector) and that often once thishappens, other partners will come on board.

The Role of the Local Strategic PartnershipThe Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is the obviousplace to start, with its responsibility for taking astrategic approach to community planning and linkswith all local partners. So getting the LSP on boardis the first step to developing a communitycohesion programme. Getting the involvement ofpartners on the LSP including the police andvoluntary bodies is also crucial.

You may need to spend some time explaining whatcommunity cohesion is to the LSP. SomePathfinders held awareness raising sessions formembers of the LSP to help them engage with theconcept of community cohesion. An example of aworkshop used with Members is included at theend of this section - this could also be used withyour LSP.

Where there is a two tier system of LSPs you mayneed to spend time working with both to encouragethem to address community cohesion issues jointly.Widening the traditional membership of the LSP isalso important. Many Pathfinders made efforts toinclude other groups such as faith communities andvoluntary and community groups in order to helpmake the LSP more representative of thecommunity it serves.

For example, the Slough Shadow Pathfinder hasset up a faith partnership. One of its roles will be towork with the LSP to advise on communitycohesion issues. Many Pathfinders and ShadowPathfinders have set up sub-groups within the LSPto lead on community cohesion. Others haveensured that community cohesion is made astanding item on the LSP agenda.

An example of the aims and objectives and theterms of reference for the sub group dealing withcommunity cohesion (from the Stoke-on-TrentPathfinder) is included at the end of this section.Further learning points from Pathfinders are outlinedin the quotes below:

“If starting now we would have asked the LSP toinitiate the process.” Thurrock Shadow Pathfinder

“The LSP would have been more effective if it hadset up sub-groups to deal with specific issues”Charnwood Pathfinder

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The Role of Elected MembersMembers have a very important role to play inchampioning community cohesion anddemonstrating that this is part of how the councilgoes about its day to day business and not justanother initiative. Allocating a Cabinet Memberresponsibility for championing community cohesionis a good idea. However, members may needsupport in order to fulfil their role. Some Pathfindersran member training and awareness sessions tohelp them.

Case StudiesIn Bury, the approach was to get ownership andcommitment from the top. The Pathfinder heldawareness raising sessions for all Elected Membersat strategic level and local ward level. This wasessential to raise Member knowledge andunderstanding of community cohesion as part oftheir leadership role. Bury Pathfinder

In Oldham, Councillors have a CommunityCohesion Hour at the beginning of each Councilmeeting. This is an opportunity for councillors toparticipate in debate about how to improvecommunity cohesion, listen to the views of localpeople and learn from experience elsewhere.Sessions have included:• a group of 6th formers who had researched the

views of young people;• a debate on the council’s vision and values; and• presentations from invited guests with experience

from elsewhere. Oldham Pathfinder

However, in some cases it can be difficult to get fullengagement of Members - for example, wherethere have been no disturbances and members donot perceive there to be a problem. In other cases,where local politics are difficult, it may be better tospend time with different local parties to buildcoalitions around the cohesion agenda.

“Community cohesion is not likely to be high on thepriority list of politicians unless there are high profileproblems in the area. The law and order angle is agood route to engage the interest of politicians butthe agenda then needs to be rapidly broadened. “Pathfinder

“Partners are a key to success. Where politics donot allow for visibility, let projects demonstratecohesion issues. Once key people and leaders areengaged, ensure that cohesion remains amainstream issue.” Pathfinder

Standing Up To ExtremistsAlthough you may not always want to take an up-front approach to community cohesion, it willsometimes be necessary to take a stand onparticular issues. For example, in situations whereinflammatory racist information is being distributedwithin your area, it is particularly important forcouncil members to take an active role in casessuch as these, as they did in the London Boroughof Hillingdon.

Case StudyRepresentatives from a political party with extremistviews were distributing material, containinginaccuracies in Hillingdon. A cross-party group ofcouncil members worked together to leafletcommuters at the local tube station, pointing out theinaccuracies and countering the extremist policies.

A racist letter was published in the local paper andprovoked a deluge of letters which were printedweek after week. The three Party Leaders eachhave a monthly column in the paper and theyagreed to do a combined article. This covered twowhole pages and sought to address the mythsabout asylum seekers and to provide informationabout their positive contribution to the localcommunity including personal case studies. Thearticle was then reproduced in the Council’smagazine “Hillingdon People” and so wasdistributed to over 100,000 houses in the borough.West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder



Involvement of a High Profile LeaderThe involvement of a high profile leader, whether theelected Mayor, Chief Executive, Chief of Police orFaith leader, can also be an advantage indemonstrating commitment and encouraging othersto come on board.

Case StudyThe elected Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent championed amyth busting strategy to reveal the realities thatasylum seekers confront during the asylum process.The strategy also highlighted what the Council andits partners were doing to help this communityintegrate and contribute to making Stoke a betterplace for all. The approach also provided the localcommunity with accurate information about thewelfare system that asylum seekers have. Stoke-on-Trent Pathfinder

However, although it is important to engagemembers, it is not essential to have a high profileleader. Some Pathfinders chose to take a more lowkey approach, feeling that to be so up front was notappropriate for their area. This was particularly sowhere tensions between groups were near thesurface and it was felt that a high profile exercisemight inflame these.

The most important thing is that your leaders areinterested, committed and can enthuse others. Itwill be invaluable that you:• choose people who already demonstrate a

practical interest as your main leaders andchampions;

• tie the plan and programme into the mainstreamwork of those key individuals where possible;

• give leaders a specific role;• monitor progress; and• network using events etc. to get cohesion onto

other agencies’ agendas

Some Pathfinders felt that they needed to embedthe concept of community cohesion in people’sminds first as the following quotes demonstrate:

“The programme has been built ‘bottom up’. Aleader will be found once a core of activities islocally identified as community cohesion”Peterborough Pathfinder

“Too much emphasis can be put on officiallysanctioned ‘leaders’ – often the most effectivepeople are outside this circle” Leicester Pathfinder

Top Tips for Success – dos and Don’ts✔ Do involve the Local Strategic Partnership if

at all possible. They have the influence tomake things happen.

✔ Do ensure that leadership and involvement isbalanced across the sectors (statutory,voluntary, community etc) and that one sectordoes not exclude the involvement of others

✔ Do think about widening the representationon the LSP to encompass faith groups andthe relevant parts of the voluntary sector.

✔ Do think about your local situation – would ahigh profile leader work best or a softly-softly,bottom-up approach?

✔ Do support Elected Members in their roles asleaders through awareness training and givethem a specific role to play.

✔ Do ensure the Police are fully involved. Manyforces have good models of communityintelligence and will have a crucial role to playin taking the community cohesion agendaforward.

✔ Do consider using high profile leaders tochampion ‘myth busting’ e.g. around issuessuch as asylum seekers and Travellers.

✔ Do allocate responsibility to a cabinetmember for championing communitycohesion within the local authority.

✔ Do consider trying to establish communitycohesion ‘champions’ within each of thepartner organisations you work with.

✘ Don’t assume that the LSP is clear about itsrole with regard to community cohesion;spend time explaining what it’s all about andwhy it is important.

✘ Don’t concentrate on official leaders to theexclusion of leaders from the community. Beaware that individuals within the voluntarysector, community or faith groups can havejust as vital a role to play as official leaderssuch as local authority chief executives andMembers.

✘ Don’t ignore racism. Take a stand onimportant issues.

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Practical Examples

Community Cohesion Steering Group Terms ofReference Stoke-on-Trent Pathfinder set up a sub group of theLocal Strategic Partnership to steer through theirwork on community cohesion. The following istaken from their terms of reference.

Role and Purpose of the GroupRole: To provide leadership in respect ofCommunity Cohesion on behalf of the LSP

Purpose: To develop and deliver an effectiveCommunity Cohesion Strategy for Stoke-on-Trent.

Principles and Values: The principles and valuesunderpinning the group’s activities will include:• valuing and promoting diversity;• establishing effective partnership working through

equitable, transparent and accountableprocesses;

• developing effective consultation processes todeliver effective solutions for local communities;

• outcome focused; and• working to mainstream cohesion into everybody’s

agenda.

Main Aims and Objectives• develop through consultation a comprehensive

strategy to deliver community cohesion for Stoke-on-Trent;

• identify and manage a programme of projectswhich will ensure effective and co-ordinatedaction through partner agencies to delivercommunity cohesion across the city;

• establish and manage resources to deliveridentified cohesion projects; and

• establish and maintain a number of sub-groups toprovide leadership under specific themes.

Councillor TrainingThe West London Community Cohesion Pathfinderwanted to ensure that members were equipped tocarry out their leadership role in building communitycohesion. The IDeA was commissioned to carry outworkshops for members which were designed to bea mixture of information exchange and honest andopen discussion.

The aim was to give members:• an agreed understanding of the term community

cohesion;• the national and local picture on community

cohesion;• a clear outline of the specific role of members in

helping to build cohesion and an opportunity todemonstrate their commitment to this; and

• an opportunity to build community cohesion intoplans for addressing local priorities.

The involvement in the workshops and thecommitment shown by members was impressive.Though numbers varied from borough to borough,90 councillors were directly involved through theworkshops. The workshops successfullycontributed to new instances of effective cross-party working on community cohesion – a majorachievement in an area where party differenceshave traditionally been strongly asserted.

The workshops also led to recognition of thedetailed knowledge councillors have of theirconstituencies and provided a way for councillors tochannel this knowledge and their enthusiasm intoefforts to build community cohesion.


Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS 9

Step 2: Developing a Vision andValues for Cohesion

Developing a common vision is an essential firststep in working towards a cohesive society.Community cohesion as a concept and as areality will mean different things to different peopleand as a consequence it can become amisunderstood term.

Uncertainty invariably exists around the subtledistinctions between cohesion and other terms orconcepts such as diversity, equalities, equality ofopportunity, sustainable communities, communitydevelopment and civic renewal. As leaders andpractitioners, you are best placed to generateconversations within your community around thesedistinctions and then draw together what you haveheard into an inspirational, challenging and inclusivevision for cohesion in your community.

Why is a vision important?A vision can create a written or visual image thatdescribes a community or a place which peoplecan identify with. Creating and then communicatingthis vision sends a clear message to the community

that cohesion is in the forefront of your localagenda.

A vision that clearly articulates and focuses on thechallenges faced and opportunities available to yourcommunity is vital. Being up front about what yourcommunity will and will not tolerate and having thischampioned by your community leaders sets apowerful base from which to work from.

Pathfinders who created and publicised visionarystatements about their intentions and aspirations atthe early stages of their programme, reported that ithelped them to get a message across to theircommunity of interest, as the following quotedemonstrates:

“We have felt it important to have a clear statementof values, to promote this wherever possible (e.g. inthe local press, on banners and publicity material)and to use this as the basis for getting agencies tosign up to support our work through the East LancsTogether Network. We think this approach has beenvery successful in that it has helped people tounderstand what we stand for and to decidewhether they want to work with us”. East LancsTogether

What should a vision look like?Ideally, your vision should be clear and succinct andmake a challenging and bold statement about youraspirations for your community of interest. Yourvision should desirably be focused on outcomesand be in line with your own corporate agendas.

Example Pathfinder visions are outlined below ascase studies. The first two examples demonstratean approach where a statement of intent is madeby the Pathfinder.

Case StudiesThurrock will be a place where people feel includedand where our diverse communities can build asafe, healthy, vibrant area in which they are proudto live, work, play and learn. Thurrock ShadowPathfinder

We want a cohesive community, where there arestrong and positive relationships between peoplefrom all backgrounds and cultures, in theworkplace, schools and neighbourhoods, andwhere all people have similar life opportunities.Tameside Shadow Pathfinder

The case studies below provide a more narrativeapproach to what community cohesion will look likein Peterborough and Southwark.

Case StudiesOne Community, Many Cultures, Many Individuals.The Greater Peterborough will be a trulyharmonious community with a sense of pride andidentity. The region will be famous for its levels ofcommunity engagement and for its two-waycommunication. People will feel involved andengaged. People will understand and value thecontribution that Peterborough’s differentcommunities make to the life of Peterborough. Theywill feel free to celebrate their own cultural identity:whether that is as a rural, ethnic or faith community.Peterborough Pathfinder

Building community cohesion can be described asworking towards a set of social relationships where:• there is an absence of tension and harassment

between people of different cultures, races, ages,faiths and lifestyles;

• there is mutual understanding and respectbetween people of different cultures, races, ages,faiths and lifestyles;

• there is positive inter-personal contact andengagement within daily life between differentgroups;

• while respecting diversity, there are some sharedvalues between different groups aboutacceptable/unacceptable behaviours andattitudes. Southwark Pathfinder

Other variations on making visionary or value basedstatements are outlined in this section of the toolkit.In the context of all of the examples provided it isimportant to remember that there is no singular orright way of stating a vision. What is importanthowever is that your vision is locally relevant.Furthermore, your vision can be developed to be

community-wide based or project based, develop astatement that reflects your aspiration and intent.

Building a Partnership around the Vision Creating and promoting community cohesion is ashared responsibility. It should therefore be the casethat your vision is developed in consultation withyour key stakeholders.

Full involvement from elected members and theLocal Strategic Partnership (LSP) will be essential.LSP members need to own the vision and be achampion for it.

Of equal importance in the development of acommon vision will be the extent to which you caninvolve a range of different ethnic, gender, cultural,faith, disabled, younger people and older people’sgroups. Don’t forget the valuable contribution thatthe voluntary sector and business community,including the press and media can make tocreatively shaping and communicating your vision.

Pathfinders generally found a direct correlation withthe progress of their vision and the level ofcorroboration with leaders, decision makers, staffand the voluntary and community sector. However,despite best intentions, the collaborativedevelopment of a vision may not always runsmoothly. The extent to which collaboration canoccur also depends on the maturity and capacity ofyour partner relationships.

“Partners need to be committed to the Vision ratherthan just get involved for their own benefit. Therewas a sense that some partners got involved withthe expectation of receiving funding”. Pathfinder

“All partners have now signed up to the vision.Although it has been an incremental process, oncewe got beyond partners seeking to position theirown service and interests, agreement has beeneasy to achieve. Persistence is the main key tosuccess”. Peterborough Pathfinder



The following points were particularly important inbuilding the partnership in Plymouth:• clear information from the start;• transparency of decision making;• acknowledge that work is risky and allow

mistakes to act as learning;• celebrate successes; and• say thank you.Plymouth Pathfinder

Although full involvement of a range of stakeholdersat the visioning stage may not always beachievable, it will be important that you send amessage that you wish to create a forum for openand honest discussion. Doing so will help you topave the way for clearer understanding of localperceptions and issues around cohesion. It will alsosend a signal that you are serious about building acohesive community.

Stimulating Discussion Again, there is no set way to go about this, you canuse a variety of techniques to aid in the promotionof discussion and gathering ideas from a range ofsectors. Pathfinders tended to use establishedchannels for exploring ideas around the vision. Forexample, they:• put community cohesion issues on the agendas

of the Local Strategic Partnership and communityforums;

• used case studies and scenarios to stimulatediscussion and gather local experiences fromMembers, senior management to front line staff;

• used existing and planned events such ascommunity events to showcase various localinitiatives that demonstrate cohesion; and

• used the arts, particularly music and drama, astools to explore local attitudes and provide a safeand fun forum for discussion.

Communicating the Vision Once your vision has been developed, you will needto spread the message widely. Pathfinders found avariety of methods to assist them in getting theirmessage out. This included:• using formal processes, such as reports and

presentations;• posting messages on council and partner

websites;• holding leisure events and engaging community

groups; and• using the local press as a vehicle for delivering the

message through newspapers, radio andtelevision.

Some Pathfinders invested a significant amount oftime communicating their vision and encouragingtheir communities to sign up to it. Another keyfeature of these case studies is the commitmentthat was secured from their council and communityleaders to communicate the vision widely.

Case StudiesIn Oldham, the whole community was encouragedto sign up to a new vision ‘One Borough, ForwardTogether.’ This was a campaign which celebratedOldham’s diversity and set out a commitment to afuture for the borough. Key organisations signed upto the vision and pledged their commitment to:• Integration: a borough in which we all belong and

share a sense of identity. A borough in which werespect each other at school, home, work andplay.

• Choice: a borough which gives everyone achance to live, work, study and enjoy life togetherwhen and where we choose.

• Challenging prejudice and racism: a borough inwhich we stand up against anyone who seeks todivide our community. A borough in which we donot treat others unfairly.

• Fairness: a borough in which we try to create asociety that is fairer for all.

• Security: a borough in which people feel safe intheir community. Oldham Metropolitan BoroughCouncil

In Hounslow, one of the six London boroughs in theWest London Community Cohesion Pathfinder,creating a vision was seen as an important first stepfor the authority. Key executive members, togetherwith leaders of opposition groups and committedindependents demonstrated their commitment tocommunity cohesion by signing up to a publishedstatement. This statement commits political leadersto a ‘code’ of behaviour and sets some boundarieswithin which representatives will work whencelebrating diversity and promoting cohesion. Aswell as a signed statement, Hounslow has showncommitment to the community cohesion agenda bydeveloping a comprehensive plan demonstratinghow the council and its partners will be addressingcommunity cohesion and incorporating cohesioninto all mainstream services.West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder

It may not always be easy convincing other parts ofyour organisation to commit to this vision. If this isthe case you will need to help others to make itrelevant to them. Providing practical examples ofhow a vision could translate into practice within a

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certain service area can help other sectorsunderstand the importance of the vision and buyinto it. For example you could talk to:• regeneration colleagues about how the changes

in ‘one off programmes’ can cause resentmentbetween neighbouring communities;

• colleagues in the housing sector to explain thatcohesion can be promoted through the use ofmore creative strategies to create mixed housingareas with appropriate community infrastructure;

• town planners about the impact that the physicalenvironment has on a community’s perception ofsafety and sense of belonging;

• youth workers to demonstrate that communitycohesion is an agenda inextricably linked with thatof engaging with children and young people; and

• sports and leisure representatives to explain howthese pursuits can be a useful tool towardsencouraging interaction between different sectionsof the community.

It will also be important that your colleagues areencouraged to ensure that their policies and serviceplans echo the vision for community cohesion. Thiswill aid you in mainstreaming community cohesionacross your organisation.

Actioning the VisionMaking a clear and inspirational vision statementmay be an important first step, however, to ensurethis vision has an impact, you must integrate it intoyour own and your partners key documents. Thiswill include, but not be restricted to, your corporatedocuments, such as your:• Strategic or Community Plans;• Business Plan; • Race Equality Strategy; • Equal Opportunities Policy; and• Community Safety Strategy.

Further, to ensure that the vision and its principlesare duly and consistently considered at key stagesit will be important to:• make it a regular item on meeting agendas;• ensure that the vision is filtered through to other

documents, including service plans orperformance plans;

• ensure that it informs your targets and indicators;and

• include it in your equalities and action planningchecklists.

Once established, your vision should be allowed toevolve as the community or specific project itselfdevelops and evolves. It will therefore be necessary

to revisit your vision over time to make sure that it isstill relevant to the needs and issues both locallyand nationally.

Your ‘visioning checklist’To help you get started, it may help to ask yourselfand others the following questions:• What does it mean to people to live in this area?• What are the perceived and actual disparities

within the community? • What are people’s aspirations for how the physical

environment should look and feel?• What could be the best way of getting people to

work together to prevent discrimination that isbased on race, religion and belief, sexualorientation, disability and age?

• What types of interaction do you want to promotein your community?

Top Tips for Success – dos and Don’ts ✔ Do consult widely, ensure that as much as

possible all partners are involved andunderstand the agenda.

✔ Do ensure that your leaders are fully involvedand make a public commitment to yourvision.

✔ Do create a vision that is inspirational,challenging and inclusive.

✔ Do keep the vision, aims and objectives,manageable in scale and achievable with atimescale.

✔ Do turn your vision into action.✔ Do revisit your vision over time to ensure it

still meets the aspirations of your community.

✘ Don’t be tempted to go through this phasealone.

✘ Don’t hurry through the visioning phase as itwill form the essential building blocks for all ofyour future work.



Practical Examples

Developing a Vision for a PartnershipEast Lancs Together is an initiative committed tofinding positive ways of bringing together differentcommunities throughout Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle& Rossendale. The members of the East LancsTogether Executive adopted a statement of valuesin 2003 which was developed in consultation withthe range of partners concerning the quality ofcommunity life in all parts of the area. The partnersaffirmed their belief that:• having a diversity of groups, faiths, cultures and

ages is a key strength of our society and a majorsource of civic and community wealth;

• mutual respect and equality of opportunitybetween different groups, faiths, cultures andages should be fundamental tenets of civic andsocial behaviour and that working to achieve thisis one of the hallmarks of an enlightened andmature society;

• community cohesion is best achieved throughcontinuous dialogue, mutual understanding andfrequent social interaction between differentgroups, faiths, cultures and ages encouraged andfacilitated by strong community leadership;

• disadvantage in all its forms represents theprincipal barrier to community cohesion,especially where it is experienced more by onegroup than another, and that overcomingdisadvantage in all its forms is therefore afundamental goal of the network and itsmembers; and

• racism and prejudice will not be tolerated and willbe confronted.

Developing a District-wide VisionIn 1999 Bradford District undertook the biggestpublic consultation exercise in its history. The aim was to develop a shared long-term visionfor the whole of the District and to provide a clearsense of direction for its businesses, agencies andcommunities. The 2020 Vision is intentionally economy led andreads as follows: • a high-wage, high-skill, knowledge-based

economy, which will provide appropriate jobs foreveryone, creating a wealthier population withgreater spending power;

• a diversified economy, with particular strengths incutting edge e-commerce and communications;financial service provision that meets the needs ofconsumers and cultural industries;

• an economy which uses resources efficiently and

effectively and minimises waste and utilisesrecycling and renewable energy sources;

• an economy which is fully integrated into thewider economy of the Yorkshire & Humber region;

• a place where people will be well educated,skilled, healthy and capable of providing businesswith the human resource to compete in highlycompetitive global markets;

• a Connected District, using e-commerce anddigital technology to improve people's lifestylesand create business opportunities;

• a District with a modern transport infrastructurewhich makes every part of it easily accessible tothose who live within it and those who want tovisit;

• A District whose people respect and celebratedifferences in sex, race, culture, and religion;

• a Place, which ensures people with disabilities,can fully participate in a better future for theDistrict;

• a District that is a great place to live and isuniversally accepted as a major destination fortourists;

• a District which is clean, healthy, safe and hasexcellent public services; and

• a Place where people are justifiably proud ofwhere they live, learn, work and play.

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Step 3: Programme Planning andManagement

What does Programme Planning andManagement cover?Programme planning and management includes:• planning your programme of activities, your

milestones and your arrangements formanagement and decision making;

• establishing a baseline and determining relevantindicators; and

• establishing mechanisms for monitoring andreviewing success.

Planning your Programme of ActivitiesAfter you have established your vision and values,identified and approached your potential partners,your next focus for consideration will need to bearound: • Ensuring that you have a clear understanding of

what your programme will look like and willachieve, and that this is passed on to all thoseinvolved.

• Determining arrangements for management andaccountability - who will play what role in drivingthrough the community cohesion agenda?

• Where will the responsibility for driving throughcommunity cohesion sit within the local authoritystructure? It may sit within a number of differentdepartments – regeneration, community safety,housing etc. However, many Pathfinders havechosen to locate it in the Chief Executive’s officeso that community cohesion can be drivencorporately;

• Developing working relationships with partners -establishing what each others expectations areand what capacity can be made available to yourprogramme.

• Building networks in your community andestablishing need - do you have a clearunderstanding about local priorities and issues?What information exists that you can draw on?

• Resourcing your activities - through finding

funding from external sources or from within andestablishing who in your organisation cancontribute;

• Thinking about the sustainability of yourprogramme or project – by asking the questionhow long will funding be available? Will securedfunding mean you can build in sustainability fromday one or will you have to rely on one-offprojects? Which partners can carry on theprojects if funding runs out?

• Researching and then considering in detail howyou are going to connect with and build onexisting cohesion related programmes such asLocal Area Agreements, Safer and StrongerCommunities and the new requirements under theComprehensive Performance Assessments.

You may find it helpful to address these issues bydeveloping an implementation plan that covers:• a list of your actions and targets for each project;• a list of targets for each project and the

programme overall;• individual responsibilities for actions or projects; • resource allocation per partner or project;• your key milestones and a timeline for completion;

and• how each action/target/project relates back to

your vision.

Pathfinders particularly emphasised the importanceof finding ways to recruit and resource individuals tobe dedicated to community cohesion activities.Pathfinders noted that like ‘champions’ these‘experts’ are essential to build the confidence ofstaff in statutory and voluntary sector agencies, togenerate ideas, to facilitate problem-solvingcohesion issues on the ground, and to maintainfocus on cohesion principles and practice. However, whilst the recruitment of a dedicatedcommunity cohesion co-ordinator often provided


the necessary impetus to develop and take theprogramme forward, it is easy to underestimate thetime it takes to recruit people to these new, andfairly specialist posts. Whilst many Pathfinders dideventually have co-ordinators in place this needs tobe weighed up against the time taken for therecruitment exercise to be completed and theresultant slippage in programme delivery. In programme planning and management, theprinciples of good project management areparticularly relevant, e.g. it will be important thatyou: • set clear project parameters;• construct a realistic plan that sets out your targets

and prioritises your activities;• communicate relevant updates widely and

frequently; and• build in ‘reality checks’ on progress.

Risk management is also a very important phase inyour early planning phases. There are risks that youcan not plan for, such as the conflict in Iraq,however anticipation of what might represent a riskinternally or locally such as elections or recruitmentdelays should be factored into your programmeplanning process.

Once you have developed your plan of action, it willbe necessary and valuable to test this with yourpartners to make sure that the projects deliveredreally do have a community cohesion element. Itmay be tempting to launch in to your programmeand get things up and running quickly, however notundertaking a robust planning exercise in the earlystages of your programme may be a cause ofregret in the medium to longer term.

Finally, it will be equally important that you considerhow you are going to brief providers at the ‘deliveryend’ of your programme. Those individuals andgroups who have the skills to implement yourprogramme will need fair and adequate warning ofwhat will be expected of them and when.

The following quotes from Pathfinders, illustratetheir learning points around programme planning:

“We should have carried out a full projectmanagement exercise with a full risk assessmentthat would have identified resources, gaps and howto resolve those issues.” Bury Pathfinder

“Limiting the programme area through targetingspecific areas helped us – we went for focused,intensive work in small areas”. Kirklees Pathfinder

Building and Understanding a Picture ofCohesion A well planned programme sets you up for a goodstart. However, if you do not have a fullunderstanding of the nature of your community ofinterest then you risk running your well plannedprogramme down the wrong path. This is why it isimportant to have an up-to-date understanding ofyour local context as this will enable improveddelivery of services and the effective monitoring oftrends.

So, how do you go about building up this picture orprofile of who is in your community and what thelevel of cohesion is? You should look firstly atavailable Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs)and where possible collect information on ethnicityand faith. This will help you to identify trends andequality gaps. It will also be desirable to haveinformation at Ward and Super Output Area level tohelp build a detailed picture of cohesion locally.

Pathfinders adopted a number of approaches intheir attempts to understand cohesion locally, theseincluded:• mapping social, economic and demographic

characteristics, such as ethnicity, age, culture andfaith over an area;

• mapping the range of organisations involved incommunity cohesion and the operational linksbetween them;

• drawing on existing sources of work such ascitizen panel surveys, police statistics and reports,voluntary and community sector studies; and

• using established indicators or developing locallyrelevant indicators.

It is important to remember that you should makeuse of both qualitative and quantitative results,however sound judgement is needed whendeciding on the weighting between these differenttypes of information. It is also important to ensurethat you have the necessary resources in place toestablish your baseline.

Establishing your Baseline Identifying an appropriate baseline from which tomeasure your success in community cohesion is aresource intensive and complex task. It is a furtherchallenge to measure and link the impact of yourinitiatives with the level of cohesion in your area.Despite these challenges it will be important todraw together information that can help youestablish the basis from which progress will bemeasured.

15

Possible BVPIs and survey questions are providedin a Home Office guidance document (Building aPicture of Community Cohesion, 2003). The broadareas of performance information that are relevantto cohesion are:• user satisfaction with council, with key services

and community engagement and decision makingfacilities;

• access to services;• hate crime reporting and figures;• number of consultations, area forums,

representation on decision making bodies of blackand minority ethnic and faith communities;

• perceptions of community cohesion using surveyquestions; and

• community tensions information.

In addition, you should consider how to measurethe impact upon community cohesion withinexisting programmes, e.g. Local Area Agreementsand the Safer Stronger Communities Fund andinclude targets within these agreements. Manyauthorities are now including community cohesiontargets within their second generation Local PublicService Agreements.

Pathfinders went about establishing their baseline ina number of ways, either around a singular issue,such as racial tension, or getting a view on howgeared up or effective an organisation is inmanaging issues around cohesion. The followingcase studies demonstrate how:

Case studiesResearch was carried out in Peterborough to helpprovide baseline and identify priority projects. Thebasis of research targeted five wards where themost racial incidents took place. Outcomes were

monitored regarding the impact and style ofreporting in media, crime data, hate crimes andbehaviour in schools. Peterborough Pathfinder

In Kirklees, they were conscious that they neededto take into account the existing structures andinterventions already in existence before they forgedahead with new community cohesion programmes.They therefore undertook a ‘Learning LessonsMapping’ exercise which established what was outon the ground and what they could learn from it.This information also aided in enhancing their ownprogrammes and bringing other partners on board.Kirklees Pathfinder

In Mansfield, the Pathfinder has established itsbaseline in two ways. • first, they sought to map existing cohesion

initiatives across the local voluntary andcommunity sector. The intention of this exercisewas to prevent duplication and ensure that themost is made of the available resources. Profilingand analysis later showed that many schemesthat were running contributed to the cohesionagenda even if they are not specifically ‘tagged’as community cohesion;

• second, an external company was commissionedto conduct a community cohesion survey. Thesurvey was designed to compare attitudestowards community cohesion between newresidents (of under three years) and longer-termresidents (who have lived in Mansfield for 15 yearsor more). The survey also sought to compare theviews of people living in new residential areas andthose living in older, more establishedneighbourhoods. Through this survey thePathfinder tested whether these new arrivals werelikely to:- contribute in the community; - be more satisfied with services and education

than the long established communities; and- want to stay in the area in the long term.

Mansfield Pathfinder

In Southwark they recognised that initially there wasvery little baseline information. As a consequence,two questions on community cohesion are nowincluded in the borough’s annual MORI poll, asfollows:• to what extent is this a place where people from

different backgrounds can get on?• to what extent do you think ethnic differences are

respected locally?

However, the Pathfinder acknowledges that these



measures on their own may be fairly crude and indepth analysis is needed to make sense of them. Itis also crucial to track qualitative changes inindividuals’ lives, rather than just seek one-offopinions. Southwark Pathfinder

Developing your indicatorsDeveloping a suite of relevant performanceindicators also forms part of establishing a baseline.You will need to set aside time to research therange of potential indicators before forming ajudgement of what your baseline should consist of.Don’t include too many indicators and be realistic.You may find it helpful to ask project deliverers todevise their own, working back from expectedoutcomes.

Given the nature of community cohesion, it isunlikely that a definitive common or nationalmeasurement will ever be determined. It is thereforeimportant to have a local framework to work within.Pathfinders have found it helpful to work with theirneighbours to share ideas and resources in thedevelopment of indicators and measures that arelocally relevant to them.

In starting this process it will be important to keepthe following things in mind:• identify activities that are changing people’s

behaviour, these can act as a basis for developinglocal indicators;

• consider a ‘pick and mix’ approach of hard andsoft indicators and prioritise them under relevanttitles such as sustainability (e.g. economic andsocial issues), safety (e.g. anti-social behaviourissues) and the strength of communities (e.g. theextent of social investment);

• if you can’t identify what success looks like thenyou won’t be able to measure it. That is why it willbe important to link performance indicators toyour vision; and

• the more measurable your indicators are, themore likely you can build them into otherdocuments and set the scene for trackingchanges and trends.

Findings from the 2003 Home Office CitizenshipSurvey showed that respondents valued:• a sense of community, e.g. having pride in the

neighbourhood and trust in their neighbours;• similar life opportunities, where people are treated

equally by a range of organisations;• a sense of belonging to a neighbourhood or local

area and knowing others in that area; • perceptions of diversity, e.g. where ethnic

differences are respected and agreeing thathaving a mix of different people makes their areaa better place to live; and

• political trust, e.g. how far Members represent theviews of local people and how much they aretrusted.

Each of these factors has been shown to have alink to community cohesion as measured by thedegree to which local people feel that their localarea is a place where people from differentbackgrounds get on well together.

Monitoring your Progress and SuccessYou will need to set up suitable monitoringarrangements to ensure that your progress is in linewith your planning. Some Pathfinders achieved thisthrough:• building progress updates into monthly agenda

meetings of steering groups;• building in meetings with project sponsors;• developing strict commissioning processes that

specify regular reporting through written reportsand presentations; and

• bringing in external parties to monitor andevaluate independently.

“Whatever the arrangements, it is entirely necessaryto involve the wider community, through eithercarrying out the review and/or recording what hasor has not worked”. Bury Pathfinder

Through the Pathfinder process, monitoring wasachieved through a variety of channels, as thefollowing quotes and case studies demonstrate:

Case Studies“Monitoring arrangements were put in place and theUniversity of Teesside was commissioned toevaluate the programme. This was successful,however a small number of projects found it difficultto return effective evaluations back on time. Bettertraining of all those involved prior to commencingwould have been useful.” Middlesbrough Pathfinder

In Southwark, the voluntary sector partners and theCouncil developed a monitoring form that was usedby all those developing voluntary sector cohesionprojects. Completed forms were used as the basisfor regular partners’ meetings where organisationscame together to share progress, challenges andlearning in delivering cohesion projects.Southwark Pathfinder

17

Top tips for success - Dos and Don’ts ✔ Do adopt the basic principles of project and

risk management.✔ Do you know enough about your community?

Consider undertaking a mapping exercise toidentify areas of deprivation which may alsolack cohesion drawing in a number of factorsincluding housing, health and transportation.

✔ Do ensure there is enough time to plan andsupport activities.

✔ Do think carefully about the shape and size ofyour project at the outset.

✔ Do ensure you have enough resources so youcan build in sustainability from the start.

✔ Do revisit your targets throughout yourprogramme as circumstances may change.

✔ Do have a clear picture at a micro and macrolevel of what success looks like for you.

✘ Don’t forget about the other communitycohesion related programmes that arerelevant to your agenda. Try to connect withthese to help you gather knowledge andmomentum.

✘ Don’t short change yourself on time or betempted to rush through your planning phase.

✘ Don’t rely solely on one picture of success.

Practical Examples

Finding a Dedicated Community CohesionOfficerThe Stoke Pathfinder recognised the importance ofhiring a specific community cohesion officer to seethrough the progress of their Pathfinder andbeyond. They recruited a dedicated communitycohesion officer, to • provide corporate leadership and support to the

development of community cohesion within theCity;

• lead the Pathfinder and develop a programme,commissioning and overseeing projectssupporting Pathfinder objectives;

• work closely with colleagues and partners toensure maximum benefit is achieved through thecommunity cohesion project and it is aligned withother local and corporate initiatives.

The job specification set out a number of keyaccountabilities, including:• Operational management and the requirement to

– establish good practice in respect of communitycohesion through knowledge sharing locally andacross the Pathfinder programme;

– undertake research to establish local intelligenceregarding cohesion;

– develop a programme which will deliver theCommunity Cohesion Pathfinder;

– to work with colleagues across the City Counciland partner agencies in effectively planning anddeveloping the cohesion agenda

• Manage Pathfinder resources and budget; • Build effective relationships and communications

with partners and community groups, whichsupport community cohesion objectives andensure that community cohesion is alignedeffectively with other complementary localprogrammes through effective networking.

Establishing the Parameters of a ProjectFor the purposes of a community cohesion study inPendle, a partner in East Lancs Together, four initial"dimensions" were selected and used in order toestablish possible fault lines within the community.These are outlined in the matrix:In the course of their work, Pendle Partnershipensured that these themes were built intoeverything they did, so as to keep their workfocused and balanced. This avoided the tendencyto talk about singular issues such as ethnicity.

Establishing Your Baseline: An AlternativeMethod of Identifying Local Perceptions In Pendle, the method of storytelling was used tounderstand local perceptions. This involvedworkshops where groups of people told stories oflocal life. This was done through the creation offictitious characters that typify community membersand their problems, experiences, life chances andtheir relation to their own and other communities.Participants were encouraged to use their ownexperience to create the characters. This processallowed participants to "hide" behind the characterin expressing unpopular or unacceptable views andbring out subjects for discussion that are notnormally aired and describe the environments inwhich the characters act and the daily influences ontheir lives.


Ethnic HeritageParallel Lives

FaithCustoms

GenderRole of Woman

Marriage

AgeChanging Culture

Language

LocationRural / Urban

Housing Tenure

Step 4: Engaging Communities

Promoting community cohesion involves addressingfractures, removing barriers and encouragingpositive interaction between groups. It aims to buildcommunities where people feel confident theybelong and are comfortable mixing and interactingwith others.

Engaging and involving communities in this processcan be very difficult but it is what communitycohesion is all about – reaching out to differentgroups and communities and bringing them closertogether. Which groups and communities youengage with will depend on the composition of yourown area and the priorities within these.

For some areas, the priority may be to bring peoplefrom different faiths or ethnic background together,for others, it may be about enabling people fromdifferent estates or areas to mix, whilst for others, itmay be about helping young people and old peopleto get to know and understand each other.

Some Pathfinders have made the point that forthem it was important not to focus on race sincethis can sometimes create a perception amongstthe majority community that they are excluded. Thefollowing gives some examples of differentapproaches to engaging communities.

Engaging with Young People from DifferentBackgroundsPathfinders have found a variety of ways to bringyoung people (who would not normally mix)together. These include:• inter-territorial football matches;• art and drama programmes;• music;• sailing adventures; and• school twinning.

The Role of Schools In some Pathfinder areas, schools played a majorpart in developing cohesive communities, forexample in:• opening access to education and employment; • developing skills to overcome poverty and social

inequalities; • promoting social and cultural diversity; • providing access to ICT; • facilitating the integration of new communities

(e.g. refugees and Travellers);• providing premises or facilities for use by a wide

range of users, for instance people from variousethnic groups and of different ages; and

• providing a meeting place for the community.

Schools have used a number of activities to bringpeople together including:• twinning with other schools that have a different

cultural profile;• involvement of pupils from different backgrounds

in decision-making processes;

19Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS


• working together in out of school hours learning(OSHL) activities, especially sports and arts; and

• intergenerational activities.

More information on the Extended SchoolsProgramme is available at: www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools

Case Studies East Lancs Together supported a primary schooltwinning project, which allowed children who hadpreviously had little opportunity of interacting withchildren of other faiths and cultures, the chance tomeet, play and get to know each other.East Lancs Together

South Bermondsey primary schools took childrenand their families from different backgrounds anddifferent schools on days out of London. Thefamilies shared food, took part in activities and gotto know people from different cultures. In thisproject the children were a route to also enable theadults to get to know each other.Southwark Pathfinder

Football and other sports provide an obvious arenain which to bring communities together (particularlyyoung people).

Case StudiesWest London Community Cohesion Pathfinderestablished a football programme and festival whichbrought together young people from widely differentcommunity backgrounds that played together forthe first time. It operated in traditional regenerationareas but also in areas such as Hayes andGreenford where access to sports opportunitieshad been limited. It drew in communities,particularly the Somali community, but alsoHillingdon’s Traveller community, which had notpreviously been linked into mainstream football. Thepublicity leaflet produced by Queens Park RangersF.C. is a model for this kind of activity: on one sideit is in English, but when reversed, it is in Somali.West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder

Gateshead Pathfinder organised a series of one daymulti-cultural football tournaments for both adultsand young people in the community using atechnique where each registered player was given anumber and then numbers picked randomly tocreate mixed teams.

In the adult tournament over 250 people played andin the junior tournament 80 players participated.

After each tournament, there was a social eventincluding food from the many different cultures.Parents also attended as spectators and took partin the social at the end.Gateshead Shadow Pathfinder

Important elements which have proved successfulin developing programmes for young peopleinclude:• involving young people in the development of

programmes;• using peer role models and mentors; and• training youth leaders to work in this area.

Bringing the Generations TogetherOften there is an even wider gulf between thegenerations than between different communities.Projects such as working together on a videoproject of the area can bring young and oldtogether and foster greater respect andunderstanding.

Case StudiesGateshead Shadow Pathfinder developed a projectwhich brought young people and elderly peoplefrom the Jewish community together. They workedon building a fish tank at the local day centre. Theywill continue to work together on the maintenanceof the fish tank. Gateshead Shadow Pathfinder

Part of Southwark’s strategy involved working withyoung and older people to explore inter-generational issues. ’George’ is a play which looksat identity across the generations and races andwas performed by youngsters and older peoplefrom two theatre groups with membership fromthese two age groups.

A diverse cast performed the play at differentvenues across the borough and performers havestayed behind afterwards to join in informaldiscussions with the audiences. The performerswere very positive about their experiences and willcome together again for further productions.Southwark Pathfinder

Bringing Communities TogetherGulfs between communities are caused by a varietyof factors i.e. those created by the rich and poor,living on different estates, believing in different faithsor coming from different ethnic groups.

Pathfinders have used a variety of methods to bringcommunities together. These include:• melas and festivals;


• sport;• craft and arts programmes; and• holding community conventions.

Case StudiesEast Lancs Together has found that ‘melas’ andother community festivals bring together largenumbers of local people from different communitiesto enjoy themselves in a carnival atmosphere andsample different kinds of music, food, art, dramafrom what they may be used to. General feedbackfrom attendees has demonstrated that the festivalsare now key calendar dates within each respectiveborough. People look forward to the events, andwith each passing year the attendance figures haveincreased. East Lancs Together

Wigan established a toy and costume makingworkshop for women on a deprived estate. The aimof the workshop was to bring women together fromdifferent ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.This project required a very small amount ofresources, however, it had a major and long lastingimpact on that estate. Wigan Shadow Pathfinder

Rural AreasCommunity cohesion is not just about deprivedinner city areas. It is also about rural areas andsuburban areas, which may equally suffer fromdivisions between communities, rich and poor,young and old. Some rural areas also suffer fromissues associated with isolation, a lack of facilities,inadequate transportation and rural unemployment.You may find that rural residents may not think thatcommunity cohesion is relevant to them, as one ofthe Pathfinders specifically discovered:

Pendle Partnership, part of East Lancs Together,found that: “It has been more difficult to persuadepeople in rural areas to take part in our study. Weencountered considerable suspicion of the term"community cohesion" almost as if it were an urbansocial worker's term unconnected with rural life. A

question that we encountered several times was"Why should we take part - what's in it for us?" Thisalienation of the rural areas from the more urban andethnically mixed areas of Pendle has implications forthe implementation of community cohesion.

Further, previous disappointments when competingfor funding against urban areas were often cited asreasons for not becoming involved. "Pendle doesn'tcare about the countryside areas" was anaccusation we heard several times. Indeed urban /rural differences were probably the greatest that weencountered”. Pendle Partnership

For some rural areas, the issues may be aboutTravellers or asylum seekers. These groups areoften perceived as a threat to the way of life ofother residents and will need careful handling.

Case StudiesIn East Lancashire, projects funded through thePathfinder have started to think about the morerural areas and are looking at a number of optionsincluding:• improvements to rural transport, to enable people

to get out in their community; • a rural information newsletter to keep isolated

people more informed;• better access to services/facilities throughout the

scattered communities of Rossendale; and • more training to increase job opportunities for

local people. East Lancs Together

In Tewkesbury, which is a rural borough thatincorporates two market towns and part of theCotswolds, the Shadow Pathfinder has focussed ontwo particular aspects of community cohesion –that of young people, and Gypsies and Travellers.

Tewkesbury’s approach to community cohesion tiesin particularly with their Community Safety Strategyand Race Equality Scheme. Some of the aspects oftheir work with young people in a rural settinginclude: • research involving young people using the

‘Planning for Real’ technique; • getting young people involved on the LSP;• setting up an Extended Schools programme

including inter-generational projects working inpartnership with local museums, libraries andprimary and secondary schools

• setting up a Youth Council promoting youthparticipation in partnership with key agenciessuch as Connexions youth service; and

• providing somewhere to hang out – teen shelters.


Tewkesbury houses three permanent Gypsy sitesand several private sites. In order to buildcommunity cohesion, they have been working withother agencies to develop understanding ofTravellers’ needs and to develop the capacity ofTravellers to represent their needs to otheragencies. For example, basic skills and adultliteracy courses have been established to supportGypsy and Traveller communities.Tewkesbury Shadow Pathfinder

Bringing Faith Groups TogetherAnother important aspect of engaging communitiesis about bringing faith groups together. Where localinter-faith initiatives work well, they make asignificant difference to their area. They bringpeople together to learn more about other people’sfaiths and provide a helpful framework forpromoting understanding and co-operationbetween them. Many also provide a channel forconsultation by the local authority and other bodiesand an opportunity to ensure that new initiativesand policies reflect the needs of the differing faithsin the area.

Case StudiesEast Lancs Together realised there was little contactbetween the mosques and churches in Rossendale,which is predominantly white, but withconcentrations of Muslim communities in two areas.

Using their links with Community Action Rossendaleand the Lancashire Forum of Faiths, they proposedsetting up an interfaith group in the area. Eighteenrepresentatives from different faiths attended ameeting and agreed unanimously to establish theRossendale faith partnership.East Lancs Together Pathfinder

In Tower Hamlets, the Shadow Pathfinder foundthat each partner involved in their projects for youngpeople brought different approaches to the project.For example schools were able to access youngpeople currently not engaging in youth provision outof school. The Catholic Church worked via a newlyestablished centre, which had live-in volunteers andwas open to all. The mosque worked on promotinginterfaith dialogues and cross-generationcommunications.

The bringing together of these organisations hadsome interesting spin-offs. For example duringRamadan (2003) a group of Bangladeshi peopleliving in Wapping were given use of the Catholic

centre for their evening prayers. The same facilitieswere made available in 2004.

The Catholic school and church were able to‘reach’ some of the newer communities in the area(from Eastern Europe) who were initially less familiarwith the predominantly local Muslim culture andpopulation.

The mosque organised a number of eventsincluding a Community Leaders’ Iftar Party, a DrugsWorkshop for Bangladeshi fathers and a majorconference on religious tolerance.Tower Hamlets Shadow Pathfinder

Further practical information on establishing a faithpartnership is contained at the end of this chapter.

Conflict ResolutionSome Pathfinders have put resources into conflictresolution training. This involves developingawareness and skills to work with the followingissues:• myth busting;• prejudice reduction;• bridge-building;• conflict resolution; and• leadership skills.

This then enables front line staff and others workingin the community to have the knowledge and skillsnecessary to address some of the difficult issuesthat arise around community cohesion.


Case Studies The Leicester Pathfinder worked extensively on aconflict resolution programme for young people.Teams from three schools joined together for anintensive three day training event. They also ran in-house anti-bullying activities and are working outhow to become sustainable without additionalsupport.

Twenty-two Community Facilitators have alsoreceived intensive training on an ongoingdevelopment programme in conflict resolution andmyth busting skills. They are developing amentoring scheme for adults on how to work withyoung people in non-oppressive ways that facilitateyoung people’s involvement. Leicester Pathfinder

Conflict resolution is a key strand of Peterborough’sPathfinder programme. A number of localcommunity liaison groups have been established inthe city. This approach is proactive, bringingtogether local residents and statutory agencies,identifying national and local issues and tensionsand seeking to resolve potential and actual conflict.

The development of this resource is alreadyproducing good information and intelligence forstatutory agencies working with the localcommunity. A training programme has beendeveloped to ensure that communityrepresentatives receive the necessary skills with aview to them being the first point of contact forconflict resolution within the community.Peterborough Pathfinder

Employing Innovative Methods to Engage withyour CommunitiesCommunity cohesion is about changing attitudesand in order to grab people’s attention, yousometimes have to work with more unusualmethods. Pathfinders employed a variety ofinteresting methods in consultations on theirCommunity Strategies and on their approaches tocommunity cohesion.

Case StudiesAs part of Tameside’s community strategyconsultation, a session was run at TamesideCollege to which a varied group of young peoplewas invited. The Pathfinder used ‘Ask the Audience’electronic voting technology to allow young peopleto vote on important issues. Questions aroundcommunity cohesion provoked very challengingdiscussions and raised some concerns aboutcommunity relations.

The Ask the Audience system was used again atthe public consultation on community cohesion inSeptember 2003.

The authority also surveyed school pupils to ensurethat young people’s views were included in theborough’s decision-making process. All year 7 andyear 10 pupils were invited to take part. Questionsrelating to community cohesion were included. Thisconsultation will be repeated to measure changes inopinion. Tameside Shadow Pathfinder

Oldham used food to bring people from differentcommunities together and to get them thinkingabout community cohesion. 50 women and childrenwere brought together to sample different food fromthe Caribbean, the Ukraine, Bangladesh, India,Pakistan and the UK. A highlight of the day was thesimultaneous demonstration of how to makepancakes with sugar and lemon and stuffedparathas. Oldham Shadow Pathfinder

Top tips for success – Dos and Don’ts ✔ Do identify what the particular issues are for

your area.✔ Do introduce activities that are fun and

consider the extent to which you overlaythese with messages about cohesion.

✔ Do think about unusual and innovativemethods of involving people.

✘ Don’t forget to work with faith groups who areoften very receptive to developing cohesion.

✘ Don’t forget front line workers and membersof the community who need to be equippedwith the skills to resolve conflicts.

✘ Don’t forget to work with existing localmediation groups in your area.


Practical Examples

Developing a Faith PartnershipSlough wanted to build community cohesion intoeverything that it does and saw the development ofa Faith Partnership as fundamental to thisapproach. The partnership also contributes to awider programme of involvement andunderstanding. The following were included in itsdevelopment:• Faith Leaders from the Sikh, Christian, Islamic,

Hindu and Bahai faiths;• Slough Borough Council (who organized and part

funded the meetings);• Government Office for the South East (who part

funded the meetings); and• A Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser.

The Slough Faith Partnership has set itself thefollowing terms of reference, to:• meet with each other;• understand what the Council are currently doing,

with specific reference to the development of theLocal Strategic Partnership and communitycohesion;

• explore commonalities between the rich multi-faithbackdrop of Slough;

• develop a mechanism through which the localauthority can link directly into the faith groups andutilise the added value this will bring to Slough asan area;

• understand how and in what capacity faith groupswant to be represented on the LSP;

• have a voice in the planning, delivery andevaluation of services and actions at local level;

• articulate and prioritise how they would like to beinvolved; and

• establish a broad framework for furtherdevelopment and participation from each faith.

In developing this Faith Partnership, the SloughShadow Pathfinder generated a number of learningexperiences. These are as follows:• establish a working group early;• where there may be potential conflict or a range

of perspectives and beliefs, use an independentfacilitator;

• manage participants’ expectations (i.e. clarify thatprocess will work in specific timeframes anddevelopments may be slow);

• ensure that all faiths are invited and represented;

• circulate important documents to all faiths,including those that are not present; and

• arrange meetings at different faith venues, toincrease ownership and learn more about differentfaiths.

Encouraging Youth InvolvementThe Unity Project was organised by PeterboroughCity Council’s Unity Youth Team in partnership withschools and Connexions. The Unity Youth Crew(UYC) recruited young males aged 16 to 19 fromthe African-Caribbean, Asian and whitecommunities as peer group leaders and providedthem with accredited residential training in youthwork skills so they could support local youthprojects that improve community cohesion. The young males targeted were from ‘hard toreach’ groups; they had all been involved in racialincidents or on the edge, they were currently not ineducation, employment or training and they wereseen as leaders or opinion formers on the streets.Since the programme began in July 2003 it hasshown tangible results, including:• real friendships have been established amongst

UYC members and through these friendships andtheir status as peer leaders the UYC have diffusedclashes between rival area gangs on a number ofoccasions;

• ten young people have gained MillenniumVolunteers accreditation; and

• UYC members have been speakers at local andnational conferences during 2004.

Step 5: Challenging andChanging Perceptions

Why Is Challenging and Changing PerceptionsImportant?People generally base what they believe in fromwhat they have experienced or heard throughhearsay or through the media. In this sense,perception quickly becomes reality and a basis forbeliefs. When beliefs start to impact on or aredivisive to individual or community relationships thiscauses a threat to cohesion. This is why it isfundamentally important to find ways to define, testand then change perceptions of individuals andgroups where these perceptions are misplaced ormisunderstood.

As a practitioner in the local government orvoluntary and community sector you will need tofind and provide gateways to enable people tomake informed choices and decisions and notaccept at face value whatever may have beenportrayed by the media, politicians or pressuregroups or even community leaders.

How can we go about Challenging andUltimately Changing Perceptions?The Pathfinder approach to this issue in the earlystages of their programme was informed by howwell they thought the community would receive themessages they wanted to send. This required somework in establishing local perceptions, but alsodrew on their existing knowledge of their own localcircumstances. Depending on this analysis and thesupport of politicians, Pathfinders adopted one ofthe following approaches to begin to challenge andchange perceptions locally: • a low key approach where information about

cohesion was drip fed into the community;• an incremental approach, that gathers momentum

as confidence is built;• a high profile approach that was specifically

designed to attract attention and get the

community actively talking; and• the delivery of messages not specifically under the

community cohesion label – rather, throughexisting community based projects that thecommunity is engaged in and is comfortable with.

The key learning point around this issue is beingable to gauge your community and its capacity totake on your message. The approach you take hasto be relevant to your local community, which iswhy it is important to have a good feeling aboutwhat perceptions currently are. Pathfindersdemonstrated their awareness of these issues, andprovided the following comments:

“Our low profile approach has minimised thedangers of adverse publicity and allowed free andopen discussion of issues within the SteeringGroup. However, the message has probablyreached fewer people”. Charnwood Pathfinder

“Taking a low-key approach has allowed for a widerunderstanding of issues and has built solidfoundations to work on. However we recognise thatthis approach could be seen as a slow way forwardwith results being diluted or not visible orchallenging enough to counter some of the views orperceptions held”. Bury Pathfinder

25Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS

“Building on the support of those who are sympathetichas to be the place to start - but it is important torecognise that this is only the beginning. We need toget beyond the circle of Elected Members, councilofficers, community groups and other supportiveindividuals who agree with the agenda and engagefurther and change the perceptions of those who aremore sceptical or hostile.” East Lancs Together

The timing for launching your idea or publicisingyour message is also critical. For example, for somePathfinders, election time was seen as a time tominimise messages around community cohesionissues, as they did not want to draw attention to it.Other Pathfinders used elections as a platform forgetting their message across at a time where theircommunities were particularly politically conscious.

Equipping the MessengersBefore you go about challenging perceptions withinyour community, you will need to look to those whowill be delivering the messages on your behalf –e.g. council members and staff and/or voluntaryand community sector representatives.

You will need to ensure that these individuals areskilled and competent in their ability to change andchallenge perceptions without the fear ofantagonising or creating friction within thecommunity. Some Pathfinders recognised this as aparticularly important first step and set about findingways of training and equipping those individualswho were delivering the messages about cohesion.

Case StudiesThe Kirklees Pathfinder invested a lot of time in theearly stages of their programme to equip front linestaff with myth busting information. Training arounddealing with disagreement and conflict wassuccessful and meant that staff felt confident toaddress issues in their community of interest.Kirklees Pathfinder

In Leicester, the whole focus of the NCBICommunity Cohesion Training Project and YoungPeople Resolving Differences projects was on mythbusting and teaching skills to enable people to takeon individual initiatives. Leicester Pathfinder

The West London Community Cohesion Pathfinderdesigned an induction manual to help ElectedMembers, staff and volunteers in all organisations tobetter understand the communities in West London,particularly new and recently-established communities.West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder

Myth BustingMyth busting has proven to be a particularly usefultechnique for Pathfinders in challenging andchanging perceptions, the following case studiesdemonstrate the different approaches undertaken:

Case StudiesThe Middlesbrough Pathfinder carried out a numberof myth busting activities including a ‘CultureMatters’ project with children. This was carried outin a number of secondary and primary schoolswhose pupils came from various ethnic, economicand religious backgrounds. The project’s primaryaim was to raise awareness of the diverse culturesin Middlesbrough and emphasise the commonalitiesthat they share. A video, ‘Diversity in our Town’,was also produced by a group of young people andwas distributed to every school in Middlesbrough.Middlesbrough Pathfinder

Partners in East Lancs Together have been workingon a myth busting column in the ‘Burnley Now!’ freeCouncil newspaper. East Lancs Together

Encouraging Banal Encounters Where perceptions are ingrained, myth busting orawareness raising projects may have little effect.Finding more direct routes into local communitiesprovides a better platform for challenging andchanging perceptions of ‘outsiders’, such as asylumseekers, Travellers, or gay and lesbian people.

The most direct route is straight into yourcommunity of interest. Think of ways to creativelypromote and initiate debates between people on aninformal level. One Pathfinder was particularlysuccessful in their encouragement of ‘banalencounters’ between people. Whether that



encounter is inviting your neighbour for a cup ortea, or talking to the person next in line at thegrocery store, this approach clearly recognises thefact that people talking together on an informal levelcan be the most effective way of breaking down thebarriers between communities. At the end of thissection an example is provided to draw on.

Working with the Press and MediaAnother direct route that Pathfinders used tochange perceptions was through developingrelationships with the press and media. This was inrecognition of the fact that the media has apowerful role to play in influencing the perceptionsof local people.

Given that most of the obstacles regardingchanging perceptions link directly with press andmedia, Pathfinders have sought innovative ways inwhich they can keep this group informed and up todate with issues around improving communityrelations.

The following case studies demonstrate wherePathfinders have successfully engaged the media inhelping to dispel rumours and myths, promote apositive view of diversity and ensure that extremistviews do not dominate.

Case StudiesIn Tameside, the Pathfinder instigated a meetingwith the editors of local papers. At this meeting theydiscussed the national guidelines on communitycohesion as they relate to the media. High profile Council Members and Directorsattended the meeting and emphasised theimportance of the community cohesion agenda.The outcome was an agreement for the media totake a responsible approach to promoting goodcommunity relations in Tameside.

However, Tameside also noted that maintaining apartnership with the media is an ongoing processas editors change. Tameside Pathfinder

Encouraging Debates and Conversations inKey Communities of InterestAnother key way of challenging perceptions hasbeen in the encouragement of difficult debates.Pathfinders have found that addressing traditionally‘difficult’ topics has been necessary in theprogression of the community cohesion agenda.Once discussion on difficult topics has beeninstigated, it allows the chance to have an open,honest and meaningful dialogue. This in turn allows

an opportunity to get to the bottom of deeply setperceptions and influence their change.

A topic that many Pathfinders have had to get togrips with is that of counteracting the negativeinfluences/messages in the community particularlyfrom extremist groups. Your vision should have setthe scene for what your community as a whole isprepared to tolerate, you therefore have aresponsibility to counteract negative and potentiallydisruptive messages. Pathfinders had to face thisissue, as the following case study demonstrates:

Case StudyIn Oldham, the ‘No Place for Racism’ campaigninvolves the following elements:• a large number of ‘Hate Incident Reporting

Centres’ across the borough, including libraries;• staff in all service areas fully trained to deal with

recording hate incidents;• a weekly return from all schools;• a comprehensive hate crime reporting procedure

with a simplified form and guidance notes for staff(including a section for action taken); and

• publicity material.

This has resulted in a more accessible system forreporting of hate incidents and confidence thataction is being taken as a result.Oldham Shadow Pathfinder

Many of the Pathfinders recognised that the keygroup to engage in the perceptions exercises wasthat of young people. Attention was focused onyoung people as future citizens, and as the maingateway and influence of their family members.

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Case StudiesIn Rochdale, the Sports United Project wasdesigned to tackle high levels of racial tension andterritorialism amongst young people from deprivedareas and disadvantaged groups. The projecttransports young people from their own communityto a neutral venue. It brings young people togetherto socialise, play sport, and to participate inworkshops dealing with issues of drugs, racism,territorialism, community safety, anti-socialbehaviour. Through the project, awareness hasbeen raised about culture and acceptance hasgrown of each others differences.Rochdale Pathfinder

In Plymouth, partnership working and focusing onyouth is a stated priority. In March 2004 a‘Celebrating Difference’ Event was held whichengaged black and minority ethnic and white youngpeople aged 11 to 18 years. A number of creativeworkshops were organised in order to exploreperceptions and celebrate the ethnic diversity ofPlymouth and the wider community, to encourageyoung people to share aspects of their own cultureand learn about other cultures and to learn newskills. Plymouth Pathfinder

The Escape to Safety exhibition, which was broughtto Wigan is an emotional experience, combinedwith facts and figures, which challenges racismtowards refugees. The exhibition used true life-stories and views recorded by three refugee visitorsand followed a multimedia “journey.” It was reportedthat the exhibition provoked a dramatic change inthe attitudes of many children and adults. Somealready had positive views and didn’t change, but avast majority admitted to previous negativestereotyping of refugees and said they now had agreater understanding of the challenges faced byrefugees. Wigan Shadow Pathfinder

A children’s drama “Peace Child” was produced inCharnwood, this brought together children frommany local schools. The project brought togetherchildren from a variety of schools to work on theproduction, to counteract some of the inter-schooltensions that were emerging locally.Charnwood Pathfinder

Top tips for success – Dos and Don’ts✔ Do invest time in training those who will go

out and deliver the messages.✔ Do use children and young people as a first

point of contact, they are the gateway to therest of their family.

✔ Do build in a process for testing andchallenging on a frequent basis, this willenable you to establish long term trends.

✔ Do try to avoid using language that conjuresup stereotypes – e.g. replace words like‘asylum seekers, immigrants and refugees’with neutral words like ‘new families’

✘ Don’t think that you have to ‘badge’ anactivity using public sector terminology suchas community cohesion or conflict resolution.Much time can be wasted on establishingdefinitions instead of getting on with the jobat hand.

✘ Don’t be tempted to think that perceptionscan change overnight.



Practical Example

Developing Relationships with the MediaThe West London Community Cohesion Pathfinderdeveloped a relationship with the Trinity MirrorGroup in an attempt to influence the local press,increase opportunities for local people and improveaccess for communities to local papers.

The three-way partnership of Trinity Mirror, EalingCommunity and Voluntary Service and senior pressofficers from the local authorities brought anexceptional range of skills and knowledge to bearon the key questions of how to portray localcommunities and interactions between them, howto make news without resorting to stereotypes orsensationalism and how to present ‘good news’effectively. Even familiarising all partners with the‘community cohesion’ terminology required lengthyand subtle discussions. Changes have been madein the local papers as a result of this in order toensure that, in accordance with the definition ofcommunity cohesion, ‘the diversity of people’sdifferent backgrounds and circumstances isappreciated and positively valued.’

At a final media seminar, representatives of blackand minority ethnic and refugee communities andcommunity media were openly appreciative of thework of Trinity Mirror Southern and of the changesin the content and approach in the localnewspapers. Both sides welcomed the use of goodcontact lists and committed themselves to keepingthese up to date.

More detailed tips on working with the media canbe found at:www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/cohesion/keydocs.html A guide on generating positive public relations andmedia coverage can be accessed at:www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/publicationsdetail.asp?id=574&freetext=media

Encouraging Banal EncountersRochdale Pathfinder developed a campaign called“Who put the T(ea) in BriTain?”. As part of this projectthe Pathfinder undertook a series of events, publicityand dissemination activities to promote a debate onthe cultural links between Britain and thesubcontinent. Rochdale has a significant populationof south Asian origin, mainly from Pakistan andBangladesh and the campaign was designed topromote greater understanding of the links andcommon points between apparently diverse cultures.

Making tea an emblem of the campaign served tounderline the fact that something apparently Englishis in fact a product of cultures cross-fertilising. Thecampaign provided a talking point for localcommunities and the encouragement of ‘banalencounters’ between neighbours. The campaignhad the support of local businesses and aimed toget people from different cultural groups, faiths andgenerations sharing a cup of tea. It went ‘on theroad’ to shopping centres and schools.

Myth BustingA subgroup of Pendle Partnership, funded throughEast Lancs Together, worked on themes and issuesfor the cartoon strips, alongside a local cartoonistand writer. Cartoon characters were used to helpdebunk local myths correcting exaggerated viewsor justifying and explaining real situations. In Pendleit was also felt that cartoons would have the benefitof injecting some humour into the difficult world ofcommunity cohesion.

As a result of working closely with the editor, thecartoons have been developed and are nowserialised in the local newspaper.

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Step 6: Community Cohesion andSpecialist Areas

There are clear links between community cohesionand other areas such as the local economy, healthand housing. Poor planning of housingdevelopments and decisions about the localeconomy can adversely affect community cohesion.Equally it is more difficult for people to get activelyinvolved in their communities unless they haveaccess to health and good quality housing and adegree of financial security within their family.

Local Employers and Community Cohesion Encouraging local employers to think aboutrecruiting people from the local area is an importantaspect of building community cohesion. A quotefrom a West London Pathfinder’s conference aptlysums up the situation.

“Experience and research has shown us that one ofthe best ways of helping new migrants and theirfamilies to become integrated into the UK, is toenable those who are economically active to moveinto work. Yet moving into work for a variety ofreasons is often fraught with difficulties for thewould-be employee and employer. It is important todemonstrate that new migrants are making anactive contribution to the economy, rather thanbeing a drain on it, as this can also countermisperceptions and myths about migrants.”West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder

Various methods can be used to encourage localpeople into employment and to improve communitycohesion. These include:• improving the employability of local people;• encouraging employers to employ local people;

and• improving relationships between people whilst at

work.

Case StudiesA working group of the West London CommunityCohesion Pathfinder put together a good practiceguide on local recruitment. This was designed toencourage and assist local employers to makeemployment opportunities available for local peopleand to help community organisations set upschemes for local people to move into work.West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder

Rochdale Pathfinder ran a conference entitled‘Equality And Diversity Is Good For Business’. Theaims and objectives of the conference were to:• explore ‘what is diversity’?• share information on equality and diversity, best

practice and the benefits to business; • hear about examples from leading organisations

who have benefited through equality and diversityinitiatives.

The conference was well attended by over 100delegates and brought together representativesfrom the private, public and voluntary sector.Rochdale Pathfinder

‘Oldham United’ is a private sector initiative set upby a group of local companies. It promotes thebusiness case for corporate social responsibility andworkforce diversity. They have held a series of‘managed exchanges’ at different companypremises to demonstrate the importance ofrecruiting a diverse workforce and the benefits ofdoing so. Oldham Shadow Pathfinder.

There are clear links between the economicregeneration of specific areas and communitycohesion. In an area of high unemployment,community cohesion will not be assisted if themajority of new jobs in a regeneration area aretaken by people who live outside of the area.

30 Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS30 Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS


In areas with student populations, there can be aconflict between the substantial economic benefitsbrought by students and the negative effects onhousing availability and affordability. This can have aserious impact on community cohesion andrelationships between the local population andstudent population.

Where ‘town-gown’ relationships are poor, studentscan feel unwelcome which can have a negativeeffect on numbers of students moving into an areaand a subsequent impact on the economy.

Case StudiesThe Tameside community cohesion programme isdirectly linked to the major economic developmentsites in the area and developed a project to ensurethat local people were equipped to compete for thenew jobs.

The programme engages with employers movinginto the Economic Development Zone (EDZ) toidentify their skill and recruitment needs and thenbrokers schemes offering guaranteed job interviewsfor people from the most disadvantagedcommunities. Linked to the project is a ‘priorityskills worker’ who negotiates with local providers ofemployment skills training and support to ensurethey are able to deliver training linked to the skillsneeds of employers.

The programme collects data on all people whoobtain employment by area, race and disability andmatches this to the employers moving in to the EDZso that we are able to identify if any communitiesare not being successful in obtaining the newemployment opportunities.

An integrated partnership approach can ensure thatall communities can take advantage of theemployment opportunities created by majordevelopments. This is especially true where thesejobs are in retail or leisure.

However, if we are truly going to ensure that allcommunities can gain employment in the higherwaged jobs, further work needs to be done toenable them to acquire the higher level skillsrequired. Tameside Shadow Pathfinder

In Charnwood, the effects of a large studentpopulation upon cohesion have been a particularissue. One ward has a student population of over50% which means that neighbourhoods can be‘ghost towns’ in summer. Late night drinking cancause problems and permanent residents feelresentment. Charnwood is undertaking work tobring students and permanent residents togetherand to make both feel better about theirneighbourhoods. Charnwood Pathfinder

Local employers have been used as a means ofgetting the community cohesion message across tolocal residents by building on their self interest inensuring employees do not get involved incommunity conflict.

If community cohesion is to be built within thecommunity, it is equally important that this cohesioncontinues within the workplace. Developingguidance for employers on building a cohesiveworkplace has been one response to this.

Case Study Blackburn with Darwen was not a Pathfinder area,but they have completed a lot of work with localemployers in the area of community cohesion. Thisincludes launching an ‘Investor in Cohesion Toolkit’.This toolkit takes employers through the steps theyneed to think about in order to achieve cohesion inthe workplace and to become an accredited‘Investor in Cohesion’. These include:• understanding community and workplace;• establishing a cohesion baseline;• developing cohesion;• ensuring equality of opportunity;• recruitment;• cultural preferences and workplace practice;• business advantage; and• reviewing and maintaining cohesion.

In addition, the toolkit provides a number of training

31

activities and resources which can be used todevelop seminars within the workplace or thecommunity focussed on issues such as language,behaviour, culture, religious beliefs and personalvalues. More detailed examples taken from thetoolkit are included at the end of this chapter.Blackburn with Darwen

Community Cohesion and Housing MarketRenewalCommunity cohesion has a critical role to play inthe Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programmestaking place in the North and the West Midlands.Whilst the nine HMR programmes should generatesignificant economic regeneration within the areas itis important that the bricks and mortar elements ofthe programme (that is, clearance and demolition)take into account the impact on cohesion andsettled communities. There are both opportunitiesand threats associated with HMR.

Potential opportunities include:• badly needed housing investment in areas of

entrenched poverty and deprivation; and• a chance to overcome one aspect of parallel lives

by creating new areas of integrated housing.

Potential threats include:• breaking up well established communities; • fear of isolation and harassment if communities

are dispersed; and• tensions over who is seen to benefit and who is

seen to lose out - exploited politically.

Cohesion should be considered in all aspects of aHMR programme. In the development of an HMRplan you could usefully:• ensure the cohesion strategy is linked to the HMR

programme effectively;• work with LSP organisations to integrate and co-

ordinate their actions more effectively to supportcohesive principles;

• map current activities and interventions;• develop tools with respect to impact assessment;• provide opportunities to share baseline data in

respect of communities;• provide advice and support in developing detailed

plans in respect of intervention areas and thesupport to neighbourhoods;

• establish standards with respect to media andcommunication which support principles ofcohesion;

• assist capacity building though advice, trainingand support to community forums in respect ofvaluing diversity and cohesion; and

• commission training and developmentprogrammes for communities/organisations tohelp them prepare for change.

Examples of good practice relating to HMR andcommunity cohesion include:• integration of refugees in new housing

developments; and• black and minority ethnic and mainstream housing

providers working closely together on allocations.

Case StudyOldham have developed ‘zones of exchange’ intheir housing developments which are spaces suchas shops, parks and other public spaces wherewhite and Asian heritage communities interact.Oldham have also developed a CommunityCohesion Agency which provides support to blackand minority ethnic households who are interestedin moving into predominantly white areas.Alternatively, support can also be given to whitefamilies who want to move into a predominantlynon-white area. Oldham Shadow Pathfinder

Community Cohesion and HealthCommunity cohesion is also closely associated withthe health of an area and inequalities in access tohealth and there are some examples of Pathfindersworking with health providers to map therelationship between community cohesion andhealth. There are a number of established tools thatcan be used to do this:

• Health Needs Assessment – this measures thehealth needs of different groups and their accessto services;

• Health Impact Assessment – this measures theimpact that particular policies or programmes willhave on the health of a group or area; and

• Integrated Impact Assessment – this combinesthe measurement of impact on health with theimpact on other dimensions of an area includingcommunity cohesion, the economy and theenvironment.

For more information on these see HealthDevelopment Agency website www.hda.nhs.uk orwww.healthaction.nhs.uk

Case StudyThe Stoke Pathfinder is developing a planning toolthat links to their health impact zone, using qualityof life indicators that record the positive andnegative perspectives around health, transport,housing and environment. This method of collectingdata for future plans has a key link into the



community cohesion agenda in that many quality oflife objectives have a direct link to enhancedcommunity cohesion. Stoke-on-Trent Pathfinder

Although there are few examples of Pathfindersworking on health related projects, the followingexample from Oldham lists a number of ideas fordeveloping projects which link health andcommunity cohesion.

Case StudyCottoning On is a project developed by OldhamPCT in recognition of the importance of communitycohesion to the development of health in the area.Projects include:• improving mental health support to South Asian

Women;• supporting black and minority ethnic women to

develop healthier communities through volunteeractivity;

• training for young parents in parenting and healthissues;

• easy access to web-based health information foryoung people; and

• involvement of young people in the developmentof a fitness trail and the promotion of healthierlifestyles. Oldham Shadow Pathfinder

Community Cohesion and Community SafetyCommunity cohesion has strong links withcommunity safety since much of communitycohesion is about reducing tension between groupsand the perceived threat posed by other groups.The work of many Community Safety partnershipsalso focuses on this. Many Community SafetyPartnerships have developed work around towncentres, reducing crime and the fear of crime andreducing tensions between different groups –particularly in the evening.

Anti-social behaviour has many forms, it can benoisy neighbours, graffiti, litter, abandoned cars onthe street or drunken disorder. Anti-social behaviourcan hold back the regeneration of disadvantagedareas and damages quality of life. It also has anegative effect on community cohesion in severalways: • it can make people afraid to go out or to visit

certain parts of the city; • the resentment and unhappiness it causes can be

one of the reasons why some communities makescapegoats of others; and

• alcohol fuelled disputes between different groupscan lead to raised community tensions.

Case StudyThe Evening Economy Project is led by thePeterborough Community Safety Partnership. Itsaim is to bring together stakeholders to minimisethe level of anti-social behaviour and maximisepartnership working. It concentrates on reducingtensions and targets 14-17 year olds who are thenext generation of visitors to the city centre. Thefirst action was to host a conference in May 2004involving a number of local businesses. Theoutcomes from this will be incorporated into astrategy. Peterborough Pathfinder

Top tips for success – Dos and Don’ts✔ Do remember that communication through

local employers can be a good way ofconnecting with local residents.

✔ Do encourage local employers and incomingemployers to recruit local residents.

✔ Do work with community groups, trainers andlocal employers to skill up local residents sothey can take up job opportunities.

✔ Do ensure that cohesion is integrated into anyhousing initiatives including Housing MarketRenewal initiatives.

✘ Don’t forget about employers. Considerworking with them to encourage cohesion inthe workplace.

✘ Don’t forget to work with your Primary CareTrust (PCT), as inequalities in health accessare closely related to cohesion

✘ Don’t forget about your Community SafetyPartnership. They share similar objectives ofworking to improve cohesion and reduce anti-social behaviour.

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A Practical Example

Investor in Cohesion Employers Toolkit The following is an extract from Blackburn andDarwen’s Investor in Cohesion Toolkit. Blackburnwith Darwen is not a Pathfinder area, but like manyother local authorities, it has made considerableprogress in developing community cohesion. Thetoolkit identifies eight elements which make up acohesive workplace. Elements one and six areabridged and summarised here.

Element 1: Understanding Community andWorkplace. It will be useful for any employer tounderstand the economic, cultural and socialbackground of both the community from which hisor her workforce is drawn and of the workforceitself. You will probably have a good knowledgeboth drawn from your own research and fromdealing with businesses and people in thecommunity at large, and with your employees. Totake this a step further, the successful developmentof cohesion in the workplace will be greatly assistedif you, your workforce and the trainers who delivercohesion training are all aware of this backgroundinformation. Here are some questions you mightwish to focus on in developing this understanding.• do you know what languages are spoken in the

community and amongst your workforce?• do you know which faiths are represented in the

community and amongst your workforce?• do any of your workforce have particular needs

for flexibility in their times of attendance orabsence from work which arise from their cultureor faith? Are these needs met?

• do any of your workforce have particular dietaryneeds or preferences which arise from theirculture or faith. Are these needs met?

• are particular sections of the communitydisadvantaged in the labour market? If so do youknow why? Does the situation have any effect onyour work place?

Element 6: Cultural Preferences andWorkplace Practice. An important element of acohesive workplace is its capacity to respect thedifferent needs of employees arising from theircultures and faiths. Areas for employers to considerinclude the flexibility of working hours, the operationof a dress code and the dietary requirements ofdifferent cultures. Flexibility in Working Hours - aconstructive approach from all involved to listen tostaff concerns, can deal with any issues arisingfrom cultural requirements and working time.• prayer is a vital part of many faiths. Muslims for

example, are likely to wish to pray in the morning,afternoon, evening and at night. Each set ofprayers takes five to ten minutes and some mayfall within working time. If a clean, secure area forprayer is provided in the workplace, staff will notneed to travel away from the workplace toperform their prayers. Employers should be ableto agree when any period of absence can bemade up;

• Muslims will also need to travel to Mecca toperform the hajj pilgrimage. Staff may need up tothree weeks leave in order to perform thepilgrimage. Company annual leave policy shouldtake this into account;

• when Hindus celebrate festivals such as Diwali,they may need to prepare for duties in the homeand the temple. Members of the Jewishcommunity may not be able to work on theSabbath, during Yom Kippur or other festivals;

• during periods of fasting Muslim staff will need tobreak their fast each day at sunset. During thewinter, this may fall within work time andemployers need to be aware that the fast isbroken with water and some fruits which staffmay need to consume at work;

• women may need to go home and prepare theevening meal.


Step 7: Ensuring Sustainability ofProgrammes

What is sustainability all about and why is itimportant?Sustainability is about linking community cohesionto the mainstream delivery of services and ensuringthat your vision can be delivered over time and inthe face of conflicting priorities and diminishingresources.

Mainstreaming can be defined as the process ofmoving from time-bound, area based or ad-hocprogrammes to universal services which areavailable to everyone and become part of the longterm landscape of service provision. Mainstreaminginvolves more than changing plans and policies, italso involves changing hearts and minds. This willbe one of your greatest challenges and you maynot see the evidence of your hard work for years tocome. What will be important is that foundationsare properly and securely laid for enabling projectsand initiatives to make an impact into the future.

“Sustainability must be planned from day one.Either ensure that a project can be continued orplan projects that can be one off”. CharnwoodPathfinder.

“It is easier to sustain things if community cohesionwork is not seen as an additional thing to do, but aspart of normal good practice”. Kirklees Pathfinder.

“Whatever we do must not be a short term quickfix, the reasons for this are self evident, issues canonly be addressed and continue to be avoided if thesolutions have longevity and are sustainable. SloughShadow Pathfinder.

What factors influence the potential forsustainability?As has been frequently raised in this toolkit, yourlocal circumstance will impact on your ability to

drive initiatives through. However, no singlechallenge is unique and it can be overcome throughmaking use of existing practice or establishing newand innovative practices.

Where Pathfinders have succeeded inmainstreaming or sustaining their communitycohesion projects, this was because one or more ofthe following factors came into play:

• there was a strong level of buy in from the LSPs.Involvement of the LSP from the project’sinception was instrumental in ensuring that projectaims were understood and supported by a widerange of democratic, community and voluntarysector representatives;

• ‘community cohesion proofing’ of long termplanning documents was undertaken;

• community cohesion projects were integrated intoexisting longer term programmes, such asneighbourhood renewal and community safety;

• energy was directed into training anddevelopment of those delivering communitycohesion messages;

• individuals were specifically recruited to lead keyprojects and ensure that these projects remainedvisible and relevant;

• stakeholders, e.g. voluntary and communitysector representatives championed the projects,


which meant that ownership was promotedoutside of the Pathfinder;

• innovative projects became in such demand thatcontinuation of them was viable; and

• alternative funding and/or sponsorship was foundoutside of the Pathfinder to carry on the projectsin the community.

Case StudiesThe REWIND programme in Sandwell is a peereducation approach to anti racism that is primarilydelivered in schools and youth settings. Theprogramme explores with participants the roots ofracism as a social construct and throughintroducing knowledge of history and science,breaks down the myths that are the building blocksunderpinning racism. This programme wasexpanded in the summer of 2003 and has deliveredits unique programme to many primary andsecondary schools in Sandwell. REWIND isespecially targeting schools in deprived or 'hot-spot' neighbourhoods.

The existing REWIND team is based in the PrimaryCare Trusts and there is no dedicated full timeofficer. Funding has been put in place for a team for2 years with support from the NeighbourhoodRenewal Fund and the Children's Fund. The LocalEducation Authority is also a partner and isnegotiating how aspects of the programme mightbe mainstreamed. In addition to the work withyoung people the REWIND initiative will supporttraining and awareness raising among electedmembers, decision-makers, leaders and officersworking in Sandwell. Sandwell Pathfinder

In Tower Hamlets, Bishop Challoner School, whichled on the work with pupils from different schools, isbeing supported to sustain the work developedthorough the Extended Schools communitycohesion funding.Tower Hamlets Shadow Pathfinder

Pathfinders largely made use of a common senseapproach to mainstreaming. However, this can beeasier said than done if you are faced withchallenges such as: • limited political support to carry out activities;• having to ‘tread carefully’ in your community so as

not to exacerbate existing tensions with thecommunity;

• constant changes in personnel, effecting themomentum for your planned or current projects;

• difficulties around delivering work concerningcommunities of interest in largely geographically-

focused work; and• having an unsupportive media, who won’t shout

about your successes.

Top tips for success – Dos and Don’ts

✔ Do begin with the ambition of mainstreamingprojects. Sustainability should be one of thefirst issues addressed when programmes arebeing developed.

✔ Do continue year on year to build communitycohesion into service plans, it is not a one offexercise.

✔ Do think about innovation, the moreinteresting the project the higher the demandfor it to continue.

✔ Do ensure projects have a mix ofrepresentatives to make them credible – thismeans having good representation from thestatutory, voluntary and community sectors.

✘ Don’t re-invent the wheel, tap into whatalready exists on the ground and add valuethat way.

✘ Don’t leave funding decisions to the lastminute – think about resources up front

✘ Don’t fixate on delivery to the exclusion ofother things – ensure the project infrastructureis stable.

✘ Don’t try and go it alone! Look to yourpartners and initiate a discussion with them.

✘ Don’t raise expectations without having thesupport and the funding to carry projectsthrough



Practical Examples

Integration of community cohesion intoexternal programmesIn Southwark, community cohesion has consistentlybeen integrated into the Neighbourhood Renewal(NR) programme, it is one of the main criteriaconsidered when allocating funding particularly at aneighbourhood level, and to the community andvoluntary sector infrastructure in the borough.

Renewal Managers in neighbourhoods considerfunding activities which will contribute to communitycohesion in priority neighbourhoods. These include:newsletters, youth activities, training, support torefugees and asylum seekers, support to Travellersand community events. All organisations fundedthrough the allocation for community and voluntarysector infrastructure are required to monitor therange of people they work with, and the extent towhich they are promoting community cohesion. Inaddition, community cohesion is one of the criteriafor NR community chest funding for small groups.

Specifically through the work of the Pathfinder, thereare examples of integration within the NRprogramme (and ultimately with a view tomainstreaming within the Council programme): • the NR and Community Cohesion Pathfinder are

directly linked through the work of the youth andcommunity cohesion co-ordinator, who is fundedby NR but implements Pathfinder activities.Neighbourhood Renewal Funding has now beenagreed to continue the work beyond thecompletion of the Pathfinder; and

• the South Bermondsey NeighbourhoodManagement Pathfinder was awarded funds byCentral Government. Cohesion will continue to bea core focus of this and other renewalprogrammes. Learning from South Bermondseyhas influenced the activities for the priorityNeighbourhood Plans elsewhere in the borough.

Integration of community cohesion intoservice delivery Southwark have also made some progress ininfluencing service delivery, through mainstreaming:• having piloted and further developed the ‘Tools for

Dealing with Racism’ training package thePathfinder is in discussion with the Police, SocialServices and Community Wardens aboutdeveloping a specific package for them, andabout building it into their core trainingprogramme;

• in addressing anti-social behaviour within theneighbourhood, the Social Landlords’ CommunityCohesion Group in South Bermondsey & Livesey,is seeking to ensure that work on enforcementgoes hand-in hand with constructive interventionsthat build long-term sustainable relationshipsbetween individual tenants and between differentestates; and

• through the Children and Young People’sPartnership Board and Save the Children Fund,training and tool kits on youth participationhave been developed and accessed by serviceproviders. The board has allocated fundingto recruit a participation worker to continuethe work.

37

Contact Details for the 14 Pathfinders are outlinedbelow.

Bury PathfinderSafina RashidBury Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Charnwood PathfinderDave PuxleyCharnwood Borough [email protected]

East Lancs Together – Lancashire CountyCouncil, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle andRossendale District CouncilsIan McHughEast Lancs [email protected]

Kirklees PathfinderKaren JohnsonKirklees Metropolitan [email protected]

Leicester PathfinderPaul VaughanLeicester City [email protected]

Mansfield PathfinderJeremy ReganMansfield District [email protected]

Middlesbrough PathfinderShahda KhanMiddlesbrough [email protected]

Peterborough PathfinderNeil DarwinPeterborough City [email protected]

Plymouth PathfinderPeter AleyPlymouth City [email protected]

Rochdale PathfinderAndy WiggansRochdale Metropolitan Borough Council [email protected]

Sandwell Pathfinder Gary BowmanSandwell Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Southwark PathfinderJenny WingateLondon Borough of [email protected]

Stoke on Trent PathfinderSilvia MctaggartStoke-on-Trent City [email protected]

West London Community CohesionPartnership – London Boroughs of Brent,Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow,Hillingdon and HounslowSabin MalikWest London Community Cohesion [email protected]


Appendix:Pathfinder Contact Details


Contact details for the 13 Shadow Pathfinders areoutlined below.

Barnet Shadow PathfinderAndrew NathanLondon Borough of [email protected]

Bradford Shadow Pathfinder Frank HanleyCity of Bradford Metropolitan District [email protected]

Calderdale Shadow Pathfinder Tahira IqbalCalderdale Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Gateshead Shadow PathfinderSteven LamienieGateshead [email protected]

Oldham Shadow PathfinderCraig RussellOldham Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Preston Shadow PathfinderPeter BarghPreston City [email protected]

Redbridge Shadow PathfinderJohn WardLondon Borough of [email protected]

Slough Shadow PathfinderRafiq ChohanSlough Borough [email protected]

Tameside Shadow PathfinderTracey AustinTameside Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Tewkesbury Shadow PathfinderJames KellyTewkesbury Borough [email protected]

Tower Hamlets Shadow PathfinderAyub AliLondon Borough of Tower [email protected]

Thurrock Shadow PathfinderVera MarkosThurrock [email protected]

Wigan Shadow PathfinderRichard HelmnWigan Metropolitan Borough [email protected]

Shadow Pathfinder Contact Details


Notes

Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS

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