COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (112) issued by The Government News Network
on 14 June 2007
THE COMMISSION ON
INTEGRATION AND COHESION
The final report from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion
setting out the steps that need to be taken to build strong,
cohesive and integrated communities is published today. This can
be found at: http://www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk/Our_final_report.aspx
The independent Commission chaired by Darra Singh was established
by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and tasked with considering
what local and practical action is needed to overcome the barriers
to integration and cohesion. Over the past year they have visited
towns and cities across the country gathering evidence on how
communities themselves are taking action in response to their own
circumstances and particular cohesion challenges.
The Commission's report, Our Shared Future puts forward a
wide-ranging set of recommendations for practical action to
address cohesion and integration issues at a local level, along
with suggestions for a national framework to support these.
Some of the key areas covered by the report include how we
promote and support English language speaking, developing a new
role for local authorities with strengthened support from national
government and how we put a renewed focus on citizenship.
The report contains detailed research into how cohesion issues
are affecting areas in different ways and how the nature of the
cohesion challenge has changed.
In 2001, tensions between established groups led to disturbances
in some Northern Towns. This unrest prompted the Government to
respond at a national level - setting out a new cohesion policy
based on the experiences of those towns. As Britain grows more
diverse and globalisation brings new patterns of migration, the
challenges may have changed and become more complex. Each area of
the country is different and local responses are therefore needed
to respond to the issues of cohesion and integration.
The report underlines the need to move away from a single
approach
towards more sophisticated analysis and tailored
local solutions in order to make communities more resilient and
united in dealing with the present and future challenges. It
stresses the need for a more local approach in each area.
Chair of the Commission Darra Singh said:
"Diversity continues to be both a huge economic and cultural
strength for our country. As a nation we have a long tradition of
fairness and tolerance and these traditions hold true today. We
are also more united and cohesive than most countries across
Europe and around the world.
"Our latest research shows that almost 80% of people think
that individuals from different backgrounds get on well in their
area, and as a Commission we have been struck by this sense of
optimism and commitment to building strong communities.
"At the same time, Britain continues to become a more
diverse country with globalisation bringing new patterns of
change. We have to recognise that there are communities who are
experiencing migration in a way they haven't before. This can
raise real challenges in different parts of the country about how
we promote integration and ensure we have strong and united communities.
"Whilst there is no cause for alarm, there is a clear case
for action. Our report sets out the challenges and the practical
steps that everyone - individuals, organisations, local and
national government - can take to overcome them and work towards
developing our shared future.
"These proposals need to be acted upon at a local level to
ensure we are well-placed to tackle the new challenges and do not
risk losing the cohesion we hold dear."
The principle of shared futures underpins the work of the
Commission. Shared futures is about an emphasis on articulating
what binds communities together - rather than the differences that
might divide them - and is about prioritising a shared future over
divided legacies. This is at the heart of the Commission's recommendations.
The Commission make recommendations on a number of key
integration and cohesion issues including:
CITIZENSHIP and INTEGRATION
Citizenship is about recognising what we have in common, rather
than focusing on difference. The Commission have looked closely at
what more can be done to support greater integration and
interaction and to encourage more people to play a more active
role in society. They recommend:
A nationally sponsored community week - with a strong focus on
celebrating the history and diversity of the local area and
bringing people from different communities together, this week
would provide an opportunity for local people to play a more
active role in their local area - and develop relationships with
people from outside their communities at the same time. Shared
activities like regenerating local parks or community centres
should be used to give diverse communities shared goals and a
sense of purpose. Places of worship should open their doors and
invite people in to see what happens in them. Local employers
could open their doors to show how they are contributing to the
local community. Street parties and festivals should be used to
demonstrate what neighbourhoods and local people have in common.
Activities should focus on civic pride, developing local
understandings of citizenship and democracy and shared values.
National school linking programme - Through visits, virtual
links, speaking events, trips and cross school learning, school
children would have the chance to meet up with other pupils from
across the county and/or country. The programme would be
nationally co-ordinated through a dedicated website.
Volunteering - the Commission would like to see a new national
programme of voluntary service for young people expressly linked
to local citizenship and the chance to contribute to their local
area. Cohesion and integration would be at the heart of these
programmes and focus on bringing people from different backgrounds
together e.g. old and young people, people of different races and
faiths, to work on shared projects in their local area. The
community week could provide a focus for this work but the
Commission would like to see the youth volunteering body
"V" taking the lead on this all year round and in
particular would like to see young people taking part in voluntary
work immediately after their GCSEs.
The Commission also want to see more opportunities for adults to
get involved in their local communities. They suggest that large
employers should consider allowing employees up to 3 days paid
leave a year to participate in activities e.g. volunteering for a
local charity.
GCSE Citizenship ceremonies - The (short
course) GCSE in Citizenship Studies is currently the fastest
growing GCSE. There were 38,000 entries for the GCSE in 2005 - up
10,000 on 2004. Due to demand from schools a full course is
currently being developed that will be available by 2009.
The
Commission recommend that graduation ceremonies be held for young
people completing their Citizenship GCSE. They say that in time
this could be rolled out to all pupils. Organised by schools and
linked to town hall ceremonies, the joint ceremonies would provide
an opportunity to publicly mark a young persons understanding of
what it means to be a responsible citizen in modern Britain and
put a greater emphasis on what we all have in common.
MANAGING INTEGRATION
Strong local leadership is vital to managing successful
integration and cohesion particularly when responding to changes
in the local population. The Commission set out a new role for
local authorities to lead on cohesion issues backed up by more
support from national government where necessary. They recommend:
A new role for Local authorities - All Local authorities should
spend time mapping their local areas and local population,
understanding who lives in each ward, the make up of local schools
and the different religious groups worshipping in their area. This
information should then be used to strengthen local leadership,
help local authorities to know more about their local communities
and how to better meet their needs. It will help them to identify
integration issues arising within communities, likely changes in
population and develop targeted interventions in response. The
Commission recommend that local authorities consider both the
needs of new communities, and the responses from settled
communities. They point to existing schemes where the issues of
settled communities have been managed by engagement between Local
Authorities and local residents' associations, for example,
or through targeted communication and myth-busting.
National integration body - The Commission are recommending the
creation of a new national body to manage integration and provide
support for local authorities experiencing new migration.
Sponsored by Communities and Local Government, this independent
body would be responsible for supporting the integration of new
migrants. Drawing together best practice from around the country
and providing advice and guidance to authorities and public bodies
dealing with integration issues, the body would also look at how
responses need to be better tailored to reflect different groups
e.g. spouses, seasonal migrant workers, students on educational
exchange programmes and provide an advice line for local
authorities experiencing issues.
Specialist integration and cohesion teams should be on hand to
support local authorities deal with particular local issues and
challenges arising from significant changes in the local
population. Part of the national integration body, the teams would
be made up of integration experts with experience in managing
change, conflict resolution, public service planning and mediation
skills. They would advise local authority leaders, local
communities, schools, hospitals and other public services on the
actions they could take to support integration and work with
settled communities to manage new migration and change.
Local contracts. The new integration body would work with local
authorities to develop local agreements or contracts for new
arrivals that would set out the expectations and responsibilities
that local areas have in terms of what is and is not acceptable
behaviour. These would build on the excellent work already been
done in some areas.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
MORI research produced on behalf of the Commission found that 60
per cent of the people surveyed agreed that the biggest barrier to
"being English" was not speaking the language. The
Commission have looked at ways to better support migrants and
settled communities to get the language skills they need.
Translation - The Commission would like to see an end to the
assumption that materials should always be translated into
community languages - translation should be reduced except where
it builds on integration and cohesion. The Commission recommend
that the Department for Communities and Local Government publish
guidance, based on the principles set out in their report, to help
public bodies make informed decisions.
More English language provision - money saved through a reduction
in translation should be reinvested in English language provision
to boost language skills amongst non-English speakers and ensure
that vulnerable groups get the support they need. The Commission
also urge the DfES to reconsider current ESOL funding arrangements
in the wake of concern amongst those that they consulted and look
at more innovative ways of making ESOL provision available.
Business
The Commission believe too it is only right that
those who benefit most from migration, including businesses that
employ migrant labour, should pay a contribution towards the cost
and provision of ESOL training. The Commission are clear that only
large businesses would be asked to contribute in this way - and
that this idea is something that is already being done by some
leading employers.
FUNDING
Funding single issue groups rather than using public
money to support whole community projects can be regressive and
divisive and should be the exception rather than the rule.
In a survey carried out on behalf of the CiC almost half of
respondents said that it was 'differences' and lack of
contact that prevented people from different communities getting
on well together.
Throughout their report the Commission stress the importance of
communities being helped to interact, they make clear that the way
in which community projects are funded is a crucial part of this.
The Commission recommend that unless there is a clear business
and equalities case, single group funding should not be promoted.
In exceptional cases where such funding is awarded the provider
should demonstrate clearly how its policies will promote community
integration and cohesion.
The Department for Communities and Local Government should
produce guidance for grant making bodies and local authorities to
assist them in making decisions about single group funding.
The Commission also make clear that there are sections of
Government funding that need to be considered in terms of their
impact on integration and cohesion. For regeneration budgets, for
example, they recommend that the new Communities England ensures
that it spends its money in a way that brings people of different
groups together, and this applies to a number of other
organisations in the report such as the Arts Council, and Regional
Development Agencies.
Notes to Editors
This Press Notice applies to England
1. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion is an independent
body chaired by Darra Singh, Chief Executive of Ealing Council.
2. The Commission was established by Ruth Kelly the Secretary of
State for Communities and Local Government in August 2006.
3. Darra Singh was appointed chair of the Commission in June
2006. The other 13 commissioners were announced on 24 August
2006. They are: Michael Keith, Nargis Khan, Hamza Vayani, Leonie
McCarthy, Frank Hont, Harriet Crabtree, Ed Cox, Sam Tedcastle,
Steve Jordan, Decima Francis, Steve Douglas, Ebrahim Adia, Ramesh Kallidai.
4. Today's news release is issued by the Commmission on
Integration and Cohesion via the Department for Communities and
Local Government media network.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400