1. RESTRICTED - STATISTICS Community Cohesion: the UK perspective June Mason and Reannan Rottier March 2009

2. 2 Overview  Community cohesion: a brief history  What is community cohesion?  Measuring community cohesion  Cohesion delivery framework  Specialist cohesion teams  Meaningful interaction  Citizenship ceremonies  Face to Face and Side by Side: Communities and Local Government’s interfaith strategy  Understanding community cohesion locally: Government Office for London video

3. 3 Community cohesion: a brief history Disturbances in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham (Northern English towns) Summer 2001 The Cantle Report is published and cohesion becomes a policy priority December 2001 Eastern European immigration begins from A8 countries May 2004

4. 4 Community cohesion: a brief history London bombings July 2005 The Commission on Integration and Cohesion reports, proposing a broader definition of community cohesion June 2007 PSA 21 launched; CLG given responsibility for building active, empowered and cohesive communities October 2007

5. 5 What is community cohesion? People from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities People knowing their rights and responsibilities People trusting one another and trusting local institutions to act fairly The Government’s vision of an integrated and cohesive community is based on three foundations A shared future vision and sense of belonging A focus on what new and existing communities have in common, alongside a recognition of the value of diversity Strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds And three key ways of living together

6. The 30 key priorities the Government wants to achieve Each PSA is underpinned by a single delivery agreement Performance indicators used measure progress Public Service Agreements (PSAs) A set of 198 national performance indicators used to measure national priorities http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nationalindicatorhttp://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/nationalindicator National Performance Framework Set out the priorities for a local area, agreed by the local area Local areas select up to 35 indicators from the national performance framework Local Area Agreements (LAAs) Measuring community cohesion: key terms

7. Percentage who think people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area Indicator 1 Percentage of people who have meaningful interactions with people from different backgrounds Indicator 2 Percentage of people who feel that they belong to their neighbourhood Indicator 3 Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their local area Indicator 4 A thriving third sector Indicator 5 Percentage of people who participate in culture or sport Indicator 6 National & local indicator National indicator Measuring community cohesion: PSA 21 7

8.  Our main source of evidence on community cohesion (including meaningful interaction and belonging), empowerment and volunteering  Household survey of adults aged 16+ in England and Wales  Nationally representative core sample of almost 10,000 people plus a minority ethnic boost of 5,000 people  Data collected through face to face interviews (approx 60mins)  First conducted in 2001  Since 2007: continuous design with findings available quarterly (last statistical release available: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/1 133115.pdf ) http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/1 133115.pdf  A National Statistics product Measuring community cohesion: The Citizenship Survey 8

9. The Citizenship Survey shows that nationally, cohesion has remained high since 2003: Measuring community cohesion Percentage who think people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area Indicator 1 9

10. Meaningful interaction is high: Measuring community cohesion Percentage of people who have meaningful interactions with people from different backgrounds Indicator 2 10

11. Sense of belonging has increased: Measuring community cohesion Percentage of people who feel that they belong to their neighbourhood Indicator 3 11

12. Cohesion levels vary locally: Measuring community cohesion: the local picture 12

13. Measuring empowerment Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their local area Indicator 4 13

14. Measuring community cohesion: it’s complicated but crucial Individual attitudes & behaviours Cohesion is also associated with a range of individual- level attitudes and behaviours, including perceived ability to influence decisions and participation in volunteering. Community- level factors Above and beyond individual level factors, the type of community that people live in also has an effect on whether they feel that their local area is cohesive. Individual demographics Individual-level demographic characteristics can be associated with perceptions of cohesion. Understanding for which groups perceptions of cohesion are lowest can help with ensuring policies/interventions are targeted at the right people. 14

15. RESTRICTED - STATISTICS Community Cohesion: It’s over to you 15

16.  £50 million investment to promote community cohesion and support local authorities in preventing and managing community tensions  New guidance for local authorities through the Cohesion delivery framework, which is updated on a regular basis http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/com munities/cohesiondeliveryrevised http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/com munities/cohesiondeliveryrevised  A range of other commitments, including Specialist Cohesion Teams The Department’s response to the Commission on Integration and Cohesion 16

17. Specialist cohesion teams  Provide advice and support to local authorities facing cohesion challenges – particularly those areas facing rapid change or experiencing migration for the first time  Provide advice on conflict resolution, mediation, leadership and on the steps that local leaders might take when new people arrive in their area  Pilots in two areas – Breckland and Barnsley – ran from July 2008 to January 2009  Evaluation of the pilot underway, due to report March 2009  Aim to roll teams out to other local areas facing cohesion challenges 17

18. RESTRICTED - STATISTICS Meaningful interaction: The golden thread of cohesion 18

19. Meaningful interaction: definition “…conversations [which] go beyond surface friendliness; in which people exchange personal information or talk about each other’s differences and identities; people share a common goal or share an interest; and they are sustained long-term (so one off or chance meetings are unlikely to make much difference)” (Commission for Integration and Cohesion, 2007) 19

20.  Meaningful Interaction between people from different backgrounds reduces stereotypes and prejudices; and more generally can lead to better health, wealth and happiness for individuals including less crime, fear of crime and mitigation for the impact of deprivation for communities  Having friends from different backgrounds is one of the key predictors cohesion; meaningful interaction is therefore a key component of building cohesive communities. Meaningful interaction: Why it’s important 20

21.  Like other cohesion work, our work on meaningful interaction is about people from all different backgrounds, rather than being limited to people from different race and faith backgrounds.  Intergenerational interactions or interactions across social class, for example, are also important.  CLG Ministers are fully supportive of this approach. Meaningful interaction 21

22.  Interaction is an integral part of other activities – so if you wish to take specific actions to bring people together from different backgrounds, then it is most effective to make this a natural outcome of another activity  Deciding to support interaction means that organisations may need to make a commitment to it, as success depends on sustaining this work not one off events  You may wish to promote its benefits, to promote a “culture of civility” and help people feel they have a voice. Meaningful interaction: Important principles

23. 23 Face to Face and Side by Side: the department’s interfaith strategy  Launched July 2008  A framework to help government, faith communities, faith-based and third sector organisations, inter faith organisations and wider society to work together  Face to Face: dialogue which leads to faith communities having a better understanding of one another, including celebrating the values held in common as well as acknowledging distinctiveness  Side by Side: collaborative social action involving different faith communities and wider civil society, which brings about positive and concrete change within local communities

24.  Publishing Guidance for Local Authorities and Partners  Working with Housing Association and Public Housing Providers  Working with Charitable Funders.  Investigating the role of good design in encouraging MI  Commissioning new up to date research to inform our work and the work of other in the future.  Sponsoring several large scale Iconic Projects that have a ‘Feel Good’ effect.  Examples of good practice on the recently set up ‘portal’  Influencing other Government Departments to include MI in their policies. Meaningful interaction: What we’re doing 24

25. RESTRICTED - STATISTICS Understanding community cohesion locally: Government Office for London video 25

26. Further information June.Mason@communities.gsi.gov.uk Reannan.Rottier@communities.gsi.gov.uk General information on our cohesion work http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/racecohesionfaith/ General information on the Citizenship Survey http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities-study 26