The report of community cohesion conference held by Diversity House in Swale on 6th October 2010

1. Conference Report
Report By:
Christine Locke

2. Acknowledgements
Thank you to all workshop facilitators and participants for taking the
time to get involved and put forward their ideas for improving
community cohesion in Swale for Kent.
My special thanks go to the South East Coastal Communities (SECC) and
HEFCE for their financial support. I thank Swale Borough Council for its
financial contribution through the community cohesion grant. I would
also like to thank Mr. Abdool Kara, Chief Executive of Swale Borough
Council; Professor Ted Cantle CBE, Institute of Community Cohesion;
Vanessa Walker of I&DEA; Dr. Carlos Moreno, the University of
Greenwich; Chris Bryant, Emma Wiggins, Kirsty Gaunt, Swale Borough
Council; Sarah Williams, Swale CVS; Adam Lott, NHS Community
Services for their spirit of joint working, shared enthusiasm for
involving in the community cohesion project. I would like to thank all
the trustees, volunteers and members of Diversity House for the
undivided support and commitment to community cohesion.
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3. AGENDA – COMMUNITY COHESION COMES TO SWALE FOR
KENT
TIME ACTIVITY PRESENTED BY
9.30 Registration and refreshments
10.00 Welcome and Introduction Christine Locke
Chair Diversity House
10.10 Chief Executive’s Vision and Local
Perspective
Abdool Kara
Swale Borough Council Chief
Executive
10.30 Community Cohesion –The National
Perspective
Prof. Ted Cantle CBE
Institute of Community
Cohesion (iCoCo)
Associate Director, Local
Government, Improvement
and Development (LGI&D)
11.15 Coffee Break/networking
11.35 Workshops
Feedback
Facilitators
12.45 Lunch and networking
1.30 Voluntary Sector Involvement and
Community Cohesion
Sarah Williams
Swale Council for Voluntary
Services
2.00 Workshops Facilitators
3.00 Coffee Break
3.20 Plenary Session/Evaluation Christine Locke
4.00 Close Christine Locke
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4. 1.0. Report Summary
Diversity House is a ‘Not for Profit’ company limited by guarantee and also has a
registered charity status. The charity's aims including the changes or differences
it seeks to make through its activities and the public benefit that is provided.
Diversity House is established for the benefit of minority communities in Kent, in
particular, but not excluding others. Some of Its aims are:
• The relief of need by the provision of advice, assistance, information and
‘drop‐in’ services;
• Advancing education and raising awareness in equality and diversity;
• Promoting activities to foster understanding between people from diverse
backgrounds;
Diversity House in partnership with Professor Ted Cantle MBE (Institute of
Community Cohesion) and I&DEA supported by Swale Borough Council, planned
and delivered a one day conference in Swale. The conference which was aimed
at bringing statutory organisations together with the third sector to explore key
issues and take part in themed workshops.
Diversity House identified some crucial topics for the day as follows:
• How community cohesion agenda should be embedded in major policies
in Swale and Kent
• Raising awareness of the new Government led agenda – “building a big
society” and how community cohesion can assist
• Building resilience and promoting sustainable communities
• Supporting partner organisations to have an understanding of community
cohesion and its role in the current financial climate
• Empowering elected leaders as community cohesion champions
Delegates to the conference took part in community cohesion themed workshops
as below:
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Community Cohesion in Swale and Kent
6th October 2010
Wyvern Hall – The Swallows
Sittingbourne Kent
CONFERENCE EVALUATION REPORT

5. • Community cohesion and regeneration
• Tackling health inequalities through community cohesion
• Relationship between education and community cohesion
• Civil participation through improved community cohesion
The following summarizes the main feedback from the conference.
1.1. Professor Cantle’s presentation – key points:
• 80 languages are spoken in Swale schools and 200 in schools in Kent;
• More migration with more diversity puts more pressure on resources;
• A new identity challenge has arisen in the following ways - the way we
think about our national identity; the way we think about our local identity
and where we live; and the way we think about ourselves as individuals;
all these determine how we relate and mix in our communities. The
outcome could be a cohesive and a non cohesive community.
• Mixed generations – people are living longer and this is reflected by the
percentage of old and young people. Therefore, community cohesion
should encompass intergenerational and cross generational programs.
• People are living within their cultures and not mixing with local
communities around them (that is, insular communities). What is the
position of Swale? Is it a community ‘at ease with itself’? The key
indicator would be – ‘people of different backgrounds get on well together’;
(and others – sense of belonging, trust in local institutions, hate crime).
To respond to the above question, Professor Cantle compared the Kent
County to other areas of the country. For instance, % of ‘people who get
on well with those of other backgrounds’
National average 76.4%
• South East 78.9%
• Kent 75.8%
Neighbouring Counties
• East Sussex 80.0
• Essex 79.9
• Surrey 80.2
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6. • In Swale people have different ideas about cohesion. Cohesion is not just
about race and faith – different divides; between generations; social class;
travelers, rural v urban, gay community etc. There are issues with
eeconomic migrants; between and within minority communities;
community cohesion is no longer about ‘black v white’. In Swale just as in
Kent, there are concerns about ‘pace of change’ and loss of traditions;
conflicts over values, the ‘way we do things round here’; and
ddisadvantaged groups who are poorly performing and becoming
disaffected. In order to promote community cohesion it is pertinent that:
• Community leaders are engaged;
• Establish mixed communities rather than ghettos;
• Educate;
• Build bridges between groups
• Promote community cohesion in schools, health, housing and the private
sector
There are some successful approaches to managing change, countering
ignorance, relieving tension and preventing extremism across the country. Such
community cohesion projects as ‘Living libraries’ and school linking are great
ideas.
Finally, one may need to ask is Swale an entity or Sittingbourne, Faversham and
Sheppey? Communities like people can have multiple identities.
Professor Cantle’s presentation is attached as an appendix to this report.
1.2. Workshops discussions – key points:
Community cohesion and regeneration:
The workshop participants generally acquiesced that there are various
regeneration projects are taking place in Swale and the Rushenden and
Gateway Project was mentioned by most. However, points to note are
responses received on: “how can people feel involved in these projects”?
Several suggestions were proffered such as:
• Communities need to be brought in and involved in regeneration plans
from the onset;
• Regeneration projects should reflect the interest of young people to
ensure that they stay and work in Swale;
• Promote and communicate with people and between groups
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7. Civic participation and community cohesion:
Participants to this workshop raised pertinent questions such as: how can
one measure local civic participation? There need to be a baseline in
order to do this. It was generally agreed that the importance of local
knowledge and sharing of information should be at the forefront of civic
participation. Participants wanted to know the position of the place survey
(is it still taking place?).
Key points to note are:
• How the media is accessed and used will impact either positively or
negatively to democratic participation;
• Participatory activities already happen in Swale. The Borough is blessed
with a vibrant community sector – example cited is the important role of
Diversity House. However, participants felt that there need to be
concerted interaction between the community sector and elected
members;
• Local Engagement Forums – currently are seen not to have moved from
area panels. Participants suggested that there should be a devolution and
decentralization of power from the locally elected members to
communities;
• There are some things that are working well locally. For example, the
provision of grants via LSP for community development; Kent Adult Social
Services find engaging directly with very local groups the best approach
for participation; community events such as the Big Lunch, Beachfield
Play Day and other cultural activities and initiatives (celebration of culture,
Swale Art Forums etc.) are good ways of promoting participatory activities.
It was felt that there are some good engagement activities locally.
Schools community engagement and volunteering projects were cited as
working well in Swale. Sittingbourne Community College and the Isle of
Sheppey Academy were highly commended for the work that they do
within the community;
Community Cohesion and Health Inequalities
Delegates reflected upon what has been done in the past to promote
community cohesion and thereby address health inequalities. Also aspects of
these worked. Many projects and programmes have been initiated in health
to promote community cohesion and tackle inequalities. For instance, Home
Start’s project which supports parents in their own homes, this is carried out
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8. by volunteers who attend an 8 weeks training so that they can work alongside
families to support them any issues they may have with parenting.
Swale Borough Council: Tailored work with homeless people to understand
their holistic issues about why they have come to have housing issues and
this includes understanding their experiences of ill health, often mental health.
So that they can identify what issues led to this and what can be done to help
people prevent becoming homeless again. Example: HELP – Housing
Education and Learning Programme.
Skillnet Group has worked with Maidstone and Tunbridgewells NHS Trust to
support them to produce information in understandable and clear ways.
Healthy Schools Programmes: these are felt to be highly beneficial because
as well as the subject area being specific, the way in which programmes and
projects are implemented and what is included, is more than just the health
subject, it’s a lot about confidence raising, communities and feelings and
emotions, which can help young people to confidently get involved more in
making decisions for themselves and understanding the needs of others.
The “House” project by KCC and the NHS in Kent was example given of
where young people could access support, advice and health information in a
setting which was different to them walking into or seeing a drop in service as
associated with statutory body.
It was suggested that it is imperative to support local communities who wants
to see an increase in cohesion and development by giving them information
on available services and pathways to these services amongst other issues.
Community Cohesion and Education
The workshop began with the introduction on duty to promote community
cohesion in schools. Community from a school’s perspective was discussed
and the meaning of the concept with respect to schools was noted to have a
number of dimensions including:
• The school community – children and young people, parents, carers and
families, school staff and governors, community users of the school,
facilities and services;
• The community within which the school is located – the geographical
community and the people who live or work in that area, etc.
• The UK community
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9. • The global community
Community cohesion standards for schools framework have four key aims
and these are:
• Close the attainment achievement gap;
• Develop common values of citizenship based on dialogue, mutual
respect and acceptance of diversity;
• Contribute to building good community relations and challenge all
types of discrimination and inequality;
• Remove the barriers to access, participation, progression,
attainment and achievement
Participants in the workshop reflected on how a school can contribute towards
community cohesion that is through:
• Teaching, learning and curriculum – helping children and young people to
learn to understand others, to value diversity whilst also promoting shared
values, awareness of human rights (e.g. Personal, Social and Health
Education – PSHE, etc.
• Equity and excellence – equal opportunities, removing barriers to access
and participation in learning and wider activities and working to eliminate
variations in outcomes for different groups
• Engagement and extended services – to provide reasonable means for
children, young people, their friends and families to interact with people
from different backgrounds and build positive relations – e.g. school
linking, links with communities, etc.
1.3. Conference evaluation
• A total 57 people attended the conference
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10. • Overall, delegates reported that they were very satisfied with the
conference.
The conference evaluation report is attached as an appendix to this document.
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11. 2.0. What Would Promote Community Cohesion in Swale?
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Regeneration = involve
communities
(Rushenden & Gateway
project); revitalise High
streets (more appealing
vibes and shops);
promote brighter village
environment; tourism
T
Good information
= Less
consultation,
more listening;
recognise the role
of the media
Build on the good
practices of
Sittingbourne community
college & Sheppey
Academy to encourage
school community
engagement in Swale
Social inclusion = efforts
to include groups that
may feel disaffected e.g.
Gypsy & Travellers,
transient groups, LGBT,
mental health, LDs ,
ethnic minority
communities, etc.
Promote cross
generational and
intergenerational
activities/projects e.g.
Bit 50 etc.
Promote cultural mix=
cultural strategy;
identify & develop
share identity(s) of
Swale/heritage/history;
highlight good points
about Swale
Co-production via
partnerships &
collaboration =
public, VCS & private
sectors;
commissioning &
delivery of services
Acknowledge the vital
role of community
sector and reward
them = Swale CVS,
SCEN (all groups) =
Big Society;
volunteering
Health & wellbeing:
promote knowledge of
local services;
commitment to
engagement; wider
social determinants of
health; flexible and
enabling services
Strong leadership and
development
=commitment of
councillors to cohesion;
training & engaging with
groups; LEF to shift
power to the public
Community
Cohesion

12. The above figure illustrates delegates’ views on factors which would promote
community cohesion in Swale if addressed or implemented. In addition, interfaith
work and involving young people were seen as very pertinent elements to ensure
a cohesive community.
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13. 3.0. Abdool Kara - Swale Borough Council Chief Executive Speech
Community Cohesion Local Perspective – Key Points
3.1. Local Vision of Community Cohesion
The Communities for Local Government department’s “Cohesion Delivery
Framework” published in July 2008 states that an integrated community is based
upon three key foundations:
• People from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities;
• People knowing their rights and responsibilities;
• People trusting each other, and also their local institutions, to act fact fairly.
They also give three key ways that a community should live together:
• A shared vision for the future and sense of belonging;
• A focus on what new and existing communities have in common, but also a
recognition of the value of diversity;
• Strong and positive relationships between people from different
backgrounds.
3.2. Community Tensions
• Community cohesion is at the heart of safe and strong communities
• Events in recent years have shown that where there is a lack of cohesion,
community tensions can result in serious disturbance with far-reaching
social and economic consequences.
3.3. Swale Cohesion picture
• We recognise that we must start from an understanding of our own
context - based on many sources of information such as Place survey,
Index of multiple deprivations, Migrant figures, Crime Statistics, Local
performance indicators.
3.4. Key Challenge
• The challenge in an authority like Swale is to ‘mainstream’ the community
cohesion approach into the everyday business of the council, so that it is
demonstrably integral to the strategic and operational intentions of the
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14. authority - not as a separate strand of activity, divorced from the rest of our
business.
• In essence, it is not just what a small cadre of specialist officers do, but how
community cohesion is seen as a corporate responsibility, with an
appropriate allocation and sharing of workload between different
directorates/departments.
3.5. Meeting the Challenge
• So, our task becomes about demonstrating how the community cohesion
approach is linked to and contributes to other strategies across the
council.
• Our own activity - Swale Borough Council run lots of programmes and
projects which will clearly impact on the cohesion agenda, but there is a
need to better demonstrate how these are linked into the vision and story of
cohesion.
• Also, where relevant, ensure that community cohesion actions and
responsibilities are built into existing and newly negotiated contracts or
partnership agreements entered into by the council with public or
private sector partners for providing services and support in the
community.
• Also, where relevant, ensure that community cohesion actions and
responsibilities are built into existing and newly negotiated service level
agreements and/or contracts with third sector organisations that are
funded by the council to provide services and support in the community.
• And of course, ensure that the wide variety of activities being undertaken
around community cohesion are recorded, shared and monitored as part
of the overall approach.
3.6. Training and Development of Members and Officers
• We have developed a medium to long-term training and development
programme for members and officers, which incorporates and reflects
equality, diversity and Community Cohesion issues, examples:
- The statutory background to cohesion, diversity and equalities;
- The vision for community cohesion;
- Awareness of cultural diversity;
- Being aware of local tensions and sensitivities, and what can serve to
heighten or resolve community conflicts;
- Relationship and alliance-building to challenge extremism and prejudice;
and
- Good practice and learning on cohesion matters from other councils.
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15. 3.7. Examples of good local cohesion work in Swale
• Idea Peer review
• Bit 50 - Business Information Technology for the over 50s
- Delivered by Sheppey Matters with the support of Swale Borough Council
staff and the Community Cohesion Fund
- NEETS and Students from Sheppey Academy at risk of exclusion
trained over 50s in basic ICT skills on a 1-2-1 basis over a 12 week
period
- The course includes researching family trees with the older person sharing
their live experiences.
- The project has been nominated for a Phillip Lawrence Award which
we hear about in October
- The project will be nominated for an LGC award this coming week.
- The external partners are now developing the project to create a
sustainable future for the project and exciting new additions to it.
- Gravesham are interested in taking on the model and rolling it out across
their area.
• Connecting Communities project
- Priorities for the project were to hold a myth busting event and to
encourage civic participation and resident involvement,
developing a local model that could be transferred to other parts of the
borough.
- Local consultation has identified the main concerns as:
 Immigration and the impacts on local employment
 Anti Social Behaviour
 Housing issues not being addressed fairly
- As a result a fun, interactive community Myth Busting Event is being
organised where residents can meet with frontline services, and
practically participate in the development of a Sheerness cook book
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16. 4.0. Workshops
4.1. Health Inequalities and Community Cohesion
Facilitators:
Vanessa Walker: Director of Practice: Institute of Community Cohesion
Adam Lott: Equality and Diversity Manager: NHS Eastern & Coastal Kent Community
Services
Introduction: What do we mean?
• Community Cohesion
• Health, Equality and Diversity
• Long term approach to doing well and improving
Vanessa
Walker
Adam Lott
“If community cohesion is the way to go……”
What has been done before, which worked well?
• Home Start: have a project which supports parents in their homes. This is
carried out by volunteers who attend an 8 week training programme so that they
can work alongside families to support them with any issues they may have with
their parenting. This is hands on, in the home and the volunteers go out to them
to support them.
• Swale Borough Council: Tailored work with homeless people to understand their
holistic issues about why they have come to have housing issues and this
includes understanding their experiences of ill health, often mental health. This
can the identified what issues lead to this and what can be done to help people
prevent becoming homeless again. Example: HELP – Housing Education and
Learning Programme.
• Skillnet Group has worked with Maidstone and Tunbridgewells NHS Trust to
support them to produce information in understandable and clear ways.
• Healthy Schools Programmes: these are felt to be highly beneficial because as
well as the subject area being specific, the way in which programmes and
projects are implemented and what is included, is more than just the health
subject, it’s a lot about confidence raising, communities and feelings and
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17. emotions, which can help young people to confidently get involved more in
making decisions for themselves and understanding the needs of others.
• The “House” project by KCC and the NHS in Kent was example given of where
young people could access support, advice and health information in a setting
which was different to them walking into or seeing a drop in service as
associated with statutory body.
• Community Safety Partnerships are proactive and productive, but the NHS
should be involved in them at a more senior level, bring for example, the police
and health services closer together to understand and react to community
cohesion and health. Front line NHS staff in some services work very closely
with Police, but should be embedded further into the workings of organisations to
really increase health and community cohesion.
How can we support local communities who do want to see an increase in
cohesion and development?
• People need to be able to understand what services are available to them
• Services and types of health services which people can access should be
promoted to young people and children in education, so that they can navigate
their way to necessary services as adults. Service structures will inevitably
change, but they will know what kinds of services to ask about/for. This will
enable communities to build their own education and capacity to become part of
and involved in the wider many parts and services in their communities.
• In education teach young people how to plan, manage and use practical skills
which they would need to use in adult life, such as budgeting and prioritising
money to spend on everyday living. This will increase confidence for later life to
be able to make decisions about essential healthy everyday living.
• Children’s centers: do people generally know what these are and what they are
for? People should be able to see one or hear of one, know exactly what they do
and then access them in an informed way, should they ever need to use it.
Isolated communities or minority communities maybe less likely to use these
services and less confident to walk in one day and ask about them, so less likely
to feel part of their community.
•
What is the best way to communicate between services and
communities/communities and services?
• Majority of people will be involved in a child life in some shape or form, whether
parent, carer, family member or through friendships. Providing information about
services.
• Statutory sector need to be able to spend more time with people and
communities to explore their issues when accessing support, or being referred
for support, so that individual’s wider health and health related issues can be
explored. These may not be specific, but underlying issues or issues which
relate to health inadvertently, will impact long term on how individuals are able to
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18. engage in wider society.
• There is a need to breakdown the stigma attached to seeking help. Some
people have said they didn’t want to seem like they were ‘scrounging’ by seeking
benefits. The word ‘benefits’ itself, has become a stigmatised term and people
do not see them as something which they are allowed to have or owed. This
could be the way in which press and media have portrayed the way in which the
benefits systems operate and who uses them. Therefore more people than we
know of may not be seeking this help and therefore these support systems
should be communicated or marketed differently.
• Stigmatisation of Social services: due to negative press and how they are
portrayed on television programmes is that they intervene and take children
away into care. We do not see enough positive stories celebrated and
communicated about the wide variety of work that social services do to support
all people.
• Many people expressed that it was vital that organisations go out to the public
and whatever the kind of work area, increase outreach. The best way to support
communities is to go out to them and build trust.
• Information needs to be communicated in the right way in the right place. It is
felt that this is and has been hard to achieve but very important.
Who is missed out and often not included?
• Gypsy/travelers are a predominant community in Swale, but people still feel that
more support should be promoted to this group to make them feel part of our
wider community. This group is stigmatized by wider society and they therefore
seem to live on the outside of what we know as community cohesion.
• Aspirations of people and different communities need to be improved. We will
have a diverse view on what aspirations are in different communities and with
people within those communities but people should have equal opportunity to be
able to improve and achieve their aspirations.
• Sexual orientation: Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are often not embraced
into communities and have become even more a minority group.
• Organizations do a lot, that is a given, but there is a feeling in the wider
community that people in organisations do not have enough understanding of
certain needs of certain communities. This does not mean that people do not
know or are unable to learn, just that communities do not feel that this is so.
Their confidence levels in statutory services therefore are lower than it should
be. Example given was the understanding about learning disabilities and
involving people with disabilities.
Champion your needs:
If you had one wish each which you would like to be resolved in your local community,
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19. what would that be? (this was where workshop members anonymously provided reply
slips to this question)
• I wish for better partnership working with health – particularly mental health
• I wish there were no post code lotteries for essential services and support
systems
• I wish I could arrange a timely GP appointment
• I wish that communication could be improved with the public on their level and
their terms
• I wish everyone could know where they can go for help event if this just a central
agency for information e.g. The Gateways
• I wish people could see their GP without having to make a pre arranged
appointment and that all the community knew about it.
• I wish there was secure funding to be able to talk to others and share
information, skills and knowledge.
• I wish that our communities had the confidence, knowledge and trust in both
statutory and voluntary sectors to make informed decisions and enable
sustainable communities, which happens by working together to provide access
to holistic services for all
• I wish that resources could be shared so that when funding for one project or
post dries up there is the possibility of sustainability for some of the initiatives set
up.
• I wish that I could see more interest in volunteering
• I wish that there were more successful outcomes from health and healthy living
interventions in Kent.
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20. 4.2. Regeneration Workshop.
Facilitator: Emma Wiggins, Swale Borough Council.
Morning Workshop:
How can people feel involved in regeneration projects?
Points raised regarding this:
• Sheppey has a sense of place; they have a brand and need people to feel
good about themselves.
• Communities need to be brought in and involved in regeneration plans.
• They need a skill set, involving the schools possibly.
• Find out what is working well and use it to learn from and use personal
experiences to promote a more powerful message.
• Break down barriers and raise awareness.
• Paid employment, ways to enter the world and how.
• Minster, how do we get new people to explore the area.
• Rushenden and Gateway Project and good example of regeneration and
involving community.
• No reasons for younger people to wish to stay and work in Swale.
• Promote and communicate between groups.
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21. • Need to promote a brighter village environment, more appealing vibes and
shops.
• Revitalise the High Street, Sittingbourne.
Afternoon Workshop
• Challenge for existing communities who have a real strong sense of
community and how skill base and aspiration can help in putting in new
schemes.
• Thistle Hill is a new community but people are not staying there.
• How to get temporary commuters to stay after work placements.
• What is the identity of Swale, the heritage and history?
• Perceptions, investments and services.
• Schools are a key factor for people choosing to come to the area.
• No sense of place, need to promote Milton Creek
• Accessible conservation available to all members of the community.
• Highlight good points about the area.
• To provide a networking event to make firm commitments to make
partnerships in collaborating and working together.
• Opportunity for adults to participate in broadly based accessible learning.
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22. 4.3. Civic Participation and Community Cohesion
Facilitator: Kirsty Gaunt, Swale Borough Council
Morning Workshop
• Local measures – surveys, need to know the baseline. The importance of local
knowledge and sharing information. What is happening with the place survey
no longer taking place? How can partners and organisations have an input into
local surveys?
• Role of language is very important.
Democratic Participation
• Use of media
• Access
Local Examples of Participatory Activity
• Important role of community sector – e.g. Diversity House
• How can community sector engage with elected members?
• Local Engagement Forums – formal meetings could be better. Have not
moved on from area panels. There needs to be a power shift from members to
public reps. Setting up in a circle could help.
What works well locally?
• Schools community engagement and volunteering projects with SCC and
Sheppey Academy
• LSP reward money funding community development work
• Kent Adult Services find engaging directly with very local groups best approach
• Community Events e.g. Big Lunch, Beachfield Play Day
• Cultural and fun activities e.g. arts
Wish list
• Face to face contact is the most important success factor
• Need to address stereotyping
• Role of peer pressure and the media
• Changing attitudes
• Role models
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23. • Finding time
• Short term v long term
• Give people a chance
Afternoon Workshop
Volunteering levels fairly stable.
Adults with learning disabilities – there is support and structures in place now and
they do feel listened too
Young people – are more organised structures for engagement
Public meetings
Neighbourliness
Empowerment – start at the very bottom
Why do people not participate? What is hindering voluntary & civic activity?
• CRB checks, Public liability,
• Very bureaucratic
• Don’t feel listened to
• Being let down
What is working well?
Young people – understanding why they need to engage
What isn’t working well?
British Red Cross – struggle to recruit volunteer reps. Volunteers not keen to
take on responsibilities, time pressures.
Virtual Communities v committee meetings
Wish list
• A group that can be accessed by everyone
• Safe haven
• Better partnership working
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24. • Less paperwork
• Less consultation
• Listen
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25. 5.0. You Said and We Did Table
You
(Delegates)Said
We (Agencies)
Did
Responsible When By?
Better communication
between agencies and
groups
Unified
communication
methods
Shared
communication
directory and
events calendar
Simplified methods
of communicating
with communities
and public
Various
communication
methods and
formats
All agencies
Inform and involve
communities from the
onset on regeneration
plans
Various methods of
disseminating
information and
raising awareness
of regeneration plan
Local authority,
Housing, and other
developers
Need to promote a
brighter village
environment, more
appealing vibes and
shops
Local authority,
private businesses
Revitalise the High
Street in Sittingbourne
Initiate the ‘empty
shops initiative’
Local authority,
private businesses
and land lords
Highlight good points
about Swale
Branding and
marketing of Swale,
image reshaping,
etc.
Local authority,
Media, communities
Improve access to
services
Clear criteria for
services made
available;
information on local
services and
pathways into
services.
Gateways.
All agencies
Better partnerships
and collaboration
Transparency,
accountability, etc.
All agencies
Less consultation but
listen
All agencies
Make volunteering Swale CVS and all
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26. appealing and less
cumbersome
SCEN members
Eliminate post code
lotteries for essential
services and support
systems
Health and Social
Care Services
Timely GP
appointment; seeing
GPs without having to
make a pre arranged
appointment and that
all the community
knew about it
Health Services
secure funding to be
able to talk to others
and share information,
skills and knowledge
Shared resources to
ensure sustainability
for some of the
initiatives set up
More interest in
volunteering
Proactive
campaigning and
raising awareness
of the benefits of
volunteering
Swale CVS and
other VCS groups
More successful
outcomes from health
and healthy living
interventions in Kent.
Local authority
public health, social
services, GP
Commissioning,
private sector health
bodies, etc.
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27. 6.0 Conference Evaluation Results
a) Numbers of conference delegates
Conference Attendees
Number of Attendee that completed
evaluation sheets
57 25
b) Overall Satisfaction
Very
Satisfied Satisfied
How satisfied were you with the registration process? 12 13
How satisfied were you with the conference materials
provided? 12 13
Overall, how satisfied were you with the speakers / presenters? 9 16
c) Overall, how satisfied were you with the conference
facilities?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
How satisfied were
you with the
registration
process?
How satisfied were
you with the
conference
materials provided?
Overall, how
satisfied were you
with the speakers /
presenters?
Very Satisfied
Satisfied
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28. d) Sessions Attended
Number of people
that participate in
this workshop
(workshop 1 & 2)
Tackling Health Inequalities through
improved community cohesion
9
Community Cohesion and
Regeneration
12
Relationships between Education and
Community Cohesion.
10
Community Cohesion and Civic
Participation
12
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Tackling
Health
Inequalities
through
improved
community
cohesion
Relationships
between
Education
and
Community
Cohesion.
People took part in this workshop.
People took part in this
workshop.
e) Organisation, Staffing and Information.
Strongly
Agreed Agreed
The content of conference sessions was appropriate and
informative: 12 13
The conference was well organised: 10 15
Conference staff were helpful and courteous: 12 13
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29. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
The content of
conference
sessions was
appropriate and
informative:
The conference
was well
organised:
Conference staff
were helpful and
courteous:
Strongly Agreed
Agreed
f) Approximately how many conferences do you attend a
year?
people
attended 1 / 2
per year
people
attended 3 /4
per year
people
attend
5 / 6
per
year
people
attended
more
than 6
per year
not
answered
11 17 2 3 2
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30. people attended 1 / 2 per year
people attended 3 /4 per year
people attend 5 / 6 per year
people attended more than 6
per year
not answered
g) Rating of the Conference
How would you rate this
conference compared to other
conferences of this type you
have attended?
average good excellent not
answered
9 10 5 1
How would you rate this
conference compared to other
conferences of this type you
have attended?
average
good
excellent
not answered
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31. h) What kind of sessions would you like to see included at future
conferences?
· Specific focus on links between voluntary, public and private
organisations.
· A generation of action points from the workshops.
· Follow up network meetings to make further partnerships.
· Localised conferences rolled out across Kent.
· More emphasis towards adult education.
· Increased focus on disability
. Examples of information sharing, good practice and diversity in
communities.
· Examples and people to show what works well.
· How to put community cohesion practically into practice.
· More information on what certain groups already do.
· More Focus on younger people.
i) What did you like most about the conference?
· Overall contact was good with a wide range of speakers.
· Ted Cantle (several times!).
Well run and organised workshops.
· Keynote Speakers.
· Diversity of the group.
· Knowledge and updates from the speakers and presenters.
· Good links between speakers.
· A sociable atmosphere.
· Network opportunities and a greater understanding of Diversity House.
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32. j) What did you least like about the conference?
· Workshops needed to be longer and more focused.
· Milk and juice in short supply at break time and lunchtime.
· Did not require presentation on Swale CVS.
· Use of Power Point during presentations.
· Poor parking facilities and lack of directions to venue.
· No biscuits!
k) In which ways could this conference be improved?
· Increased promotion of event to engage more people to attend.
· Real life stories presented by members of the public.
· Better refreshments and warmer room temperature.
· Showing practical ways to put Community Cohesion into practice.
· Biscuits in the break period.
· More interactive and participation elements.
· Providing lists with delegate details.
· Providing copies of the various presentations.
· More representation for community groups and more focus on workshops.
· More volunteer agencies to be present.
· Action plans for the local area and feedback given after 3 / 6 and 12
months.
· The conference was ‘uplifting’, just needs more focus and work.
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33. Appendix 1.
List of Delegates
Name Organisation Tick for
Attended
1 Sue Whitehead Rethink √
2 Helena Noifeld BBC South East √
3 Donna Akhurst Swale Mediation √
4 Lee Vallins British Red Cross √
5 Paul Murray The Isle of Sheppey
Academy
√
6 Efe Olokpa Community Service
Volunteers
√
7 Jaime Giddings Mencap √
8 Donald Grant Kent Police √
9 Christine White Swale CVS √
10 Mario Mureddu BBC Radio Kent √
11 Bill Forrester Kent County Council √
12 David Firth Kent County Council √
13 Colin Thompson NHS Eastern and Coastal
Kent
√
14 Allison Thomson Home-Start √
15 Heather Thomas – Pugh BRFM Radio √
16 Karen Taylor Kent Police √
17 Tina Murphy Health Action √
18 Felicity Adams Kent County Council √
19 Lynda Longhurst Kent Adult Social Services √
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34. 20 Geoff Rutt The Sittingbourne
Community College
√
21 Rebecca Walker Swale Borough Council √
22 Kerry Newbury Swale Borough Council √
23 Clare Hunt Kent Adult Social Services √
24 Richard Gifford Kent County Council √
25 Julie Nicholls BRFM Radio √
26 Andrew Mcmillan Kent Adult Social Services √
27 Sandie Hornby Swale Carers √
28 Jane Brooke Mencap √
29 Sharon Mcnaboe Sheppey Youth Action √
30 Fola Ekeigwe DeRock Total Wellness √
31 Tamar Beck Enterprising Opportunities √
32 Cllr Roger Truelove Swale Borough Council √
33 Lisa Whiteing Kent Police √
34 Adam Lott NHS Eastern and Coastal
Kent
√
35 Sarah Buckingham Kent Adult Social Services √
36 Jacqueline Smith Kent Adult Social Services √
37 Susannah Ireland Kent Adult Education √
38 Jassy Purves Skillnet Group √
39 Christine Locke NHS Eastern and Coastal
Kent/Diversity House
√
40 Vandana Manocha Diversity House √
41 Prudence Munetsi Diversity House √
42 Debbie Kent Diversity House √
43 Chris Bryant Swale Borough Council √
44 Emma Wiggins Swale Borough Council √
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35. 45 Abdool Kara Swale Borough Council √
46 Kirsty Gaunt Swale Borough Council √
47 Sarah Williams Swale CVS √
48 James Walker Swale CVS √
49 Sue Mitchell Swale CVS √
50 Professor Ted Cantle ICOCO √
51 Vanessa Walker ICOCO √
52 Pastor Tunde Jotham New Covenant Church √
53 Puddy Bower Diversity House √
54 Richard Bailey Murston Childrens Centre √
55 Sue Brickland Murston Childrens Centre √
56 Aaron Marshall Nacro Medway √
57 Marika Sherwood Diversity House √
35 | P a g e

36. Appendix 2. Community Cohesion and Education
Swale Community Cohesion Conference
Wednesday 6th October 2010-09-26
Community Cohesion and Education
Facilitators:
1. Prof. Ted Cantle: iCoCo
2. Prudence Muntsei: Diversity House
10 mins Introduction: What is?
• Community Cohesion
• Community from a school’s perspective
• Community cohesion standards for schools
framework
• Extended schools
• Long term approach to doing well and
improving
Facilitators will display post cards with explanation
of the above concepts on the groups’ tables to
enable them with their discussion at the next phase
of the session.
Prof. Ted Cantle
Prudence
Muntsei
35 mins Is Community Cohesion the way forward...?
Groups Work: split workshop attendees into groups
to answer the following:
• How does a school contribute towards
community cohesion?
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37. • What does a school need to consider in
promoting community cohesion?
• What are the key ways that can be used by
local authorities in Kent to help build
community cohesion through the education
sector giving the low percentage of BME
children in the county?
• How can schools close the attainment and
achievement gap that currently exists?
• What are the practical steps that can be
taking in creating cohesion within education
in the future?
• What training, Continuous Professional
Development (CPD) and workforce
development programmes for community
cohesion would schools find useful to support
their staff?
Facilitators will stimulate and support discussion in
each of the groups and ensure that everyone has
their say and clarify anything about the session).
10 mins How will you drive forward your needs:
• If you had one wish each which you would
like to see resolved in your local community,
what would that be?
Facilitators to provide examples of what this could
be (e.g. barriers to access, participation,
progression, attainment and achievement; bullying,
race issues and prejudice, inequality in staff
recruitment, etc.) and give participants time to write
37 | P a g e

38. down. Participants will be encouraged to suggest
anything which they feel would improve community
cohesion in education where they live and that these
are achievable
This will be done individually and placed on
feedback slips to encourage a response from every
participant. As some may still not be confident to
respond in group setting. Potential to feedback one
or two at closing plenary.
5 mins Thank you and session ending:
What’s next and what will happen with information?
Actions for Facilitators:
• Collate and write up information
• Give a 5 minutes feedback to conference
attendees
• Handover the feedback sheet to be used for
conference report later.
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39. Appendix 2. Civic Participation through improved Community Cohesion
Swale Community Cohesion Conference
Wednesday 6th October 2010-09-26
Civic Participation through improved Community Cohesion
Facilitators:
Kirstie Gaunt: Community Development: Swale Borough Council
10 mins Introduction: What is?
• Community Cohesion
• Civic, Public, or democratic Participation
• Diversity of participatory activities
• Long term techniques to doing well and
improving
Facilitators will display post cards with explanation of
the above concepts on the groups’ tables to enable
them with their discussion at the next phase of the
session.
35 mins Is Community Cohesion the way forward...?
Groups Work: split workshop attendees into groups
39 | P a g e

40. to answer the following:
• Is civic participation on the decline? If so, can
community cohesion approach make a
change?
• What are the current approaches to
participation used locally and are they working
well?
• Why do ‘Hard-to-Reach’ communities (e.g.
BME, young people, disabled, etc.) not
participate and how can we support them to
do so?
• How can the democratic leadership promote
civic engagement and participation?
Facilitators will stimulate and support discussion in
each of the groups and ensure that everyone has
their say and clarify anything about the session).
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41. 10 mins How will you drive forward your needs:
• If you had one wish each which you would like
to see resolved in your local community, what
would that be?
Facilitators to provide examples of what this could be
and give participants time to write down.
Participants will be encouraged to suggest anything
which they feel would improve civic participation
where they live and that these are achievable
This will be done individually and placed on
feedback slips to encourage a response from every
participant. As some may still not be confident to
respond in group setting. Potential to feedback one
or two at closing plenary.
5 mins Thank you and session ending:
What’s next and what will happen with information?
Actions for Facilitators:
• Collate and write up information
• Give a 5 minutes feedback to conference
attendees
• Handover the feedback sheet to be used for
conference report later.
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42. Appendix 3. Community Cohesion and Regeneration
Swale Community Cohesion Conference
Wednesday 6th October 2010-09-26
Community Cohesion and Regeneration
Facilitators:
Emma Wiggins: Swale Borough Council
10 mins Introduction: What is?
• Community Cohesion
• Regeneration, renewal, transformation
• Sustainable local economic development
• Long term techniques to doing well and
improving
Facilitators will display post cards with explanation of
the above concepts on the groups’ tables to enable
them with their discussion at the next phase of the
session.
Note: Facilitators to explain that attention is
being paid to economic regeneration rather than
a housing regeneration as the current economic
downturn makes it pertinent to focus on the
former.
Emma Wiggins
35 mins Is Community Cohesion the way forward...?
Groups Work: split workshop attendees into groups
to answer the following:
• What are the opportunities for enterprise
development of both new and existing
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43. businesses - what do we want to do?
• How could goods and services be delivered
differently – to keep money circulating locally,
and reduce waste?
• How can we mobilise resources to implement
the empty shops initiatives to ensure that our
high streets do not disappear?
• How can we ensure that the provision of and
promotion of support form part of the local
strategy for economic regeneration?
• How can we ensure that those living in
disadvantaged neighbourhoods have
influence over what happens in their local
estate or area?
• In many places, local energy and creativity
become trapped, and different parts of the
economy – local businesses, voluntary sector
agencies, and the public sector – do not talk
to each other. How do we prevent this from
happening locally?
Facilitators will stimulate and support discussion in
each of the groups and ensure that everyone has
their say and clarify anything about the session).
10 mins How will you drive forward your needs:
• If you had one wish each which you would
like to see resolved in your local community,
what would that be?
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44. Facilitators to provide examples of what this could
be and give participants time to write down.
Participants will be encouraged to suggest anything
which they feel would improve sustainable economic
development and regeneration where they live and
that these are achievable
This will be done individually and placed on
feedback slips to encourage a response from every
participant. As some may still not be confident to
respond in group setting. Potential to feedback one
or two at closing plenary.
5 mins Thank you and session ending:
What’s next and what will happen with information?
Actions for Facilitators:
• Collate and write up information
• Give a 5 minutes feedback to conference
attendees
• Handover the feedback sheet to be used for
conference report later.
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45. Appendix 4. Resumes
a) Professor Ted Cantle CBE – Executive Chair iCoCo,
Associate Director IDeA
In August 2001, Ted Cantle was appointed by the Home Secretary to Chair the
Community Cohesion Review Team and to lead the review the causes of the
summer disturbances in a number of northern towns and cities. The Report –
known as ‘the Cantle Report’ was produced in December 2001 and made around
70 recommendations. The concept of ‘community cohesion’ was subsequently
adopted by the Government and Professor Cantle has overseen the
development of this new framework for race and diversity at local and national
levels.
He is now Professor at the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo), which is the
UK’s leading authority on community cohesion. iCoCo is supported by four
Midlands Universities and a range of other partners and develops and promotes
good practice, provides guidance and conducts research and is sponsored by
governmental and non-governmental departments and agencies. Ted is also
Associate Director at IDeA.
Ted has researched, written, commented upon and developed community
cohesion in practical terms over the last 8 years. He is widely regarded as the’
founding father’ of community cohesion and is this country’s leading exponent
and expert. He is also well known at an international level and has been invited
to advise a number of governments and agencies around the world.
45 | P a g e

46. His book Community Cohesion: A New Framework for Race and Diversity, is
considered to be the authoritative text on the subject
However, most of his work is very practically focused and he is regularly
engaged in advising local authorities and national agencies. He has overseen
over 60 practical reviews and projects and developed a wide range of cohesion
toolkits and assessed dozens of examples of good practice.
He was awarded the CBE in 2004 for services to local government and
community cohesion
Mr. Cantle has extensive experience of two-tier government, the transition
between the two and of unitary authorities. He was the Chief Executive of
Nottingham City Council (which was two tiered for most of the time) between
1990 and 2001. He was Director of Housing in Leicester City Council (two tier)
(1988 to 1990) and in Wakefield MDC (unitary) (1979 to 1983) and was Under
Secretary at the AMA (1983 to 1988) and has also worked for Manchester City
Council (unitary).
He was a member of the Board of the Environment Agency for England and
Wales (from 2000 to 2008) and Deputy Chairman (2005 to 2008). He was also
Chairman of a NHS hospital Trust from 2001 to 2006 and has been a non-
executive board member of two private companies and the East Midlands
Development Agency. In all these roles he has had extensive experience of
strategic development, and at a national, local and regional level. He has
overseen strategic planning and transportation strategies, housing strategies,
community strategies, environmental strategies and business development
proposals. He has been a partner in many other planning proposals, including
health strategies and voluntary sector and community development strategies.
Mr. Cantle regularly speaks at conferences, seminars and workshops and to a
wide variety of audiences, including tenants, elected members, ministers,
professional groups and academics. These events cover the country and many
international settings. In addition, Mr. Cantle has led community consultation
programmes in Leicester, Wakefield, Manchester and Nottingham, with business,
residents, BME and many other groups.
46 | P a g e

47. Mr. Cantle has had over 30 years in front line local government working with and
in two tier, unitary, and metropolitan authorities. He has set up and developed a
LSP and many other partnerships, including the Nottingham Green Group, the
Leicester Environment City, the Youth Offending Team, the Strategic Partnership
for Nottingham, The Nottinghamshire County Sports Partnership (of which he is
still the Chair).
He has worked with councils of all political persuasions and in all parts of the
country and has worked closely with elected members throughout this time. He
also set up and ran the Performance Support Team for the IDeA (2001 to 2003)
to turn round ‘failing councils’ and this required the most sensitive of negotiations
and the building of coalitions and consensus.
More recently, he has worked with over 60 local authorities, at member and
officer level, to advise them on all aspects of community cohesion, again on a
country wide basis, with councils in all areas and all types. These have generally
involved building a consensus across public, private and voluntary sector
agencies.
Mr. Cantle has led community engagement programmes in many areas across
the country, focused on community cohesion, as part of the review process. This
has included wide ranging public consultation and a series of focus groups
representing all sections of the population and on the most sensitive of subjects
to gypsies and travelers, rural isolation, gang violence, religious terrorism, and
racism and sectarianism.
Mr. Cantle has also had extensive experience of tenant and resident
consultation, consultation with tenants (annually in Leicester and Wakefield and
also on a local basis) the business community, planning and development
proposal consultations and strategic development meetings. This has also
included specific consultations with BME communities (twice yearly in
Nottingham), women, older people (on an annual basis in Nottingham) and
younger people. This also extends to local environmental issues for the
Environment Agency (six times per year) and for each of the local councils in
Wakefield, Leicester and Nottingham. Further, he has led patient consultation
meetings for the NHS Trust in Nottingham on many occasions and in respect of
sport for the County CSP.
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48. b) Experience and Expertise: Consultant Resumes
Vanessa J. Walker
iCoCo Director of Practice
Vanessa Walker is on long term secondment from the Improvement and Development
Agency (IDeA) since September 2008. As Director of Practice Vanessa is responsible for
developing community cohesion support:
• Across local government
• In public and cross sector partnerships
• In Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships
• With the NHS
• To elected council members
• Leading work to develop a national programme to be locally delivered for early years
(pre-school) children and parents to respect difference
• She is also responsible for developing relationships with central body organisations
such as the Local Government Association, the Audit Commission and other related
organisations such as the Centre for Intergenerational Practice and the Children’s
Commissioner
An example of a project covering the knowledge and skills required
Vanessa successfully negotiated and secured a programme of community cohesion
development with Hull City Council and its strategic partnership, ONE HULL. The anticipated
outcomes of the programme are:
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49. • For equalities and cohesion to be embedded as a mindset across all staff
and members from the delivery partnerships – achieved through skills
development
• For equalities and cohesion initiatives to be mainstreamed – a thread
running throughout all delivery activities enabled through committed
leadership
• For the Equalities and Cohesion Advisory Group to be considered by
delivery partnerships as the main champions of equalities and cohesion
and be seen as an approachable and professional vehicle to seek
guidance and support – providing the intelligence glue to make
mainstreaming stick
• For delivery partnerships themselves to have identifiable equalities and
cohesion champions consisting officers at all levels and elected members
• To create a climate where shared learning and understanding is an
organisational cultural norm
• That statistics relating to ‘hate crime’ reduce and an improved score is
achieved on national indicator one
• Ultimately for people living in neighbourhoods in all areas of Hull to have
similar life opportunities and enjoy positive relationships with people from
different backgrounds
This programme is due to be completed by April 2011.
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