Agenda item

Inclusive Communities Framework

A report will be presented in respect of the Inclusive Communities Framework.

 

Contact:

Jo Richmond – Head of Communities

Stephen Bonnell – Head of Policy and Corporate Planning

Caroline Henderson – Partnership Officer

 

Minutes:

A report was submitted in respect of the Inclusive Communities Framework (ICF) which had been developed to provide a partner-produced strategic approach to building cohesive communities in Kirklees.

 

Councillor Carol Pattison, Cabinet Member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities was in attendance and introduced the Inclusive Communities Framework. She explained that the framework would sit alongside the Council’s Health and Wellbeing, Sustainable Environment and Economic Strategies and set out how the Council and its partners would work with communities to try and ensure a safe and inclusive community. Its development had been shaped by the significant learning from the approach taken alongside communities during the pandemic. The Framework had recently been endorsed by the Communities Partnership Board and was now expected to progress through the Council and partners’ governance procedures.

 

Jo Richmond - Head of Communities, Stephen Bonnell – Head of Policy, Partnerships and Corporate Planning and Caroline Henderson – Partnership Officer attended the meeting to introduce the report and gave a presentation highlighting the following points:

·       It had become clear that communities wanted an ongoing relationship with organisations.

·       The framework was professional facing and had been co-produced with partners. It could be scaled up or down to reflect the needs of different organisations or programmes of work.

·       The framework would wrap around the other top-tier strategies and aimed to be agile and adaptable for use by partners.

·       Three guiding principles underpinned the approach: belief, belonging and trust, and care; and five agreed inclusive approaches would be adopted and form the core of the framework: trusting, equalising, celebrating, communicating and connecting.

·       How impact would be measured and use of the self-evaluation tool.

·       The role of leadership and shared responsibility in implementation.

·       The lead officers for each top-tier strategies met regularly to discuss the connections and dialogue on how the ICF could support development of those three strategies would be ongoing.

 

Questions and comments were invited from the Committee Members, with the following issues being covered:

 

·       In respect of how the ICF and the three core strategies would work together in practice, it was explained that use of the self-evaluation tool was the key. Within the Council it would be used to assess the development of the projects to produce the three core strategies, to ensure that the principles and approaches were being adhered to. If the scores were not satisfactory re-evaluation could take place further to any necessary adjustments. Partners would also be asked how they planned to use the tool.

·       There was minimal reference to Councillors in the document; Councillors were democratically elected representatives, who were at the heart of the communities they represented, and it was considered that there should be a recognition of this and the importance of their role.

·       Councillors would be an integral part of the Council’s implementation plan.

·       The language was considered to be difficult to access and not relatable for people within communities or front-line staff.

·       The framework was organisational-facing but consideration could be given to providing a more accessible summary document to communicate partners’ commitment to working in this way.

·       There should be a focus on positive stories and successful role models from different groups or communities; negativity could impact on motivation, expectations and morale.

·       It was agreed that people’s stories were very important, the narrative was intended to be about empowerment.

·       It was important to ensure that people other than the ‘usual voices’ were heard, but the views of these people were also valid; they were often very committed members of their community who wanted to make a difference.

·       Social media was a rich source of information and monitoring could provide early indications of issues.

·       Monitoring of social media was undertaken by the Communities Team and the Police; this could provide intelligence on potential tensions but also in respect of the local mediation and self-management of issues that took place within communities. It was acknowledged that social media and technology was an area where effectiveness could perhaps be improved. This was a fast-paced and potentially challenging area, particularly in the use of digital media that was not as visible.

·       In terms of tackling inequity, the impact would become clearer once the work programmes using the framework were underway.

·       Significant background research had been undertaken in developing the framework including advice from ‘Belong’ a national cohesion and integration network, practice from a range of partners and neighbouring local authorities, feedback from community consultations, and learning from how people worked together during the pandemic.

·       A wider list of people/organisations had been engaged than those listed as participants in the design circles and strategic reference group.

·       The implementation plan was critically important to provide clarity and allow people to use the framework effectively.

·       In terms of how the community would be brought into decision-making; partners would use those parts of the framework that fitted with their organisation and governance structures. The practicalities of ‘how’ would be easier to see once the self-evaluation tools were applied to different projects to assess things such as what was being done well, what could be done better, were there people within the community who were not being heard?

·       It was noted that, in some respects, the response that had been made to the pandemic was different to normal circumstances and a lot of the resource that had been available within communities was no longer there, for a range of reasons. Whilst the aspiration to consult and engage with the wider community was welcomed there would be challenges associated with doing so.

·       The challenges in consulting with the broader community were recognised. There was a wish to establish trust and to maintain a continued relationship, with a consistent approach and a commitment to reflect on the approach being taken, with services within the Council recognising the part they needed to play in that.

·       It was considered that people knew how to, and would, get in touch with their local councillors if there was an issue they needed to raise. Most people would not choose to engage all of the time.

·       Part of the feedback from the community had come from Place Standard work and it was considered that it supported this approach, although not everyone connected via a place.

·       The document did not clearly refer to action and it was suggested that this could be strengthened.

·       Ward councillors should be consulted in respect of establishing the understanding of community assets.

 

Resolved –

 

1)       That the implementation plan be brought to the Committee for consideration at an early stage.

2)       That the points raised by the Committee, be taken into account in the progression, and implementation, of the Inclusive Communities Framework and that Council be made aware of the Committee’s views, as set out below, when the plan is submitted for endorsement:

·       The importance of the role of Councillors as representatives of their communities.

·       The need for realistic expectations, such as in respect of community input to decision-making.

·       The use of accessible and clear language.

·       The provision of a balance of stories.

·       Reference to all of the engagement undertaken.

·       The need for a focus on action as a key element.

Supporting documents: