Memorandum by The City of Stoke-on-Trent
Council (SOC 60)
As you will be aware, Stoke-on-Trent was successful
in applying for Pathfinder status with respect to cohesion earlier
in the year, in recognition of the high priority placed on this
issue locally by the Council and the City as a whole. Clearly,
in a new policy area, our approach to cohesion is developing and
we are active in establishing and learning from good practice.
However, we believe our experience to date has helped Stoke-on-Trent
to develop some early lessons in this field.
Following the disturbances in Burnley, Bradford
and Oldham in 2001, Stoke-on-Trent was also the site of minor
disturbances. However, due to the prompt actions of local agencies
working in partnership, these disturbances were contained at a
relatively low level. Recognising that there were a number of
issues which contributed to the dissatisfaction, and alienation,
which underpinned the disturbances, a multi-agency group has continued
to meet to tackle these issues.
Cohesion has been adopted by the City's Local
Strategic Partnership as a cross cutting priority for all agencies.
A key objective is to ensure that cohesion is built into the delivery
plans of all the major local providers.
NATIONAL INITIATIVES
We are pleased that the government recognises
cohesion as a long-term agenda, which needs to be tackled through
a cross-agency approach. The LGA guidance has been a useful start
but, like many, we look to the experiences of our own and other
Pathfinder areas to accelerate learning in respect of developing
effective strategies to deal with cohesion effectively.
The additional funding provided by Pathfinder
status will help to accelerate progress but given the very short-term
nature of the funds, Councils will need ongoing support to manage
this agenda effectively. This need not be approached through large
specific funding streams, as these can act against the aims of
mainstreaming cohesion, but through supporting activities in mainstream
services.
We welcome the role played by the Community
Cohesion Unit in providing a cross-governmental response to issues
of cohesion. As these initiatives mature, we would hope to see
cohesion becoming a mainstream issue across all Departments of
State and that complementary programmes (such as Neighbourhood
Renewal) supplement the process. Similarly we are aware of, and
appreciate, the support given to Stoke-on-Trent by government
in helping to tackle the immediate effects and aftermath of the
2001 disturbances and the support in respect of cohesion thereafter.
The Beacon Council Awards in respect of Community
Cohesion for the last round has provided some useful support in
developing and raising the profile of cohesion as a theme. Although
early in the dissemination process, the learning from this initiative
appears to be positive. We believe, however, that it would be
helpful if the Pathfinder programmes and the Beacon dissemination
were more closely aligned to ensure learning opportunities are
maximised.
The effective communication of national policy
in a local context is essential in helping to ensure that local
tensions are not exacerbated. A clear example here, in an area
of heightened tension, is the effective communication of Asylum
and Refugee policy. We need to develop more effective ways of
working together to develop local communications, which reinforce
policy, place policy in a local context, ensure local media are
briefed effectively and provide material to myth burst where necessary.
REGIONAL ISSUES
We welcome the support given by our Government
Office. On all occasions they have provided effective support
in helping the City develop its approach to tackling cohesion.
Officers of the Government Office have played an active part in
our multi-agency group and we, in turn, contribute to the regional
agenda.
We would wish to see all the regional agencies
seeking to develop and mainstream cohesion as a priority issue,
in a similar manner to that being pursued at national level. This
will assist greatly in a consistent approach being taken across
all regional initiatives and again reinforce the "building
in" of cohesion to policy at a local level.
LOCAL LEARNING
As outlined above, this is an agenda that for
us, as for others, is still emerging and we are seeking to develop
further through our Pathfinder programme. We would identify the
following issues as key learning for the City so far:
— cohesion is cross cutting and requires
a multi-agency response at both a strategic and tactical level;
— the cohesion agenda needs high profile
leadership both from a political and officer perspective;
— many of the factors underpinning
cohesion issues relate to directly the inequalities agenda;
— the Grange Estate PPA project demonstrated
the importance of local community based activity and the need
to bend mainstream resources to support communities at risk;
— effective communication and media
relationships are crucial to address issues of local tension and
to tackle myths;
— cohesion needs to be designed into
strategies and plans;
— funding programmes and projects need
to be rationalised at a local level and directed towards cohesion
objectives.
I hope the above information is helpful in the
context of the Inquiry. If I can be of any further assistance,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
Dr Ita O'Donovan
Council Manager and Chief Executive Officer
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