Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Written Evidence


Memorandum by Oxfordshire County Council (SOC 62)

  Thank you for your letter of 17 July 2003, addressed to the Chief Executive, Dr Richard Shaw, requesting a submission to the ODPM Select Committee Inquiry into Community Cohesion given our local Public Service Agreement for race equality, (ie to improve GCSE results for ethnic minority pupils).

  Dr Shaw has asked me to respond on his behalf.

Pupil Level Attainment

  Oxfordshire County Council recognises that our communities are more likely to be cohesive where children from different backgrounds have an equal chance of attaining good GCSE grades.

  During 2002-03, the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grade A*-C or equivalent was 51.5%.

  Historically, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean children, in particular, have significantly under achieved. During academic year 2000-01, the respective performance of these groups was 27%, 32% and 35%.

  The local Public Service Agreement aims to improve this performance to at least 42%, 47% and 52% respectively by the end of academic year 2004-05, compared to a target for all pupils of 58%. This will represent a major improvement in relative attainment levels. Ethnic minority communities are being actively involved in initiatives to achieve these objectives.

  For example, Oxfordshire County Council has provided funding for African Caribbean study support; supported the provision of weekend language schools; organised conferences on good practice in raising ethnic minority achievement in partnership with ethnic minority community groups; and developed mentoring schemes for young people, including the recruitment of ethnic minority mentors.

 Regular meetings are held between senior officers from the Learning & Culture Directorate and ethnic minority community representatives, focussing specifically on educational achievement. The Chief Executive has also held meetings with ethnic minority community representatives on a similar basis.

Racist Incidents

  Oxfordshire County Council has been engaged in actively tackling racist incidents through multi-agency working since 1989.

  From 1998 to 2002, the Council chaired a multi-agency Single Regeneration Budget Partnership, "Agencies and Communities Tackling Racial Harassment in Oxford", involving a comprehensive range of statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies. The scheme's lead agency and accountable body was Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council.

  The scheme sought to provide a highly effective, comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to tackling all aspects of racial harassment, initially in Oxford and subsequently across the whole of Oxfordshire, although it was an extremely small scheme in Single Regeneration Budget terms.

Key activities included, the establishment of a central system for reporting, recording and monitoring racist incidents; the development of community based counselling, advice and support services; public education initiatives; work with young people; and a workplace consultancy service for local employers.

  Quantifiable outputs included, 57,500 beneficiaries of community safety initiatives; 150 young people benefiting from projects to promote personal and social development; 7 people trained obtaining qualifications; 32 pupils benefiting from projects designed to enhance and improve attainment; and 32 businesses advised.

Although Single Regeneration Budget funding came to an end on 31 March 2002, Oxfordshire County Council has continued to provide funding and support for Oxfordshire Racial Equality Council to maintain scheme activities and multi-agency working to tackle racist incidents.

Additional Community Cohesion Indicators

  Oxfordshire County Council has a planned schedule for asking community cohesion questions in Citizens Panel local residents' surveys. The intention is to ask a range of questions during the year, with the same question repeated at the same time annually, so that any change in popular perceptions can be identified.

  Oxfordshire County Council also participates in the South East Community Cohesion Network, co-ordinated by the Government Office for the South East.

Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre, Piddington near Bicester

  Approval was recently granted for the construction of an accommodation centre for up to 750 asylum seekers at Piddington, near Bicester in Oxfordshire.

  Without prejudice to its opposition in principle to the creation of the proposed centre, Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to tender for the provision of services, including education and library services, to the contractors appointed by the Home Office.

  The centre has already raised concerns regarding its possible impact on cohesive communities and good race relations. The provision of tendered services by the Council may help to mitigate some of these concerns due to synergies with existing local services and the Council's commitment to promoting good race relations. However, the costs, which the development would be likely to impose on the local community, remain a potential source of tension.

  Of further concern is the notable recent increase in far right political activity in and around the Bicester area. The National Front has announced its intention to hold recruitment rallies across Oxfordshire and to stand candidates in future local government elections. Also, racist graffiti, swastikas and "BNP" signs have recently been daubed on public and private property in the area.

  This is likely to present a number of community cohesion challenges for Oxfordshire County Council and other local public and voluntary sector agencies.

  I trust that the Select Committee will find this submission useful for the purposes of its inquiry.

Derek Bishop

Head of Democratic Services





 
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