Community Cohesion

Cohesion describes the ability of communities to live and grow in harmony together. It lies at the heart of safe, strong and prosperous places to live.

The Department of Communities and Local Government has set out a vision of an integrated and cohesive community based on three foundations:

• 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
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  And three key ways of living together:
  
  
• 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
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  The Hertfordshire picture of cohesion is a positive one with perception about the extent to which people from different backgrounds get on well together generally high across the county. However, we need to build upon this to ensure we can develop a county where all are valued and included and feel part of a vibrant and healthy community.
  Cohesion strategy development
  
  Hertfordshire County Council and other partners have recognised the need for a strategic approach to maintain and strengthen community cohesion across the county. Hertfordshire County Council has played a lead role in establishing a cohesion group of statutory partners and voluntary and community sector representatives to develop a strategy for the county. The group consisted of representatives from:
  
  
• All 10 District & Borough Councils
• Black and Minority Ethnic Community Groups
• Faith and Inter Faith Community Groups
• HCC (CSF, ACS, Strategy & Partnerships)
• Hertfordshire Constabulary
• Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium (Third Sector)
• Hertfordshire Migration Partnership
• Housing Associations - Registered Social Landlords
• MENTER (East of England Black and Minority Ethnic Network)
• Primary Care Trust
• Schools
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  This group used professional expertise and a detailed evidence base to develop a robust strategy. The strategy's development process helped identify any gaps that needed addressing and helped to generate effective solutions by taking account of what is already happening and building on best practice nationally.
  
  The strategy was signed-off by partners at the end of March 2010. Currently an action plan is in development to translate the aims of the strategy into locally focussed activity. Please click here for information about the cohesion partnership group (link to HF pages)
  
  The Strategy
  
  The vision of the community cohesion strategy is to see a county where:
  
  
• all individuals can access fair services, and have equal economic, health and educational opportunities
• all individuals confidently contribute to communities through active citizenship, participation in volunteering and local decision making
• people feel safe, enjoy a life free of harassment and enjoy strong and positive relationships with those in their community
• individuals respect difference, understand shared values and feel they belong within neighbourhoods and communities
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  The vision is distilled into four key themes:
  
  Building Inclusive Communities in Hertfordshire: This theme focuses on the need to ensure economic opportunity for all residents through tackling inequalities and deprivation and providing fair access to services. It highlights the work of Herts Works Economic strategy and the need to support integration of new and emerging communities through provision of English language classes.
  
  Developing Confident Citizens in Hertfordshire: This theme focuses on empowering communities to contribute to their community through the citizen engagement mechanisms of Herts local, encouraging democratic participation, promotion of volunteering and youth participation in schools and developing a culture of involvement.
  
  Promoting Good Relations in Hertfordshire: This theme focuses on challenging negative behaviours and attitudes such as racism, extremism and prejudice within our communities. The strategy focuses on building tolerance and respect, developing community mediation and responding to community tensions.
  
  Respecting Hertfordshire's Diverse Culture and Heritage: The theme focuses on developing understanding and respect for diverse communities, generating a sense of belonging and shared values. This work will encompass promoting cultural and heritage events, encouraging the use of community facilities and open spaces, developing interfaith fora and building on the cohesion duty of maintained schools.
  
  Action plans will be developed to implement each of the four themes above. These action plans will be focussed on outcomes and will clearly define both leads and resource implications.
  
  For further information on Hertfordshire's County Council cohesion work, please contact Andrew Burt at andrew.burt@hertscc.gov.uk