Community Cohesion 2003-2004

Tower Hamlets Council won a top government award for its role in creating a stronger, safer and more inclusive community for everyone living and working in the borough.

One of only two authorities in London to receive the community cohesion award, Tower Hamlets has been judged as showing strong leadership by tackling inequalities between different groups, overcoming the fragmentation of communities and encouraging positive relationships between people from a range of backgrounds.

Specifically, the council succeeded in:

• Transforming its Social Services. It is now one of the top 20 improving services in the country
• Helping 1500 local residents into jobs through the Action Team for Jobs programme
• Assisting 85 graduate trainees find permanent jobs under the Graduate Trainee scheme
• Spearheading a drive to improve standards of education in the borough leading to primary and secondary school results improving faster than in any other LEA
• Promoting a workforce to reflect the community - 13% of teaching staff and 21% of all staff working in schools are Asian, the highest proportions in the country; 35% of the authority's own workforce are from minority ethnic communities
• Achieving Level 3 of the 'old' Commission for Racial Equality Standard
• Providing diversity training to 90% of its Customer Services Directorate staff and recruiting bilingual staff (currently 30%) in the Customer Contact Centre
• Balancing the distribution of social housing across the borough thereby helping different communities live together in harmony.

The Beacon Council Scheme was introduced as a result of the government's 1998 White Paper 'Modernising Local Government: In Touch with the People'.

The aim of the scheme is to identify centres of excellence in local government from which other councils can learn.

Each year, ministers from across government select themes in service areas that have a direct impact on the quality of life of local people. Councils are invited to apply, either individually, or in partnership with other councils, under the themes where they can demonstrate that an excellent service is being provided.

Beacon Status Advisory Panel report on Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets Beacon Status application form (Word 160k)

Beacon status report on community cohesion 2003-2004

In awarding Tower Hamlets, the Beacon Status for community cohesion, the advisory panel included the following report:

Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets has demonstrated that it has a positive approach to tackling the issues that underpin community cohesion. The council’s focus, strategies and methods provide a good example for others.

Given the nature of Tower Hamlets as one of the poorest areas in the country, it is commendable that the council has undertaken a fundamental overhaul of policies and actions relating to the community cohesion agenda.

Points of significance include strong leadership, strategic planning, effective partnerships, and improving services and capacity building. The panel recommends Tower Hamlets for Beacon status.

Vision & strategy

Diversity in Tower Hamlets is emphasised as unique in the UK and this is reflected in the new settlers and in the composition of the council itself which includes the first Bangladeshi council leader in the country.

The council’s vision for the area is based on this mix and diversity. Tower Hamlets has been grappling with the issues around community cohesion in a meaningful way since the early 1990s.

Consultation

Tower Hamlets carries out extensive consultation with a wide range of groups and utilises a wide range of methods, including focus groups to ensure input from hard to reach groups.

The council has a database of some 1,500 partners (all sectors) which was used to help shape the community strategy and is also used to consult on service issues and distribute information around key strategies.

Partnerships

Tower Hamlets has a long history of partnership working covering many areas of service delivery. Community Plan Action Groups mirror the key themes in the community strategy and are networks of service providers charged with working together and joining up services.

The council recognises the scope and complexity of the voluntary and community sector and has developed a number of strong partnerships.

Actions

The council has a wide range of actions in a variety of policy and service areas on aspects of community cohesion which are integrated into mainstream activities within the community strategy, the council’s strategic planning, and the race equality scheme.

Tower Hamlets recognises the importance of education in building community cohesion and has a range of services and activities in place to support this, including working with the Council of Mosques to improve school attendance.

Outcomes

In demonstrating the joined-up nature of the policy and the overall strategic approach adopted, outcomes are listed under the five themes of the community strategy.

This reinforces the consistent approach being taken by Tower Hamlets. There is a range of outcomes that impact on community cohesion.

Examples include work being done to contain the potentially destructive ‘gang’ culture within the area. The council is also working progressively towards a workforce that reflects its community.

User and community satisfaction

There is recognition that historically the council has not been successful in communicating success to local people, nor of demonstrating how it meets the specific needs of different communities.

This has changed in recent years. In a recent residents survey the council asked a specific question on community cohesion and got a very positive response across all ethnic groups and all age ranges.

There is recognition of the importance of meaningful feedback to communities to demonstrate that they are being listened to – mainly through a weekly council newspaper (East End Life), which includes a section in other languages.