Integration and cohesion in Kensington and Chelsea

Background to ‘Our Shared Future’

In June 2007 the commissioned report ‘Our Shared Future’ was published by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

The report was produced following research and a series of consultations with communities across the country and highlights the importance integration and cohesion which should no longer be purely about race, faith or other forms of group status or identity. Integration and cohesion is about how everyone can get along and achieve benefits which are mutually desirable for all.

The report provided an analysis of the current state of integration and cohesion in England which included:

• 79% of people agreeing that people of different backgrounds got on well in their local area.
• Improving cohesion is about addressing multiple issues.
• Deprivation remains a key influencer of cohesion.
• Diversity can have a negative impact on cohesion but only in particular local circumstances.
• Settled communities are worried about their fair allocation of public services with some thinking immigrants and minorities are getting special treatment.

The Commission therefore define an integrated and cohesive community as one where:

• There is a clearly defined and widely shared sense of the contribution of different individuals and different communities to a future vision neighbourhood, city, region or country.
• There is a strong sense of an individual’s rights and responsibilities when living in a particular place.
• Those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities, access to services and treatment.
• There is a strong sense of trust in institutions locally to act fairly in arbitrating between different interests and for their role and justifications to be subject to public scrutiny.
• There is a strong recognition of the contribution of both those who have newly arrived and those who already have deep attachments to a particular place.
• There are strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and other institutions within neighbourhoods.

What the Commission recommends includes:

• Local authorities to have some form of integration and cohesion policy based on knowledge of the local population and any tensions between different groups.
• Local areas should map their communities and use that map as an important way to identify tensions and opportunities.
• Integration and cohesion targets to be included in local strategies and plans and the Audit Commission ensure Integration and cohesion measures are incorporated into the Comprehensive Area Assessment regime.
• Local authorities have workforce strategies in place that have clear action plans for increasing the diversity of its workforce and Councillors.
• Integration and cohesion policy generate a working sense of citizenship.
• Strengthening and expanding citizenship ceremonies to include all young people.
• A new programme of voluntary service for young people linked to local citizenship.
• A new national body to manage integration of new migrants which is independent of Government.
• Joint working between the local authority and the local voluntary and community sector to produce welcome packs and cultural briefings for new migrants in the area.
• Sustainable Community Strategies and Local Area Agreements should include a strategic approach to community capacity building based on Firm Foundations framework and funded adequately.
• Every local authority maintain a communication plan in place to ensure all communities are kept abreast of changes and the reasons for them.
• Local areas consider how shared activities can be used as the driving force for the interaction projects that they fund.
• National and cultural development agencies should require applicants for funding to demonstrate their commitment to integration and cohesion outcomes as part of its funding criteria. This should also apply to local public agencies when considering the potential for bridging activities across communities when funding sports and arts projects.

Kensington and Chelsea’s approach to date

Cohesion and equalities issues are mainstreamed within the community strategy with a separate chapter with its own set of aims and objectives on community, equalities and inclusivity. To date the Council has carried out a number of activities to achieve stated aims and objectives, these include:

• The development of the new Community Engagement Team
• The new sub partnership of Kensington and Chelsea Partnership – the Community, Equalities and Inclusivity sub-group.
• Cohesion indicators contained in the local area agreement
• Funding local infrastructure organisations that build the capacity of the local voluntary and community sector
• Supporting Citizenship ceremonies in the borough
• Supporting individual BME projects in the borough
• Supporting and celebrating the Notting hill Carnival

The Commission defines cohesion as the process that must happen in all communities to ensure different groups of people get on well together and integration as the process that ensures new and existing residents adapt to one another.