Best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies

1. Best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies An action seminar from RaceActionNet 5 June 2007

2. Action Seminar Structure 9.45 Introduction 10.00 Key Challenges for Practitioners Pt 1: Building bridges with faith communities 11.00Refreshments 11.15Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1: The tenancy relationship • Presentation of key guidance and action examples 12.15 Lunch 1.00Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1 continued: Activity 1.30Policy and Practice Focus Pt 2: Area management • Presentation of key guidance and action examples 2.00 Key Challenges for Practitioners Pt 2: Mediation and conflict resolution 2.45 Refreshments 3.00 Policy and Practice Focus Pt 2 continued: Activity 3.45Feedback and conclusions 4.15Close

3. The community cohesion action framework

4. Introducing the community cohesion action framework • Context • Approaches • Objectives • Priorities • Partnerships • Police • Criminal justice agencies • Schools • Local authorities • Faith and community groups

5. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Lettings • Local lettings plans • New arrivals • Choice-based lettings • Long-term ownership • Introductory or starter tenancies • New developments • Large-scale regeneration

6. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship ASB and racial harassment • Polices, strategies and procedures • Specialist staff • Training for housing managers • Swift action on cases • Targeted resources

7. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Record-keeping • Tenancy records • Incidents of ASB • Tenants support needs • Conflicts recorded • Hotpots identified and monitored

8. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Supporting vulnerable tenants • Needs regularly assessed and accurately recorded • Support to sustain tenancies • Vulnerable victims and perpetrators of ASB and racial harassment

9. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Resident participation • Communications with tenants reinforce key messages • Variety of ways for residents to get information (eg DVDs) and become involved • Compacts, estate agreements or good neighbour agreements

10. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Community involvement • Volunteering opportunities • Events and activities to build tolerance and understanding between generations

11. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Young people • Youth clubs and sports facilities • Structured and focussed youth work • Parenting skills and parental control • Specialist anti-gang methodologies

12. Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship Self-review and group discussion

13. Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management • Area or neighbourhood management arrangements • Neighbourhood wardens and Police Community Support Officers • Management of local environment

14. Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management • Access to mediation service • Conflict resolution specialists • Projects to build bridges • Measures to counteract divisive opinions

15. Policy and Practice Part 2: Area management Partnerships • Police • Criminal justice agencies • Schools • Local authority • Faith groups • Community groups

16. Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners Part 2 Mediation and conflict resolution A reflection on your policies and practice Martin Honeywell

17. Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners What are we talking about? Some definitions

18. Why is conflict an issue? Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • It exists. It is real. Disagreements, disturbances, discussions…….conflicts • It consumes time and energy. It distracts, de-motivates, reduces energy, efficiency • It gets into your organisation and re-appears inappropriately • It is systemic in your work. You are change agents • Dealing with it can release energy and creativity

19. What is conflict? Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • A serious disagreement, argument, a clash, a strike, a breaking, a confrontation, a collision, a fight, a struggle • Instant or more usually building over time • It can include violence (and note definitions) • You are not listening, you are not hearing, you don’t understand • Positions, interests and needs are threatened

20. Positive and negative conflict Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Violence • Do you feel bad, frustrated, lessened or exploited after discussion? • Has the issue been on the agenda for a long time? • Does the issue “carry” other issues? • Do conversations, wherever they start always end up at the same place?

21. Violence Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Actual physical violence or the threat of it • Verbal or emotional violence. If by word or action another person feels diminished, abused, discriminated against or in any way lessened in their perception of themselves • Racial, sexual or other forms of harassment • Acid test. How do I feel not what do others think it is justified that I feel

22. Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners PoliciesPractices

23. What you need (Macro) Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Policies and practices to cover conflict prediction (e.g. recognising early warning signs, gathering conflict data) • Policies and practices to cover conflict prevention (e.g. trust building groups, conflict analysis groups) • Policies and practices to cover conflict management and transformation (e.g. including mediation) • Policies and practices for training in conflict related skills

24. Mediation Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Process that helps to bring consensual outcomes to situation that contains a win-loose dynamic • Mediation is voluntary, requires consent of all parties, reaches resolution only by agreement, involves impartial and independent third party, involves facilitated direct conversations between parties • Theory, break conflict down into component parts, build trusting dialogue, negotiate parts

25. Mediation tools Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Conflict mapping • Analyzing positions, interests and needs • Understanding the stages of a conflict or the conflict cycle • Understanding the causes of conflict • Mediation process, plenary and caucus meetings, creating safe space

26. Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (1) Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Understand your own reaction to conflict. Some of us are more comfortable with it that others • Are you risk averse or risk prone? • Are you more concerned with relationships than with outcomes? • Are you concerned about challenging people? • Are you a negotiator?

27. Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (2) Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Commitment to non-violence (and see definitions of violence) • Compassion and empathy • Hope and optimism • Humility • Courage and endurance

28. Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (3) Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Listen. Actively. Give attention to listening. Let them know you are listening • Paraphrase. I heard you say… • Clarify. Do I understand you to be saying… • Summarise. So what you are saying, if I understand is…

29. What to do! Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Be safe and keep those around you safe • DON’T move into others’ personal space • DON’T use body size to intimidate. Sit don’t stand • DON’T cross your arms • DON’T use fists or fingers aggressively • DON’T have persistent eye contact

30. What to do! (2) Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • DO use the person’s name • DO describe what is happening. Name it • DO say that you are here to listen, to hear to understand, to help • DO invite them to talk • DO offer them alternatives • DO stand at a comfortable distance • DO step back, move to the side • DO show your hands and hold them open

31. And finally Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners • Conflict is part of every change process. It is endemic in what we do • Conflict is not a failure. Without conflict there would be little change • It can be successfully managed. You can impact on conflict • Know yourself

32. Policy and practice focus Part 2 :Area management Self-review and group discussion

33. Developing your learning and practice – www.cohesionactionnet.org.uk

34. Best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies An action seminar from RaceActionNet 5 June 2007