Community Cohesion

Thursday April 17th 2008, Charing Cross Hotel, Guoman - London, 09:30 - 14:00

Building Community Cohesion Through Partnership

"The time is right to look again at what we need to do to freshen our approach to integration and cohesion. That means being honest about the challenges we face and being prepared to meet those challenges head on with a renewed energy and impetus."

Rt. Hon. Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, February 8th 2008

Overview

The Government recognises that diversity has brought enormous economic benefits, but the change and migration have also created challenges. The Government’s aim is to create thriving places in which a fear of difference is replaced by a shared set of values and a shared sense of purpose and belonging. To help reinforce this, back in October 2007, the Government announced a ten-point action plan to promote cohesion and tackle community tensions including a £50 million investment.

Cohesion and resilience is one of the themes under which local authorities will be able to apply for 'beacon status' from March 2008 and applications for all beacon themes will need to demonstrate cohesion among other factors.

Agenda

09:30	Registration and Coffee
10:30	Chair’s Welcome Address Michelynn Lafleche, Director, Runnymede Trust
10:45	Government’s Role Promoting Cohesion and Integration Ciara Wells, Head, Cohesion & Faiths Division, Communities and Local Government
11:00	The Role of the Public Sector in Promoting Cohesion and Integration Nick Johnson, Director, Institute of Community Cohesion
11:15	The School’s Role in Promoting Community Cohesion Roy Blatchford, Director, National Education Trust & Former Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools, England
11:30	Building Partnerships with Voluntary, Community and Business Sectors to Promote Community Cohesion Kai Rudat, Director, Office of Public Management (OPM)
11:45	Questions and Answers Session
12:50	Chair’s Summary and Conclusions
13:00	Lunch and Networking
14:00	Close

Audience

The audience will be representative of the diversity of the issue and the stakeholders present will include, community safety teams, police & fire authorities, LSPs, housing organisations, CDRPs, drug and alcohol action teams, community partnerships, faith organisations, youth offending teams, transport authorities, neighbourhood wardens, employment services, diversity & equality officers, victims support, neighbourhood strategy managers, refugee & asylum support officers, race hate crime co-ordinators, children’s trusts, education authorities, licensing teams, neighbourhood renewal directors, community projects & regeneration officers, planning authorities, social inclusion officers, urban renewal initiatives and city partnerships, community cohesion officers, schools, local criminal justice boards, prison/probation service, PCTs, central government departments & bodies, unions, academia, the private, legal & voluntary sectors and all those involved in building cohesive communities.