best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies an action...
TRANSCRIPT
Best practice in promoting communitycohesion for social landlords and partneragencies
An action seminar from RaceActionNet5 June 2007
Action Seminar Structure
9.45 Introduction10.00Key Challenges for Practitioners Pt 1: Building bridges with
faith communities11.00Refreshments
11.15Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1: The tenancy relationship• Presentation of key guidance and action examples
12.15Lunch
1.00 Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1 continued: Activity1.30 Policy 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: Activity3.45 Feedback and conclusions4.15 Close
The community cohesion action framework
Introducing the community cohesion action framework
• Context• Approaches• Objectives• Priorities• Partnerships
– Police– Criminal justice agencies– Schools– Local authorities– Faith and community groups
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
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
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
Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship
Supporting vulnerable tenants• Needs regularly assessed andaccurately recorded• Support to sustain tenancies• Vulnerable victims and perpetrators of ASB and racial harassment
Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship
Resident participation• Communications with tenantsreinforce key messages• Variety of ways for residentsto get information (eg DVDs)and become involved• Compacts, estate agreements orgood neighbour agreements
Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship
Community involvement• Volunteering opportunities• Events and activities to buildtolerance and understandingbetween generations
Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship
Young people• Youth clubs and sports facilities• Structured and focussed youthwork• Parenting skills and parental control• Specialist anti-gang methodologies
Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship
Self-review and group discussion
Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management
• Area or neighbourhood management arrangements• Neighbourhood wardens and PoliceCommunity Support Officers• Management of local environment
Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management
• Access to mediation service• Conflict resolution specialists• Projects to build bridges• Measures to counteract divisive opinions
Policy and Practice Part 2: Area management
Partnerships• Police• Criminal justice agencies• Schools• Local authority• Faith groups• Community groups
Mediation and conflict resolutionA reflection on your policies and practice
Martin Honeywell
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners Part 2
What are we talking about?
Some definitions
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Why is conflict an issue?
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
What is conflict?
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Positive and negative conflict
• 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?
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Violence
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Policies
Practices
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
What you need (Macro)• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Mediation
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Mediation tools
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (1)
• 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?
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (2)
• Commitment to non-violence (and see definitions of violence)
• Compassion and empathy• Hope and optimism• Humility• Courage and endurance
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (3)
• 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…
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
What to do!
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
What to do! (2)
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
And finally
• 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
Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners
Policy and practice focus Part 2 :Area management
Self-review and group discussion
Developing your learning and practice – www.cohesionactionnet.org.uk
Best practice in promoting communitycohesion for social landlords and partneragencies
An action seminar from RaceActionNet5 June 2007