Community cohesion guidance

New guidance for Local Authorities entitled Community Cohesion Contingency Planning and Tension Monitoring has been published.

The aim of the guidance is to encourage local authorities to better map their communities and the people that live in them. It is hoped that this will assist them in monitoring tensions which arise and in promoting more cohesive and integrated communities.

Better planning

The guidance emphasises the importance of good planning and early intervention to prevent community based conflicts. It advocates the better use of local data, for example improved sharing of information and feedback from the police, neighbourhood wardens and community workers. It also stresses the need to bring together all key players in the community to address issues and to keep watch on tension levels across the community.

Action

The guidance also encourages authorities to think about possible triggers for problems and to take action by:

• Monitoring racist, religious and other criminal incidents closely, looking at where and when they occur and then taking action to resolve tensions that may follow.
• Countering rumours and scaremongering with myth busting information setting out the facts.
• Working with local media to ensure that reporting of local issues is balanced and does not exacerbate tensions.
• Working closely with young people in the community from all different faith and cultural groups.
• Developing greater awareness that increased globalisation means international issues can play out at local level with the potential to threaten cohesion.

The guidance can be seen at: www. communitites.gov.uk/publi­cations/ communities/cohesion planning