Current guidance in the election period
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have issued
guidance on maintaining good race relations during elections:
News:
New leaflets which provide information about
Migrant Workers,
Gypsies and Travellers and
Refugees and Asylum Seekers are now available. If you
would like printed versions then please contact Allison
Coleman, Social Inclusion Co-ordinator
on allison.coleman@suffolk.gov.uk
or telephone 01473 265160.
Community cohesion is about recognising the impact of change and
responding to it. It is about people within communities coming
together to interact and participate with one another. Community
Cohesion is principally the process that must happen in all
communities to ensure different groups of people get on well
together.
Suffolk’s diversity is developing – socially, culturally and
economically. This has brought enormous benefits. For example, more
than 105 languages are spoken in Suffolk schools, which adds to the
richness of the county. The inward flow of migrant workers into
Suffolk is supporting the economy in positive ways. Responding to
these changes, and the needs of existing communities, will ensure
that Suffolk County Council continue to develop services that take
into account the needs of our communities. Anyone
coming to live and work in Suffolk can also get access to a wide
range of information on the
welcome pack
website. This site is translated into Polish, Portuguese,
Russian and Lithuanian. Visitors to the site can find out about
topics including employment, housing, education, health and
culture.
This risk of not developing community cohesion will be:
- Lack of opportunity for individuals to contribute to the
development of local services.
- An increase in tension and levels of exclusion within
communities.
- A breakdown of understanding between different groups and
communities where they feel unsupported and devalued.
- Lack of trust within communities and of statutory
agencies.
To support this area of work within the county council, a
Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion Strategy (PDF 100k) and
a
Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion Toolkit (PDF 100k) have
been developed. This includes five social inclusion principles
which will be embedded across the organisation:
- Understanding the needs of individuals, families,
neighbourhoods and communities.
- Recognising, planning for and responding to the changing
demography of Suffolk.
- Recognising that social exclusion can affect anybody.
- Understanding the specific barriers to participation faced by
individuals and communities.
- Involving individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds
in planning services.
Social Exclusion, Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion are
inextricably linked. Sometimes the terms are used as one and the
same. However, there are subtle differences between them as
outlined below.
Social Exclusion
“Social Exclusion occurs when people or places suffer from a
series of often multiple problems including: unemployment, poor
skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, rural
isolation, poor health and family breakdown” Cabinet Office,
Social Exclusion Unit
Social Inclusion
“Social Inclusion is the term given to policies and
procedures, through which the problems causing social exclusion are
tackled. Social Inclusion is not simply a remedy; it is also about
preventing the circumstances that lead to exclusion.” Cabinet
Office, Social Exclusion Unit
While the majority of people living in Suffolk enjoy a good
quality of life, there are certain groups and communities who
suffer from social exclusion. It is the responsibility of the
Council and its wider partners to respond to this, and to develop a
more inclusive and prosperous environment for the people of Suffolk
to work and live in.
Community Cohesion“Community cohesion is about
recognising the impact of change and responding to it. It is about
people within communities coming together to interact and
participate with one another. Community Cohesion is principally the
process that must happen in all communities to ensure different
groups of people get on well together” Commission on
Integration and Community Cohesion 2007.
Equality & Diversity
What is diversity?
Diversity is any and all of the elements of similarity or
difference between people, whether these be visible or hidden (such
as disability, gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion,
belief, culture, nationality, national origin, age, sexual
orientation, caring responsibilities, rural and urban isolation,
poverty: the list is limitless). These can enhance or inhibit
effective interaction between people, depending on our reaction to
each of these elements.
What is our approach to diversity?
We value the range of different people in Suffolk, but recognise
some can be disadvantaged and discriminated against both as an
employee and a service user. We are committed to developing
policies to tackle inequality and exclusion, by ensuring services
are accessible and our recruitment and employment practices
fair.
We want to make sure people are not discriminated against for
any reason, and we will not tolerate discrimination of any
kind.
Elections and Good Race Relations
The Commission for Racial Equality has produced a
briefing in response to requests from local councils, schools, and
community organisations for advice on how to maintain and promote
good race relations during an election period. The briefing
explains the relevant law and suggests some practical steps that
councils and community groups might take in three areas:
• challenging false or misleading information;
• use of council premises for meetings; and
• tackling campaigns of racist harassment and abuse
Click
here to read the full
briefing.