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Developing vision, values and strategy

The process of developing vision, values and strategy is crucial to an effective approach to community cohesion. The process needs to ensure that the values of equality, diversity and cohesion are emphasised in the vision statement and that the strategy sets out how they will be translated into action in the way services are delivered. All ten of the challenging questions can be applied to this process as follows:

  • How will leaders emphasise the values of cohesion during the process of developing the vision and strategy?
  • How can you design a strategy that will promote positive relations between people from different backgrounds?
  • Which of the four different ways of developing your strategy suggested in Part 7 is most appropriate to your circumstances? 
  • What measurable outcomes do you need to achieve in terms of respectful and positive interactions with people from different backgrounds and how will you achieve measurable reductions in disrespect, bullying and abuse?
  • How will you involve all communities in the development of vision, values and strategy and how will you ensure they continue to be involved in your models of service commissioning and delivery?
  • What measurable outcomes do you want in terms of improved accessibility of services for all, reductions in health inequalities and investment for equality of outcomes?
  • What do you need to build into your commissioning processes to ensure you involve your service providers and suppliers in contributing to community cohesion? 
  • What measurable outcomes do you need from your communications strategy to demonstrate that you are successful in promoting equality and diversity and countering myths?
  • What do you need to build into your information strategy to ensure you fully understand community needs and to monitor how far you are achieving them?
  • What measurable outcomes are you aiming for in terms of staff development?
  • What measurable outcomes are you trying to achieve in terms of local recruitment and promoting diversity in the workforce?

Here are some examples of how various public agencies have designed their processes for developing vision, values and strategy:

Tameside Council held a 'Building stronger communities' event involving partner agencies (including NHS bodies) and over a hundred members of the public. The event enabled key stakeholders to:

  1. Define what community cohesion meant to them
  2. Articulate what they like and dislike about Tameside
  3. Identify trigger points for friction
  4. Express hopes and concerns for the future of communities in Tameside
  5. Work with others to build a vision of stronger and supportive communities
  6. Identify key issues for organisations and individuals
  7. Highlight examples of community cohesion role models or local champions.

Many of those chosen were youth and health workers (local people doing extraordinary things).

The LGA's 'Community cohesion action guide' (2004) contains many examples of how community cohesion has been built into the development of vision, values and strategy:

The Stoke-on-Trent pathfinder published a 'Community cohesion charter' to present cohesion in a user friendly way and to address local issues.

Hounslow (part of the West London Community Cohesion Pathfinder) developed a comprehensive plan demonstrating how the whole council and its partners would address community cohesion issues.

Bradford Vision (the Bradford Local Strategic Partnership) developed an action plan focused around four thematic work areas: equity of access and outcomes, civic pride, participation and citizenship, community relations, community safety.

Sandwell council hold an annual stakeholders' conference with strong contributions from the PCT.

Preston Strategic Partnership developed its health and wellbeing strand and action plan based on community cohesion as a crosscutting theme with health interventions delivered in collaboration with local neighbourhood partnership working.