Foreword

I am very pleased to support the development and publication of this important report. It was commissioned by the Department of  Health and independently produced by the Institute for Community Cohesion (iCoCo) to help NHS trusts to make a strong contribution to Community Cohesion through the way they plan, commission and deliver health services and through their work in Local Strategic Partnerships.

I commend the report to all leaders, managers and staff in the NHS because it can help you to achieve significant improvements in health outcomes for your local population. Its central theme is that a focus on community cohesion leads to improved health outcomes. It's not just another initiative or an issue that has to be fitted into a busy workload. It offers a way of making our busy workloads achieve better results and make a real difference for our service users, patients and public.

There is much that we can do to break down barriers between people who are perceived to be different (whether by age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, faith, disability or sexual orientation) and to encourage people to reach out to each other and look out for one another. When communities are pulling together - as cohesive communities who are supportive of each other - there is a big health benefit. They are 'Better together'.

The project has been led by iCoCo who have brought their experience of working with partnerships around the country. They have worked with a group of people from the Health sector in the North West of England and a national group of 'Critical friends' to draw on good practice and to devise practical ways of contributing to cohesion.

I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in developing this guide and I hope you will use it to help plan, commission and deliver a world class service for your local community.

Surinder Mohan Sharma

Director for Equality and Human Rights, Department of Health