Agenda item

Mark Norris (Principal Policy Adviser) introduced this item about improvement support for councils around community cohesion, counter-terrorism and Prevent in the light of Dame Louise Casey’s review report published in December 2016.

Mark reported that Dame Louise Casey attended the March LGA Executive and set out the challenges to local government around cohesion. A more detailed integration strategy from government has been delayed and is now not expected for some time. In terms of developing a support offer it was suggested that this be built on the existing support around community cohesion and Prevent and developed further with councils through informal round-table sessions. Feedback to date tended to suggest that councils would value opportunities to network and share good practice as opposed to further written guidance.

Discussion

Members discussed:

1)    The apparent lack of mention of the importance of educational opportunities in the context of cohesion, although Dame Casey did include a strand of work around economic opportunities;

2)    That the Prevent agenda is viewed negatively by some; 

3)    Agreement that the approach taken is correct, and that the focus should be on the positives.

Decisions

Members noted the contents of the report around improvement-related work already underway and commented on the work going forward in response to the Casey review.

Actions

Officers:

1)    To continue developing the cohesion programme.

2)    To organise round-table events for councillors to help shape the LGA’s support offer around the issue of community cohesion.