Agenda item

Presentation by Neil O’Connor, Director of the Casey Review

The Chair introduced Neil O'Connor, the Deputy Director of the Casey Review, who led a presentation on the contents and conclusions of the review. A discussion was had about some of the criticism of the report and stakeholder reactions, which generally suggested that most were minded to engage with the recommendations in the review, despite having some concerns about it.  

The presentation outlined the aims of the review and highlighted some key findings which noted that while there are real community cohesion challenges in some areas, there was also a great deal of evidence showing that Britain is generally a cohesive and integrated society. It was noted that around 50 per cent of the population now live in areas with relatively high migration flows and that some communities, particularly Asian minorities, and faith groups tend to live in much higher concentrations at ward level. 

A key finding of the review found that some communities do not fare as well in terms of employment, language and economic inactivity levels and that although children from those communities often appear to do better in terms of education, this is not translated to wider social and economic progress. The review also found that hate crime is on the increase and that there is a consistent pattern of spikes in reports of hate crime following key trigger events – e.g. Brexit.  

The Casey Review team concluded that successive Governments have failed to implement a strong or consistent enough approach to community cohesion over the past 15 years and that the steps that have been taken are insufficient to keep pace with the level of change. A comment was also made about issues of political representation of minority groups at both a local and national level.  

The review outlines 12 recommendations that the team feels are deliverable and practical. The Deputy Director confirmed that the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will be looking closely at the report and will publish a response in the spring. He also made clear that they will be seeking assistance and support from the LGA and councils in delivering this strategy.  

Members made the following points: 

·         Members had a discussion about cohesion, barriers to integration and political representation, and noted that equal access to knowledge, networks and finance for all were important in increasing community cohesion. The Deputy Director noted some communities were not doing as well as others and that generic strategies in response were not helpful. 

·         Concerns were raised about the lack of reference to free schools and faith schools in the review and the impact they could have on integration amongst young people, with members noting that the recommendations in the report were not supported by government policy. On schools, it was also noted that alongside promoting British laws and values (including the right to dissent), the curriculum should be broadened so the history curriculum, for example, catered for those with minority backgrounds. The Deputy Director noted the powers of councils in relation to free schools and said the review concluded they should have a greater say in their provision.

·         Members noted the fact that the report highlighted failures in this policy area in the past and stressed the important role played by political leadership around issues of cohesion but that none of the recommendations were directed at improvements in leadership. Members asked whether the review intended to explore this further.

·         In terms of empowerment, members said that this needs to be done from an early age (e.g. in children's centres), recognising the role of families as much as institutions, and that we should ensure that principles of diversity are promoted from a grassroots level wherever possible. 

·         Members discussed public concerns around immigration and suggested that tabloids can often be incendiary and shape views of those living in areas largely unaffected by migration or who haven't experienced immigration positively. Members felt that ignoring the fears of the white, working class community is not good enough and that there is a need to tackle the perception that we should be frightened of the unknown. 

·         The use of the term 'white British' was mentioned and concerns were raised about this term creating barriers when people born in the UK were proud to be British. The Deputy Director explained that the review used existing data sources which list 'white British' as an option to inform their conclusions but agreed that this issue should be debated. 

·         A point was raised about how councillors can better understand community leadership, engage with the communities they represent and work on member development with member peers. Some felt that a discussion needed to be had about community partnerships, what they mean and who will lead them at a time when council budgets have been reduced. 

·         Members discussed the 12 recommendations listed in the report and noted that there were not many specific or measurable goals in them. They questioned how the outcomes of implementing the recommendations would be measured. The Deputy Director recognised that funding was important and wanted to see measureable recommendations with money behind them when there was a response to the Review’s work.   

Decision: 

Members noted the report and the recommendation to provide suggestions of support the LGA can provide on this agenda. 

Actions: 

1.    Member Services Officer to distribute a copy of Neil O'Connor's presentation to members. 

2.    Officers to continue discussions with the Casey Review Team about the LGA's involvement on this agenda.