Community Cohesion and Integration

19 March 2008Taunton

Gordon Partridge BSc(hons) Dip E.H. CMS

Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner

Breckland Council

Large geographical area 506 sq. milesSparsely populated rural area5 market townsPopulation ~125,000 equally split between

towns and villagesAgriculture and food processing main

economic activities

Migration ?

Shortage of home grown workers Gang masters saw opportunies of employing

workers from EU Initially Portuguese 12 years ago First signs - mainly Thetford• Increase in “foreign speaking” population• Increased demand for vaccinations at Doctors

surgeries• Increase in HMOs ( Houses in Multiple

occupation )

Initial response

Meeting with police, doctors, Town CouncilIdentified scaleEmployed Portuguese speaking

community workerAsked for information from other agencies

and Council departmentsDecide approach

Surveys

Employers• Who ?• Where?• How many?• Directly employed or via Gang masters

Use that information to look at accommodation issues

Surveys

Accommodation

• Houses in Multiple Occupation

• 15 – 528 !!

• Gang masters linking accommodation with employment

• Extracting housing costs at source

• Licencing

Relative distribution of HMOs

Making contact

Bottom up approachNeeds – not all communities the sameWork through groupsWorkplace meetingsBuild trustInterpretation or language skills How much or how little ?

Partnerships

Partnerships should be synergistic Usual suspects -• Police, Immigration and Borders, Gang

Master Licencing Authority, Jobcentres, other Council departments.

Also - • Landlords, Citizens Advice Bureaux,

Employers, voluntary sector

Support & Sustain Groups

Bottom up approach means helping communities to help themselves

Help setup, lead and structure groupsHand over but attend and offer guidanceBe a link between groups and agenciesUse influence – e.g. Breckland are

Regional Champions for Homelessness

Community cohesion

Needs constant inputSend positive messages but do not ignore

genuine concernsEncourage interactions between

communitiesAdaptBeware self appointed community leaders

Thank you

Gordon Partridge BSc(hons) Dip E.H. CMSPrincipal EHO

Breckland CouncilElizabeth House

Walpole LokeDerehamNorfolk

NR19 1EE01362 656275 gordon.partridge@breckland.gov.uk