best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies an action...

Best practice in promoting communitycohesion for social landlords and partneragencies

An action seminar from RaceActionNet5 June 2007

Action Seminar Structure

9.45 Introduction10.00Key Challenges for Practitioners Pt 1: Building bridges with

faith communities11.00Refreshments

11.15Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1: The tenancy relationship• Presentation of key guidance and action examples

12.15Lunch

1.00 Policy and Practice Focus Pt 1 continued: Activity1.30 Policy and Practice Focus Pt 2: Area management

• Presentation of key guidance and action examples

2.00 Key Challenges for Practitioners Pt 2: Mediation and conflict resolution

2.45 Refreshments

3.00 Policy and Practice Focus Pt 2 continued: Activity3.45 Feedback and conclusions4.15 Close

The community cohesion action framework

Introducing the community cohesion action framework

• Context• Approaches• Objectives• Priorities• Partnerships

– Police– Criminal justice agencies– Schools– Local authorities– Faith and community groups

Policy and practice focus Part 1:The tenancy relationship

Lettings• Local lettings plans• New arrivals• Choice-based lettings• Long-term ownership• Introductory or starter tenancies• New developments• Large-scale regeneration


ASB and racial harassment• Polices, strategies and procedures• Specialist staff• Training for housing managers• Swift action on cases• Targeted resources


Record-keeping• Tenancy records• Incidents of ASB• Tenants support needs• Conflicts recorded• Hotpots identified and monitored


Supporting vulnerable tenants• Needs regularly assessed andaccurately recorded• Support to sustain tenancies• Vulnerable victims and perpetrators of ASB and racial harassment


Resident participation• Communications with tenantsreinforce key messages• Variety of ways for residentsto get information (eg DVDs)and become involved• Compacts, estate agreements orgood neighbour agreements


Community involvement• Volunteering opportunities• Events and activities to buildtolerance and understandingbetween generations


Young people• Youth clubs and sports facilities• Structured and focussed youthwork• Parenting skills and parental control• Specialist anti-gang methodologies


Self-review and group discussion

Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management

• Area or neighbourhood management arrangements• Neighbourhood wardens and PoliceCommunity Support Officers• Management of local environment

Policy and Practice Part 2:Area management

• Access to mediation service• Conflict resolution specialists• Projects to build bridges• Measures to counteract divisive opinions

Policy and Practice Part 2: Area management

Partnerships• Police• Criminal justice agencies• Schools• Local authority• Faith groups• Community groups

Mediation and conflict resolutionA reflection on your policies and practice

Martin Honeywell

Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners Part 2

What are we talking about?

Some definitions

Key challenges for community cohesion practitioners

Why is conflict an issue?

• It exists. It is real. Disagreements, disturbances, discussions…….conflicts

• It consumes time and energy. It distracts, de-motivates, reduces energy, efficiency

• It gets into your organisation and re-appears inappropriately

• It is systemic in your work. You are change agents• Dealing with it can release energy and creativity


What is conflict?

• A serious disagreement, argument, a clash, a strike, a breaking, a confrontation, a collision, a fight, a struggle

• Instant or more usually building over time• It can include violence (and note definitions)• You are not listening, you are not hearing, you

don’t understand• Positions, interests and needs are threatened


Positive and negative conflict

• Violence• Do you feel bad, frustrated, lessened or

exploited after discussion?• Has the issue been on the agenda for a long

time?• Does the issue “carry” other issues?• Do conversations, wherever they start always

end up at the same place?


Violence

• Actual physical violence or the threat of it• Verbal or emotional violence. If by word or

action another person feels diminished, abused, discriminated against or in any way lessened in their perception of themselves

• Racial, sexual or other forms of harassment• Acid test. How do I feel not what do others

think it is justified that I feel


Policies

Practices


What you need (Macro)• Policies and practices to cover conflict

prediction (e.g. recognising early warning signs, gathering conflict data)

• Policies and practices to cover conflict prevention (e.g. trust building groups, conflict analysis groups)

• Policies and practices to cover conflict management and transformation (e.g. including mediation)

• Policies and practices for training in conflict related skills


Mediation

• Process that helps to bring consensual outcomes to situation that contains a win-loose dynamic

• Mediation is voluntary, requires consent of all parties, reaches resolution only by agreement, involves impartial and independent third party, involves facilitated direct conversations between parties

• Theory, break conflict down into component parts, build trusting dialogue, negotiate parts


Mediation tools

• Conflict mapping• Analyzing positions, interests and needs• Understanding the stages of a conflict or the

conflict cycle• Understanding the causes of conflict• Mediation process, plenary and caucus

meetings, creating safe space


Dealing with challenging behavior and aggression (1)

• Understand your own reaction to conflict. Some of us are more comfortable with it that others

• Are you risk averse or risk prone?• Are you more concerned with relationships

than with outcomes?• Are you concerned about challenging people?• Are you a negotiator?



• Commitment to non-violence (and see definitions of violence)

• Compassion and empathy• Hope and optimism• Humility• Courage and endurance



• Listen. Actively. Give attention to listening. Let them know you are listening

• Paraphrase. I heard you say…• Clarify. Do I understand you to be saying…• Summarise. So what you are saying, if I

understand is…


What to do!

• Be safe and keep those around you safe• DON’T move into others’ personal space• DON’T use body size to intimidate. Sit don’t

stand• DON’T cross your arms• DON’T use fists or fingers aggressively• DON’T have persistent eye contact


What to do! (2)

• DO use the person’s name• DO describe what is happening. Name it• DO say that you are here to listen, to hear to

understand, to help• DO invite them to talk• DO offer them alternatives• DO stand at a comfortable distance• DO step back, move to the side• DO show your hands and hold them open


And finally

• Conflict is part of every change process. It is endemic in what we do

• Conflict is not a failure. Without conflict there would be little change

• It can be successfully managed. You can impact on conflict

• Know yourself


Policy and practice focus Part 2 :Area management

Self-review and group discussion

Developing your learning and practice – www.cohesionactionnet.org.uk

Best practice in promoting communitycohesion for social landlords and partneragencies

An action seminar from RaceActionNet5 June 2007

best practice in promoting community cohesion for social landlords and partner agencies an action...

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