1. Widening the Welcome Supporting Communities through - Action Learning

2. What do we mean by community?
‘community’ is a group of people united by at least one common characteristic, including geography, identity or shared interest.

3. Community Development
Prioritising the perspectives/actions of communities, in the development of social, economic and environmental policy.
It helps enable empowerment of local communities, geographically, communities of interest or organising on specific themes or policy initiatives.
It strengthens collective capacity of people as citizens through their community organisations and networks
Builds the capacity of institutions/agencies (public, private and non-governmental) to work with citizens to shape and determine change in communities.
Supports democracy by promoting the autonomous voice of disadvantaged communities.
It has a set of core values/ principles - human rights, social inclusion, equality and respect for diversity;
CD - A specific skills and knowledge base.
Supported by a more widely help CD perspective

4. Current Scottish Context for Community Development

5. The Scottish Approach Prevention in communities before problems arise
Coordination within and between services
Rooted in rights and tacking inequality
Co-production – with communities for better services
Partnership with communities – of “place” & of “interest or identity”
Health and Social Care, Children's Act - emphasis on localities and primary prevention – better and cheaper
Community Justice arrangements
Fairer Scotland conversation
Equalities Act
Human Rights Action Plan
Social Justice Action Plan
Democratic Renewal
& Constitutional Reform
All over the policy landscape
Democratic development at different levels
Equalities, Human rights and social justice
Bigger role for civil society & third sec
Tackling poverty and inequality
Promoting inclusion and cohesion
Wellbeing at individual and community levels
Public Sector Reform
A new rights based culture?

6. Community Empowerment Act?
Participatory budgeting
Common good property
National outcomes
Participation requests
Allotments
Community planning
Asset transfer
Community rights to buy land
Supporter
involvement in
football clubs
Community development approaches are the mortar between the bricks of Scottish Approach
Delegation of forestry
Commissioners’ functions
Non-domestic
rates

7. Important to both refugee and receiving communities
“ The CPP should build the capacity of communities, particularly those experiencing inequality, to enable those communities, both geographic and of interest, to identify their own needs and opportunities; and support their efforts to participate effectively in community planning, including in the co-production of services.”
24 separate mentions of communities of interest
consultation,
reviewing progress and
commenting on reporting
Co-production
Important to both refugee and receiving communities

8. The Role of CD & Refugees
Refugee experience in communities crucial to successful integration
Great, humanitarian responses In communities but – things can go wrong
Conscious CD approaches at various levels can build:
Bonds amongst those with refugee experiences
Bridges between new & existing communities
Links to decision making processes which enhance, inhibit integration

9. Components of this work
Work to empower refugee communities to input their experience to service developments aimed at them.
Work to support proactive welcoming work by receiving communities.
Work to explore/improve community attitudes and responses - preventative
Work to improve community level co-ordination & access to services.
What are we doing now/have planned to deliver these

10. Widening the Welcome
Reflection on the role CD is playing in local planning for integration.
Assessment of possible learning support needs of those involved.
Exploring experience of local support organisations with a view to further developing the refugee integration networking concept locally.
Contributing to the development of tools and techniques which can be shared.

11. Project Overview Produce an action plan for CD learning
5. Develop a draft Action plan & CD learning Model for use in support in local refugee settlement and integration processes.
4. Present results of Action Research, explore issues and develop actions which address challenges in creating Bonds, Bridges and links.
3. Select four areas and explore the issues in 2 more detailed day long co-inquiry sessions with follow up local interviews with refugees and host community reps,
2. Develop & pilot a more detailed survey and deliver this with community development practitioners and staff involved n planning for refugee integration on Scotland eg community planners, housing staff,
1. Up To 6 interviews with Key Informant - refugees, receiving community reps, community development workers, planners and policy makers to generate insights for further exploration.
Produce an action plan for CD learning
National Seminar Event -New Scots
Co-inquiry process n four varied locations
Online survey
Scoping interviews - Key issues for community development with refugees

12. Areas for investigation
What CD activity are people delivering?
What are they trying to achieve? (Bonds, Links and Bridges)?
What are the broader community response to refugee settlement & Integration locally?
Is it linked to other local community development activity & is it adequately resourced?
To what extent is work linked to other work on promoting equalities/hate crime?
To what extent is the workforce carrying out this work suitably supported?

13. We want to talk to Specialist Third Sector eg SRC, Faith sector, TSIs
Specialist Third Sector eg SRC, Faith sector, TSIs
CoSLA - SMP
Local Authority/ third sector CD providers
Local Authority strategic planners for this issue
Receiving community reps - Welcoming groups, generic groups
Refugee reps – More established recipients of CD/Integration services, new Syrian reps
Glasgow and Motherwell stakeholders

14. Case study site selection
Work with sites that are keen to work with us
Need to demonstrate both past and current integration CD & experience if possible
Explore work at different scales and in different kinds of location eg urban and rural
Real involvement from host communities
Different approaches to planning and co-ordination
Renfrewshire likely to participate but funded separately