Communities and neighbourhoods

Who we are

The Cohesion Directorate works with other government departments to reduce race and faith inequalities in education, health, housing and the Criminal Justice System, as well as the labour market.

Cohesion Directorate

Director: David Williams

We are reducing perceptions of race discrimination and leading the work on creating more cohesive communities, tackling racism, extremism and hate and promoting inter-faith activity and a shared sense of belonging.

Delivery of this agenda is dependent on not just partnerships with other government departments but also the wider public sector, private sector, community organisations and communities themselves.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a key strategic partner for the Directorate in the overall delivery of "Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society"(the Government's Strategy to increase race equality and community cohesion), in enforcing legislation and sharing good practice.

Cohesion and Faith Division

Deputy Director: Ciara Wells

The Cohesion and Faiths Division is responsible for driving forward the Government's agenda to increase community cohesion, and for engagement with faith communities to ensure policies and services across Government are delivered appropriately, to create a common sense of citizenship. Cohesion is a key element of Communities and Local Government Public Service Agreement 21, which is about building cohesive empowered and active communities. We are doing this by implementing the report of The Commission on Integration and Cohesion and supporting local areas that have chosen to improve cohesion as a key improvement measure as part of their Local Area Agreement. We are providing £50m funding over three years, reviewing and revising our guidance and providing targeted support.

Preventing Extremism Division

Deputy Director: Jonathan Freeman

Communities and Local Government leads the community-based response to violent extremism. We work with Muslim communities at every level to build their resilience and enable them to challenge robustly the ideas of those extremists who seek to undermine our shared values. A key to this is making this agenda a core part of Local Authority business, to deliver local solutions for local challenges.

The Division works with stakeholders within and outside Government to support projects that further these objectives. This work includes projects under the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund and the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund.

Race Equality and Diversity Division

Deputy Director: Jennifer Ashby

The Race Equality and Diversity Division (REDD) is responsible for driving forward the Government's agenda to reduce race inequalities and tackle discrimination. It does this through the cross-Government Strategy for Race Equality and Community Cohesion: Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society and through Comprehensive Spending Review 2004 (Public Service Agreement 10), concerned with perceptions of discrimination and cohesion.

Connecting Communities Plus (CC+) is a funding programme which supports the delivery of the cross Government race equality and cohesion strategy Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society. It funds third sector organisations working in one or more of our Directorate's policy areas. The programme is £18m over three years, running from April 2006 to March 2009.

REACH is CLG's figurehead project to raise the aspirations, attainment and achievement of Black boys and young Black men, enabling them to reach their potential.

The REACH group comprised frontline practitioners from the Black community who had direct experience of working with Black boys and young Black men and making a real practical difference on the ground. The group was commissioned to produce a report for Ministers containing 5 evidence-based recommendations on how to tackle the issue. The REACH report was published in August 2007.

Hazel Blears launched the Government response to the REACH report in December 2007.

REDD currently works with the new Government Equalities office (external link) which the Prime Minister has today announced the establishment of on 26 July 2007 and came into force between December 2007 and January 2008. And the Equality and Human Rights Commission, (external link) which will came into force in October 2007. REDD also leads on European and International business affecting Race, Cohesion, and Faith.

The 25 March 2007 was the bicentenary of the passing of the Abolition fo the Slave Trade Act. REDD led work across Government to mark the bicentenary, focusing on:

1. Commemoration of those who suffered as a result of the slave trade.

2. Recognition of the efforts of those who struggled for abolition, including enslaved Africans, states people and ordinary citizens.

3. A focus on tackling contemporary or legacy issues that arise out of the slave trade, including:

Poverty and inequality on the African continent;
Tackling inequality, discrimination and racism today, in particular for the African and Caribbean diaspora;
Tackling contemporary slavery in all its forms.

At the end of 2007, Government announced that, in future, it will adopt the 23 August as the focal date for national commemorations. REDD will lead the work to co-ordinate these commemorations.

Gypsy and Traveller Unit

Deputy Director: Claire Cooper

The Government established a Gypsy and Traveller Unit within Communities and Local Government to respond to growing tensions in certain places between Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community. The Unit leads on policy development within Whitehall, and works with local authorities and other agencies to deliver more accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and encourage effective enforcement action. Government Offices for the Regions support the work of the Unit at local and regional level.

Key objectives for the immediate future are to:

increase site provision for Gypsies and Travellers in line with need and ensure that resources allocated by central government are fully taken up by good quality schemes;
ensure effective use of enforcement powers (including anti-social behaviour powers where appropriate) against unauthorised encampments;
minimise unauthorised developments and the problems they cause;
Identify key priorities for action with other Government departments to tackle inequalities in access to service provision experienced by Gypsies and Travellers.