Creating the framework
How we did itWhy a professional framework
The Inclusive Communities Framework (ICF) is a partnership commitment to inclusion across the district and as such, has been a collaborative process, co-created with partners and facilitated by Belong - The Cohesion and Integration Network during 2021/22 .
Following COVID, there was a collective ambition across Kirklees to build on how organisations could further build on the power of communities that had been so evident during the pandemic. At the same time, there was a fast-emerging realisation across the UK that communities know themselves best and could bring about the best solutions to the challenges they face.
In Kirklees, we have access to considerable community insight from what communities have told us. The way we all worked together during the COVID period has had a positive impact on relationships that we all want to retain. This was in the context of challenging and divisive narratives, looking to apportion blame for the pandemic when a lack of trust in our leadership system became more evident and, at a time when long standing health inequality was amplified.
It is clear we need to change some of the ways in which we have been working as a system and as such, this framework has a primary focus on organisations within that system.
How we went about it
Diverse groups and organisations working across the district with different communities attended a series of half-day, virtual Design Circles, each of which focused on an element of working inclusively, but also referenced the work which had gone before. A restorative approach was used. Partners contributed their insight, experience and reflections on what works well and what more could be done to create a sense of belonging and fairness; they were invited to provide their feedback on the content created from each Design Circle, which was shared between sessions.
Participants shared examples of their practice, local insight and discussed what works well in Kirklees, against a backdrop of national research. Emerging ideas and themes were tested out and developed with input from a wide range of people and networks including the Youth Development Board as well as through the Council's Scrutiny process.
This approach was complemented by a broader engagement strategy, including discussions with a Strategic Reference Group, the Communities Partnership Board, members and other groups. We have also, through the Belong Network, reviewed existing and emerging, national best practice.
All of this feedback was used to measure and sense check what we were producing from the Design Circles.
Design Circle 1 focused on what we all do to contribute to inclusive communities, with partners responding to the questions:
- What is the most important thing that your organisation does which helps towards integration in Kirklees?
- As we develop and apply an Inclusive Communities Framework in Kirklees, what will this mean to our places and our people and what will we start to notice?
From this, a set of draft principles were produced to describe what we need to have as a foundation when working with communities. These have been further distilled into the Kirklees Pillars of inclusive working.
Design Circle 2 focused on good practice in Kirklees, ensuring voices are heard, how to focus on the needs of and involve, particular people, groups or areas, the challenges to inclusive approaches and how to work through these.
The output from Design Circle 2 was a set of draft approaches, describing how we work inclusively.
These have been translated into a toolkit, providing simple checklists for us to reference our work against. We have also included examples of how these approaches are being demonstrated in practice across Kirklees.
Design Circle 3 centred on how to assess our work in line with the draft principles and approaches developed in previous Design Circles and what else we could do, so that we know how we are making a positive difference and understand the impact of our work with communities.
Partners use a range of measures which feel proportionate and appropriate according to their work, the communities they work with and their capacity. It was agreed that having the flexibility and freedom to determine measures which feel 'right' is important, but organisations are often required to report on measures and impact, to satisfy the needs of funding bodies.
The output from Design Circle 3 was a draft set of methods for assessing our work and its impact. Using these and the toolkit elements developed in Design Circle 2, a simple self-evaluation tool has been developed.
From these Design Circles and wider engagement, the three guiding principles, five inclusive approaches and methods for assessing impact evolved. These form our framework and the toolkit that is included.
Contributors
- Belong - The Cohesion and Integration Network
- Healthwatch Kirklees
- Indian Muslim Welfare Service
- Kirklees College
- Kirklees Council Directorates (Corporate, Growth and Regeneration, Adults and Health, Children and Families, Environment and Climate Change)
- Locala
- LS2Y
- Kirklees Integrated Care Board
- Outlookers
- The Branch
- The Brunswick Centre
- Thornton Lodge Action Group
- Third Sector Leaders
- West Yorkshire Police
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- LCD West Yorkshire
- Healthwatch
- Kirklees Integrated Care Board members
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Kirklees College
- West Yorkshire Police
- Third Sector Leaders
- Locala
- Kirklees College
- Kirklees Mental Health Alliance
Comprises: Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Carers Count, Cloverleaf Advocacy, Community Links, Hoot Music, Inspire North, Kirklees Council, Locala, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Kirklees CCG, Richmond Fellowship, S2R, South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, Touchstone Support, West Yorkshire Fire Service, West Yorkshire Police, Women Centre. - Health and Care Partnership / Integrated Care Board (formerly Joint Kirklees Council and CCG Senior Management Team (JSMT) and partnership forum)
Partner members: Local Authority [Kirklees Council], Primary Medical Care, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation NHS Trust, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Community Services Provider [Locala Health and Wellbeing], VCSE [Northorpe Hall Child and Family Trust], Healthwatch. - Tackling Inequalities Partnership Board
What it is: A Kirklees Council Board with responsibility for driving and leading the vision of 'no-one in Kirklees is left behind', ensuring a system-view and considering and including all partner and activities. - Youth Development Board
Comprises: C&K Careers, Conscious Youth, Evoke Kirklees, Hatch Projects, Huddersfield Giants Community Trust, Huddersfield Town Foundation, Kirklees Active Leisure, Kirklees College, Kirklees Council, Kirklees Youth Alliance, Local Services 2 You, Locala, Northorpe Hall, PCAN Kirklees, Pivot Group, Shape, The Base, The Brunswick Centre, University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Children's Centre, Yorkshire Sport.
- Comprises: Portfolio Holder for Learning, Aspiration and Communities (Chair); Elected Members; Integrated Care Board members; Kirklees Council: Safer Kirklees, Communities, Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Adults Safeguarding Board, Children's Safeguarding Partnership; Kirklees Probation Service; Third Sector Leaders; Victim Support; West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Police and Crime); West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue; West Yorkshire Police.
