Co-producing public services with faith groups

London Boroughs Faiths Network Meeting – 24^th May 2011

Notes from the discussion – Better and smarter ways: the co-production of public services – Malik Gul, Director, Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network

18 people attended from 16 boroughs.

Malik started with a description of recent approaches to the involvement of faith communities in the delivery of public sector services.

A variety of approaches have failed to recognize that faith communities are all about relationships – whereas public sector emphasis has been on inputs and outputs to systems – and measurable outcomes. In the mid to late 70s there was a crisis of Keynesian economics and a recognition that achieving regeneration purely through public sector funding was not working.

In the monetarist years of the 80s the focus was on economic value with an emphasis on quantifying and evaluating the financial value of interventions.

Social value did not feature at all in these models – the quantitative outweighed the qualitative.

In more recent years the national strategy for neighbourhood renewal talked in terms of “bending the mainstream”. Providing small pots of money to equip communities to influence the way that local authorities spent the billions of pounds allocated to them. However, “postcode poverty” and health inequalities across communities continued. With significant differences in life expectancy from one neighbourhood to another.

Then came community empowerment networks. Their involvement and engagement with faith communities in neighbourhood renewal was very patchy. Under the Labour government, however, faith groups had designated seats around the neighbourhood renewal table.

In 2002 Wandsworth set up a community empowerment network. Fairly quickly it became clear that the problems were not about what to do – but with the structure of the systems. Faith communities had no way to input into the structures making key decisions. This continues to be contested ground within the Big Society discussions – with each political party having views as to how this is to be achieved.

In Wandsworth they have brought it right back to relationships – listening to people’s stories, talking about what communities want to talk about – and it turns out that they pretty much have the same interests – better health and safer communities. But no-one seemed to know how the systems work, and how to voice their views and achieve change. For example there is a local church – just celebrating their 50^th anniversary, but only in the last 3 to 4 years have they started to get the things they care about into the system.

The issue is in the command and control, top-down, style of management within public services. Even very senior managers have no power to act on what local people are telling them. Wandsworth have brought leaders and chief executives for public sector services into conversations with people in the local community. Not with a fixed agenda – but to achieve transformational relationships.

This should change the way that services are commissioned, with delivery to communities who want, and need, specific services.

Here is an example. The black Caribbean community were not accessing mental health services, though it was evident that there was a need. Church pastors from black evangelical churches work with these families every day and know them well. So the pastors and family therapists from the mental health trust worked together to co-produce services. Pastors were equipped with family therapy skills and could then intervene with some families and refer others to the mental health trust. A kind of triage/early intervention service operating within a community setting. At the same time the family therapists benefitted from the co-production through a better understanding of the issues for this community.

Another example. There are 19,000 carers in Wandsworth. Adult social services know that BME carers are not accessing carers services - but they know that there are carers out there. Adult Social Services were brought together with community organizations serving Somali families, the local mosques and African groups. Adult Social services trained these groups to deliver carers assessments, and to feed them into the ASS system. Social workers now have a better knowledge of the needs of BME carers and there is greater access to the services.

There are now 6 different projects running like this in different parts of Wandsworth.

The key is to present these as pilots – an addition to the usual way of working. For voluntary groups to take these activities on through the relationships formed. Then a couple of years down the line (and with academic research available to back up the approach) the power balance will have tipped. The long view needs to be taken. It is not about getting drawn into short term inputs or consultations on specific issues phrased and framed by existing public sector service providers.

Pilots can be funded through alternative routes – for example academic and research grants – and so sit outside the usual commissioning framework. There is some merit to this approach – which allows for more experimental service delivery, and builds an evidence base before seeking public sector funding to extend and expand.

Challenges to commissioning processes might be needed, to enable small community groups – without a track record – to deliver co-produced public services. This is another way that the current systems impede experimentation and development of relationships.

Another factor is to take a look at the often used phrases “hard to reach” and “capacity building”. Who does this apply to? The leaders of our councils and PCTs and mental health trusts are hard to reach – and there is a need to capacity build in terms of faith literacy.

“Institutional isomorphism” was discussed. Where community groups, and particularly faith groups, might take on a similar shape and structures to public sector providers and lose their character. The Church of England was specifically mentioned here.

The challenge in forming relationships with shifting communities was explored. Especially because it could be these newer communities who are the most vulnerable and so in the most need of public sector services.

Concerns raised included the Conservative government’s intention to take the requirement to undertake equality impact assessments off the statute books. This provides a legal basis upon which public services can be called to account, if there is not engagement or understanding of local community needs. Community organizations’ skills need to be built up so that they are equipped to exercise such power through the legal process – if need be.

There was no real reference to LINks as a potential broker or voice for communities. The success of LINks has been very limited in the experience of those attending the meeting.

This is a brief summary of a wide ranging discussion. Malik is open to further conversations with interested parties.

Other interesting matters arising during the information share:

Olympic Truce (All): historically there has been a ceasing of war and conflict at the time of an Olympic games. The suggestion is that this is echo’d in 2012 through a programme of activities under the Olympic Truce banner. These activities could include – a knife amnesty, opportunities to resolve local conflicts, a concerted effort to focus on stamping out hate crime, programmes around domestic violence. Each borough would have its own priorities and activities – but there would be an overarching thrust for the publicity etc.

Closing the gap 3 (Wandsworth): Building on the journey with the local mental health trust and NHS Wandsworth – exploring ways of working with Wandsworth Council in a better, smarter, more relational way - 16^th June.

Inter-faith marathon: 11^th June, relays in teams of 4 each from different faiths. In January 2012 there will be an Olympic interfaith run – 200 miles, across all boroughs and involving relays from all faiths.

Scriptural Explorations (Lambeth): a series of multi-faith meetings at which selected scripture texts from different faiths, relating to a chosen theme, are presented briefly and discussed. The next meeting is to be run on three Wednesdays in June around the theme of Healthy Lifestyles – led by Dr Haider Ali (a Barnet resident!) of the Open University, who has undertaken research projects in this area.

London Catalyst : a good source of funding for faith and fitness projects

Victim support training for faith leaders (Camden) : leaders are being trained to support members of their groups who are victims of crime, particularly hate crime. Includes third party reporting through faith groups.

Emergency planning (Kingston): faith groups working with local public services on disaster planning and responses.

Refugee health (Hounslow): projects looking at improving health outcomes for refugees. Proximity to the airport makes this a big local issue.

Next meeting in w/c 12^th September – date, time and venue to be arranged.