Social Inclusion Programme

In a nutshell social inclusion is about helping to ensure that everyone feels able to contribute and be involved in his or her local community. This is aimed especially at people who often have to overcome additional barriers to enable them to become involved in their community, such as gypsy and travellers and young people. Or to put it another way, it is about tackling ‘social exclusion’. The Social Exclusion Unit, a government department defines social exclusion as:

"the shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination oflinked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown". [www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk]

CCD’s work

Tackling rural social exclusion is a key part the Community Council of Devon’s (CCD) Business Plan 2005 - 2010. Since 2002 CCD has had a specific Social Inclusion programme. This summary provides a review of this work, featuring the achievements and highlights recommendations for the future. [link]

Social Inclusion Support

CCD’s present social inclusion programme tackles social exclusion in rural communities across Devon, particularly in the areas with population of less that 3,000. Please see below for our present prioritised areas of work.

Migrant Workers

The report ‘Migrant workers - Scoping the issues for Devon’  produced by CCD and other partners highlights the issues. The action plan, enclosed in the report, sets out CCD’s approach to the work. [report]

PHOTO  ‘A Welcoming Cheriton: The local community in Cheriton Fitzpaine have held Welcome events to let agriculture migrant workers know more about their local area’.

Inclusive Parish Planning

Parish Plans are community action plans. The Government’s November 2000 Rural White Paper stated that Parish Plans should “identify key facilities and services, set out the problems that need to be tackled and demonstrate how distinctive character and features can be preserved”. They should set out a vision for the community in the future and identify the action needed to tackle issues of concern in addition to including everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in the community, from employment needs to playgrounds. The Parish Plan should consult everyone and give them a chance to say what they think about the social, economic and environmental issues affecting them and how they’d like to see their community improved during the next 5, 10 or even 15 years. The whole community has to be involved, not just those who come along to Parish Council meetings. The guide below provides a useful checklist to help ensure this happens.  [Social Inclusion checklist]

Young People

CCD's Membership has prioritised support for young people in our Business Plan.  If you would like assistance in supporting young people in the rural parts of the County, please contact the Social Inclusion Team at CCD.

Winkleigh Youth Club grows from strength to strengeth.  Work with young people in the village was prioritised by the Parish Plan.

Tools and resources

Rural Devon Facts and Figures:  [here]

Social Incusion Contacts for Devon:  [ here ]

Open Hearts Open Minds E- News and training.  http://www.openheartsopenminds.org.uk

Links

Centre for Economic and Social |Inclusion: http://www.cesi.org.uk

Joseph Rowntree foundation: http://www.jrf.org.uk]

New Policy Institute: http://www.poverty.org.uk/intro/index/htm

Exeter Community Initiatives: http://www.eci.org.uk