Community building

Carlisle City Council Community Overview & Scrutiny Committee (O&S) formed a Task and Finish Group to carry out a subject review looking at the issues faced by migrant workers in the District. This was closely linked to the Policy and Performance Team’s review of the Council’s Race Equality Scheme.

As part of an innovative approach, O&S Members considered it was important to involve a broad spectrum of groups in the process and asked a broad cross section of people to get involved with the evidence sessions. O&S members meet with representatives from local community groups, voluntary groups, local businesses and other district councils over three sessions. The discussion topics centred on the experiences and strategies relating to migrant workers and community cohesion. The issues examined by the Task and Finish Group were complex and varied, including housing, communication, community cohesion / discrimination and employment opportunities. The results from the sessions have now been collated and a report has been produced that makes a number of recommendations that apply to the City Council and other organisations in the District. For example, the report recommends that:

• An inspection regime is established for licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), a comprehensive accreditation scheme should be established for all privately let accommodation. Both designed to help raise the quality of accommodation for all those renting in the district.
• Given the contrasting stories of good practice within some of the City’s main employers and alledged abuse by other employers, a Responsible Employers Scheme should be established. Such a scheme would work best at a County level and could help spread good practice to other, smaller employers but also isolate those employers unwilling to address illegal or poor employment practices.
• The provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teaching is patchy and difficult to access for migrant workers. In the first instance, the provision needs to be mapped. Depending on the outcomes of the mapping exercise, there is a recommendation that the City Council works under the Learning City priority to establish enhanced ESOL provision. Consideration should also be given to providing an ESOL centre – a central point, perhaps on the University of Cumbria campus – where the majority of the ESOL training in the city could take place.
• Various myths have developed about migrant workers ranging from preferential treatment for housing, to negative effects of migrant workers on the local economy. We found no evidence to substantiate these myths. As a community leader, the City Council can be at the forefront of challenging these rumours. It is recommend that simple ‘myth busting’ training be established and made available to officers and Members of the Council. This training is particularly important for Members and those front-line officers who deal with the public on a day-to-day basis.

We believe that more political leadership on race issues generally, and migrant worker issues in particular, would be welcome and appropriate. We are concerned that, without such leadership, there is room for divisive and intolerant views to thrive.

Related Links:

• Full Report Details