Diverse Communities Forum

Diverse Communities and Equality

Northampton Borough Council wants to provide services that meet the needs of everyone in the community. It is committed to improving access to services for people from all ethnic backgrounds and regardless of their religion or belief. 

Priorities for 2010

The Forum will be changing how it works to help enable more people to have more involvement in working with Council services and informing council decisions and policy developments. This should be:

• to support its continuing journey towards the Excellence standard of the Equality Framework and
  
• to respond to wishes expressed by the community to have the Council provide volunteering, work experience, shadowing, involvement in training and other opportunities. It's hoped that these will help improve council services and build skills which people can take back to help them develop and deliver services in the voluntary and community sector, including to enable their community groups to engage with the council and ensure their voices are heard effectively.

About the Forum

This Forum aims to provide an opportunity for people from the diverse communities in Northampton (including newly-arrived and emerging communities, all ethnic backgrounds, different faiths and beliefs):

• to express their needs for, and their views on, services provided by Northampton Borough Council.
• to have two-way communication with the Council, providing feedback on barriers to accessing services
• to be consulted by Northampton Borough Council about policy and service issues and proposed service developments
• to promote community cohesion.

The Forum looks to involve local people in informing and making decisions about the services that affect them.

The Council has committed to using Equality Impact Assessments. As part of that process members of the Forum, both organisational and individal members, may have the opportunity to take part in discussions to shape services and look to overcome potential barriers to accessing services.

The Forum also provides the chance for member groups and agencies to exchange information about their own activities and plans. For members of the Forum who have internet access, there is the opportunity to keep informed and share information about community events, consultations etc via the Forums group emails.

Last reviewed: 01/02/2010