For public and private sector organisations a like it has been at a snail’s pace to make the policy and service changes needed to provide new communities with valuable  support.

Over the last decade there has been an unprecedented change in the UK population and the speed, scale, spread and diversity has exceeded anything previously experienced.

Birmingham is already set to be one of Britain’s largest minority-majority city, has seen change in the nature, complexity and distribution of its population as it enters a new age of superdiversity.

But adding to the city’s accolade of being a leader, Birmingham will be host to the first UK institute devoted to research focusing on superdiversity.

Following Birmingham Social Inclusion Process, Giving Hope Changing Lives, it has become clear that the opportunities and challenges associated with Birmingham’s rapidly changing and diverse population have not yet been fully realised.

The Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS) a University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council partnership will be making its official launch in June 2013 at an invitation only event.

IRiS will bring researchers, policymakers and practitioners  together to make organisations more agile and responsive to the challenges and opportunities associated Birmingham’s transformation.

Both Birmingham City Council and IRiS will ensure that research in the city and across the world can answer important questions in relation to the connection of migration, faith, language, ethnicity and culture helping to shape the future of  Birmingham and other superdiverse locations while placing IRiS and Birmingham at the forefront of research into superdiversity.

The SIP Bulletin issue 4 April 2013 focuses on the social inclusion summit held at the Priory Rooms in Birmingham on Tuesday 26th March 2013.

The purpose of the event was to share the SIP White Paper and to involve partners in the action planning to deliver the recommendations on helping socially excluded families and addressing safety, isolation and loneliness.

Birmingham has not been sitting on its laurels when it comes to protecting those who will be most affected by the new welfare reform act.

As part of Birmingham’s Social Inclusion Process, “Giving Hope, Changing Lives”, a seminar was held in July 2012 for practitioners from a range of agencies to discuss and develop solutions to the welfare reform changes.

Following this, a Welfare Reform Multi-Agency Committee was established, to make is possible for agencies across the city to work together to prepare for the welfare reforms and ensure a co-ordinated approach to support services.

From this an action plan has been developed by the city council and key partners, covering eight workstream:

i) Communications and Multi-Agency Advice
ii) The Impact of the Welfare Reform on Individuals (data)
iii) Case studies
iv) Financial Inclusion
v) Digital Inclusion
vi) Discretionary Social Fund (Local Welfare Provision Policy)
vii) Employment
viii) Co-ordination of Crisis Support

To make sure that a cohesive and targeted response is provided, Birmingham has drawn-up a map drawn-up a map identifying crisis support for people affected across the city, as well has identifying areas that will experience multiple impacts of the welfare reform changes.

Chair of the Welfare Reform Multi-Agency Committee, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Social Cohesion and Equalities, Cllr John Cotton said: “The city council is working closely with partners from across Birmingham – voluntary organisations, charities, community groups and others at the front line of supporting vulnerable people – to ensure that we have a properly coordinated response to these enormous changes.

“Many families and individuals will be hard hit by these changes. We want to make sure they get the help and support they need.”

The crisis support mapping is one of a number of initiatives carried out by Birmingham’s multi-agency welfare reform committee and identifies a number of organisations offering:

• Clothing
• emergency accommodation
• financial advice
• financial support
• food banks
• housing advice
• legal advice

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) is one of a number of organisations working closely with the city council and its Vice-Chair and Founder, Mohammed Al-Rahim, feels the co-ordinated approach will prove vital in the coming months.

Al-Rahim, who is also the President and CEO of Selly Oak charity Freshwinds, added: “This is an important opportunity for the voluntary sector to work cooperatively, together with the City Council and the local business community, to provide vital practical support to citizens of Birmingham in these challenging times, proactively sharing knowledge and resources to coordinate a truly effective response for all those experiencing crisis and hardship.

“The network has already achieved some important successes and this will increase as our membership grows in the coming weeks and months and beyond.”

With a can do attitude the Birmingham network has already achieved some important successes, but this can only be truly measured by the number of families that are supported through this difficult time.

Watch this space for updates on our progress …

The study, ‘Giving and Receiving Financial Support Within Families in the 21st Century’, aims to gain a better understanding of the way families support each other financially across generations. These issues are particularly relevant given the current economic climate and the pressures on family finances. At least one person from each of the three generations in the same family will be interviewed separately (i.e. a young person; their parent(s) and grandparent(s) generation) for about an hour. This type of study including three generations of the same family is very rare. As a thank-you for taking part each person will receive £20. We are particularly keen to interview families from a range of income levels, ethnic backgrounds and housing tenures.

If you would like to take part or find out more, please get in touch with Ricky Joseph at CHASM

For more information download information here: Participant Information WS1 (2)

Ricky Joseph

University of Birmingham

Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management

0121 414 7233

r.joseph@bham.ac.uk

Acknowledgement: poptech

We live in interesting times, with far-reaching tangible impacts on our communities. Many of them struggle to meet their basic needs even in the best of times. Not only are we facing the continued threats to our wellbeing by the on going affects of the recession, the impact of funding cuts on services, now there is the Welfare Reform to add to the burden.

More people need a social safety net to battle the daily storm that faces them. The Making Birmingham an inclusive city white paper outlines the need for change and to build community resilience to help bridge the gap between the least and most affluent of the city, by supporting the most vulnerable families and individuals to greater wellbeing.

During this time of austerity, public bodies, businesses and community-based organisations need to adopt policies that will help communities, families and individuals to build resilience, particularly those suffering from the worst effects of the recession and public sector cuts.

Ten Ideas for Change: Local growth and resilience is a recent online article giving ideas to rally local resources and expertise around targeted action that will help mitigate further inequality and exclusion:

1. Develop community-supported industries

2. Create a national fund of funds

3. Localise for growth

4. Launch a neighbourhood health watch

5. Create the conditions for the city as ‘urban workshop’ or cultural hub

6. Identify the challenges

7. Develop and partner with financial co-operatives

8. Assess and develop the strength of local networks

9. Embed a resilience approach into all council activity

10. Knit local social fabric back together

Are you already doing this? Or do you have any ideas that can help build the city’s resilience?

Please contact us by email to fairbrum@birmingham.gov.uk, visit our blog atwww.fairbrum.wordpress.com or join the conversation on Twitter @fairbrum #fairbrum