Building community capacity and resilience evaluation findings from a two-year practice and research collaboration in Gloucestershire
Author(s)
DYDE Amy, WARDEN Roz, JACQUES Dan
Publisher(s):
Barnwood Trust
Publication year:
2019
This report presents evaluation findings from a collaboration between four partner organisations in Gloucestershire which sought to promote asset- and strengths-based approaches. Gloucestershire Constabulary, Barnwood Trust, Gloucester City Council, and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner formed the partnership with the collective aim of working together to empower citizen-led action to make Gloucestershire a great place to live. The following collective objectives united the four partner organisations: healthier communities; improved community safety; welcoming and inclusive neighbourhoods; citizens taking control over their own lives; and places where people can come together. Professionals who participated in the research shared their views on and experiences of working in asset- and strengths-based ways. Findings included: a range of professional and personal impacts, including better knowledge about communities and increased job satisfaction; the importance of organisational culture and sufficient time to meaningfully engage with the community; where the intervention was in the form of workshops rather than secondment, changing practices appeared to be less sustained over time. Evidence of impact for residents and community includes: statistically significant evidence for the value of both professional and personal relationships, and their positive impact on perceptions of community cohesion, wellbeing, life satisfaction and, more broadly, perceptions of the police and fear of crime; all 10 residents who were interviewed identified positive impacts for themselves and/or others in the community, including the value of involvement on feeling able to cope (for example, with a health condition); the role that community involvement, including events and groups, played in contributing to feelings of cohesion in an area. (Edited publisher abstract)
