Aims of Lancashire Council of Mosques

"To build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained".

Objectives of Lancashire Council of Mosques

Funding Objectives
1 Projects funded under this programme will be required to have the following objectives, against which the success of each project will be measured.

2 Proposed schemes should illustrate innovative approaches to deliver the four objectives outlined below. It is recognised that local areas will have different needs and priorities, and the focus of individual projects will vary. Consequently more or less emphasis might need to be placed on each of the objectives to address the main focus of the projects:
a) To increase the trust and confidence between communities and Home Office services locally;
b) To encourage members of minority ethnic communities to seek employment in local Home Office service areas;
c) To assist members of minority ethnic communities throughout their application; and
d) To assist minority ethnic staff during their initial time once employed in a Home Office service area.

3 Effective links between local service providers, ie police forces, fire brigades and the local community should be developed. All these activities would need to involve both the local service provider and the local community, in partnership, in order to deliver these activities. The activities listed below are by no means exhaustive, but are offered as examples.

Evaluation Objectives

1 to increase the trust and confidence between communities and Home Office services locally. This objective will be evaluated against: a) the number of activities undertaken to deliver this objective; and b) evaluation of any survey undertaken to assess views of participants.
Likely activities to deliver this objective are as follows:
a) Talks, discussions and seminars to give advice;
b) Linking up with similar schemes to share expertise and good practice;
c) Use of advertising in local press, radio etc;
d) Community visits (schools, youth clubs, colleges); and
e) Any survey or feedback of views of participants before and after activities such as community visits, talks, or seminars.

2 to encourage members of minority ethnic communities to seek employment in local Home Office service areas. This objective will be evaluated against the number of people who:
a) Make initial enquiries for information on how to join their local service; b) request an application form/information pack; c) take part in job shadowing or work experience schemes; and d) join their local service. Likely activities to deliver this objective are as follows:
a) Talks, discussions and seminars to give advice;
b) Linking up with similar schemes to share expertise and good practice;
c) Use of advertising in local press, radio etc;
d) Involvement in careers fairs;
e) Outreach road-shows to increase publicity and sell the services as a career option;
f) Job shadowing;
g) Community visits (schools, youth clubs, colleges); and
h) Work experience.

3 to assist members of minority ethnic communities
throughout their application.
This objective will be evaluated against the number of people who: a) have been assisted throughout their application to join a local service; and b) of those who have been assisted, the number successful in joining their local service. Likely activities to deliver this objective are as follows:
a) Talks, discussions and seminars to give advice;
b) Mentoring; and
c) Linking up with similar schemes to share expertise and good practice.

4 to assist minority ethnic staff during their initial time once employed in a Home Office service area. This objective will be evaluated against the number of people who:
a) Have been assisted during their initial time employed in their local service area; and b) of those assisted, the number who stay in the service and for how long. Likely activities to deliver this objective are as follows:
a) Linking up with similar schemes to share expertise and good practice;
b) Mentoring;
c) Tailored and supported training and development.

5 It is envisaged that the partnerships would consist of, on one hand, local minority ethnic communities, represented by local community groups and possibly other bodies, such as for example local authorities or Race Equality Councils, working in partnership with local police forces, prisons, probation and fire services. The lead organisation in the partnership would be the local community organisation.

6 It is envisaged that grants under this programme would support a project worker(s), together with the necessary administrative and ancillary back up, to take forward a project to deliver all of the above objectives.

Progress to date

This project ended in 2003 and was recognised widely as having made an impact in Police and BME relations, as well as improving the uptake of Police careers in BME communities.