Research and analysis

Horden Together Programme – Durham County Council

Published 10 April 2024

Applies to England

Partnership for People and Place

The PfPP programme has piloted a new approach to cross-government working to improve local outcomes and efficiency of policy and programmes designed and delivered in place. PfPP funded 13 local government partners to deliver pilot projects focusing on hyper-local issues that could be tackled through better central or local government coordination. The overall objective of the PfPP programme was to test whether closer working between different central government departments and local places can bring measurable benefits to people who live there.

Local background – Durham

Findings from a 2019 police community survey within East Durham found communities have low trust in the Police and the Council, and high levels of concern around rates of crime, including burglary and property damage. Residents reported feeling ‘shame’ towards the poor state of the location, with crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) negatively affecting the feel and outward persona of Horden.

The Horden Together Programme focused on engaging the local community to identify the focus and Theory of Change (ToC) for local activities, aimed at improving the Parish of Horden. Bringing communities into ToC workshops enabled Horden to work directly with local groups and residents to build trust in public services. The overall long-term aim of the programme was “to rebuild a trusting relationship with the community that encourages reporting and information sharing.”^{[footnote 1]} The project was designed to achieve this by developing or redeveloping ties with the community to build trust in local institutions, develop a better understanding of crime, ASB and safeguarding, and develop meaningful partnerships.

Central government involvement

The Horden Together Programme aimed to foster collaboration with central government partners to actively participate in Horden Together activities and influence national policy. The objective was to enhance the flexibility of central government funding to local authorities, ensuring it becomes more responsive to the evolving needs of the community. While PfPP did not yield these intended outcomes, pilot leads connected with a variety of central government departments, resulting in the team:

• Securing additional investment of £87,250 from the Northeast Local Net Zero Hub Board to support the establishment of a Mine Water Heating Community Energy project.

• Aligning with the Home Office to deliver the Clear Hold Build initiative, a place-based delivery framework to bring police and community partners together to rebuild and revitalise areas affected by high rates of serious and organised crime.

These positive engagement outcomes were attributed to activity of the DLUHC lead who was highly effective connecting the pilot team to central government colleagues across crime and safety, housing, health, energy and environment portfolios. For both projects, Home Office and DESNZ were actively seeking to expand local community networks and deliver relevant projects in place, creating aligned objectives between departments and Horden Together. Both Home Office and DESNZ partners also highlighted that participation in PfPP in Horden allowed them to build networks within their respective departments, and encourage cross-departmental working outside of their own policies areas.

Delivery plans	Meetings	Visits	Involvement in delivery
HO and DLUHC were listed in Horden Together’s initial delivery plan as departments with a potential interest in tackling crime, ASB and socio-investment.	HE, HO, DESNZ, DWP, DHSC (OHID) were involved in ad hoc meetings with the project team.	DLUHC arranged a visit to Horden in May 2022, with attendees from HO, HE, DWP and DESNZ. HE attended all 3 ToC sessions and had independent meetings with Durham leads.	There was significant involvement from the HO with the Clear, Hold, Build initiative. Links have been made with Durham County Council and the new head of Housing Services. DESNZ confirmed funding for the development of the Mine Water Heating regeneration project.

What was delivered?

Horden Together facilitated a series of ToC workshops titled ‘Connecting the Dots’, which engaged 177 partners including central government department officials (e.g. DESNZ, Home Office, Homes England), Durham Police, staff from Durham City Council, local community and voluntary sector organisations as well as residents. This led to the creation of a 3-point action plan around the themes of People, Place and Community. A further 8 sessions and meetings between 15 local services and community groups were held following the initial workshops. These workshops provided a medium where a more collaborative and robust communication network could be established, providing a shared space for partners to voice opinions and share knowledge. The new pathways were designed to enable clients to access voluntary and community services, connecting people to the right help at the right time.

Horden Together produced a community newspaper to raise awareness of project activities. This has supported the Council to disseminate information and improve community engagement for example, raising awareness of local Warm Hubs.

Delivery partners & local government

Horden Together has produced positive changes to its place-based working framework by creating new partnerships with a diverse range of local networks. The ToC workshop approach enabled communication and collaboration across local community-level partners. This overcame previous barriers to local networking such as limited local knowledge sharing. The workshops helped to create a united framework of messaging across local organisations, outlining key project aims, milestones and objectives. The workshops also stimulated changes in community programming after it was highlighted there was uneven provision across specific days/nights of the week.

Local Place Working Groups provided a collaborative forum for partners to update on progress, share ideas and create actionable steps to deliver the Horden Together Programme. The project was established within a developing framework, so the place had a local vision if not ‘the ask’ for central government partners.

Horden Together captured £87,250 of funding to support the establishment of a Mine Water Heating Community Energy project through engagement with DESNZ. This funding is being used to assess the feasibility of new infrastructure in sustainability and energy production. The funding is considered a source of momentum for Durham County Council to work with local interest groups and the community around this issue.

---

Central government

Home Office partners have identified and leveraged Horden Together’s local partnership model to implement the Clear Hold Build initiative. The pilot was highlighted by a Home Office partner to demonstrate ‘strong’ connectivity and collaboration, referencing the strong collaboration between police and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs). The Home Office team is now using Horden Together as an example of good practice and sharing learning with other forces.

If we can demonstrate that it works in one area [Durham], that’s hugely beneficial to our wider programme.

[Central government partner]

1. Horden Together, Partnerships for People and Place Delivery Plan, February 2022. ↩