Leeds Faith Covenant

Working to make Leeds a religion or belief inclusive city.

The coming decade will see the country facing new social needs and tough new challenges. There will be fresh demands on the NHS, public health, social care, education, employment support, transport, cultural services and community inclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in additional challenges for the public sector and faith and belief-based organisations.

We believe that one important resource can be realised by supporting faith or belief-based organisations to work constructively and effectively, as part of civil society, with local authorities. That will mean ensuring that local authorities are confident in commissioning services from and transferring assets to appropriately qualified faith or belief-based organisations, and that they include faith and belief groups when they look for solutions to social needs.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society is convinced that faith and belief groups have a great deal to offer as providers and advocates for the communities in which they serve, and that some of their potential is being unnecessarily overlooked at present. To help tackle the problem, the Group has drafted a Covenant which has been amended and adopted by Leeds City Council and local faith and belief groups.

The Covenant

The Covenant is a joint commitment between faith and belief communities and local authorities to a set of principles that guide engagement, aiming to remove some of the mistrust that arises due to a lack of mutual understanding, and to promote open, practical working on all levels.

Principles

The Covenant is built on the following principles:

• faith and belief communities are free to practise their beliefs and religious observances without restriction, and to raise their voice in public debate and to be respected, within the framework of UK law
• public services and faith or belief-based social action should respect service users from all backgrounds, with no discrimination on the grounds of religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, race, ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation or disability
• the voice, participation and solutions that faith communities bring are important, and consultation should enable them to be brought to bear for the benefit of the wider community
• faith or belief organisations and services are encouraged to work not only with the council but with local businesses, education providers and health and other publicly funded services in order to empower communities; monopolies of funding, action and participation can be damaging

Commitments

Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council commits to welcome the involvement of faith and belief groups in the delivery of services and social action on an equal basis with other groups. In addition, they commit to:

• building relationships and trust with faith and belief groups in particular through Leeds Faith Forum and Concord
• fostering good relations and reduce tensions as and when they arise
• adopting strategies for the engagement of faith and belief communities in consultation exercises, in particular through Leeds City Council’s Religion or Belief Hub and Citizens Panel
• encouraging faith and belief groups and their members to be involved in the reshaping and redesign of city services in line with the aspirations and vision we all have for Leeds
• establishing clear guidelines around funding
• developing training and learning opportunities between faith and belief communities and the local authority

Faith based organisations

Faith based organisations commit to work actively with Leeds City Council in the design and delivery of services to the public. In addition, they commit to:

• seeking opportunities to bring people together to serve the community, particularly its poorest and most isolated members
• fostering good relations and reduce tensions as and when they arise
• serving equally all local residents seeking to access the public services they offer, without proselytising, irrespective of their religion, sex, gender identity , marital status, race, ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation or disability
• using resources provided for delivering a service wholly for that purpose, and not for any other
• ensuring excellence in the safeguarding of adults and children, health and safety, accountability and transparency in decision making
• responding to consultations where appropriate
• developing training and learning opportunities between faith and belief communities and the local authority

Support and delivery

The Covenant will be supported and delivered by a partnership between Leeds City Council Safer and Stronger Communities Team and Leeds Faiths Forum.

The Covenant will be open to all faith or belief-based organisations within the city and supported by all Leeds City Council services.

Administrative support will be provided by Officers within the Leeds City Council Safer and Stronger Communities Team.

Leeds Faith Forum Board, in partnership with the Religion or Belief Hub will monitor the promotion and roll out across faith and belief-based organisations. They will review the Covenant every four years or sooner if the partners consider this appropriate. They will focus on:

• sharing examples of work already being undertaken, in particular best practice
• ensuring the council and the Religion or Belief sector share learning and development opportunities where possible
• providing clarity around the availability of support and funding from the council and Third Sector
• ensuring the Religion or Belief sector take part fully in city wide and local community consultations to inform the delivery of public services

Governance

Governance of the Covenant will be a partnership between Leeds Faith Forum as the city’s representative forum for religious or belief communities and Leeds City Council with support provided from Safer and Stronger Communities Team.

Formal approval of the Covenant and any subsequent amendments will be via the Leeds Faith Forum Board and AGM and Leeds City Council's constitutional decision-making process.

The Covenant will underpin the Leeds Faith Forum Strategic Plan and work programme for the Leeds City Council Religion or Belief Hub.

Performance management

An annual update on work against the Covenant including partnership work between Leeds Faith Forum, Faith Action, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society and Leeds City Council's Religion or Belief Hub will be produced and submitted to the relevant governance mechanisms within Leeds Faith Forum and Leeds City Council.

Promotion

Work will be undertaken on a rolling basis to promote the Covenant to a wide a range of interested stakeholders as possible across the city. This work will be undertaken jointly by Leeds City Council and Leeds Faith Forum and will use a broad range of communication tools including via the Religion or Belief Hubs mailing list, Strategic Faith Leaders network, Leeds Faith Forums membership, social media, the council's website and other stakeholder organisations and meetings and forums.