Fairer Together

Our 2030 commitment

We are determined to ensure that by 2030, everyone in Islington who needs extra help can access the right support for them at the right time and in the right place.

To achieve this goal, we will need to make a series of radical shifts in the way we work.

• Working in partnership with communities who feel included to tackle issues that are important to them.
• Ensuring our community is able to access support that they feel meets their needs.
• Using relationships with the community to be able to create long-term positive change.
• Having a consistent and shared approach across the whole borough that is understood by everyone.
• Understanding the impact we have and committing to a system which is led by learning and always improving.

We already have positive examples of where these principles have worked. However, by 2030, we need to make Fairer Together our standard approach. This is how we will change the way we work with communities to deliver help and support to you.

What Islington will look and feel like for residents

• Families face issues together with the support from their communities, access affordable, enriching activities and access support without judgment
• Help and support is accessible, culturally competent and anti-racist and tailored to the needs of our diverse communities.
• People are in control of their own lives, set their own goals, have a single point of contact in the council who they know is available and cares about them, feel their experiences are validated and are able to live independently.
• Communities – including the local community groups and organisations – are connected and mobilised around localities to deliver change in local areas, making the best use of shared spaces and assets such as community centres and libraries.
• People of all ages and backgrounds access cultural and creative opportunities, build connections to local heritage, people and places and develop skills, knowledge and practices to thrive.

What we are doing to get there

Read the full strategy for more on what we are doing, but this includes:

• empowering strong and supportive communities
• delivering high quality early intervention and prevention services
• driving system change that supports more effective, joined up early intervention and prevention.

Here are some of the programmes we've launched to help us get there. 

Access Islington Hubs

We will create three Access Islington Hubs as one-stop shops for early support for children, young people and families in Islington. This should help stop the need for further or more complex support later on.

You can get advice and support from your nearest Access Islington Hub. This includes anything to do with:

• work
• money
• food
• home
• family
• wellbeing
• safety.

Access Islington Hubs will also offer learning and development for staff in each area so that we build strong working relationships and offer the highest quality support we can.

Young Black Men and Mental Health

Our Young Black Men and Mental Health programme is a vital element of our Fairer Together early intervention and prevention strategy. It aims to transform the way the system works to achieve more equitable opportunities and better life chances for young Black boys and men living in Islington.

We have been successful in receiving investment funding of £1.6 million to lead a pioneering programme designed to tackle mental health inequalities which will help to create a better future for young Black boys and men and demonstrate Fairer Together in action. This three-year programme will see a much more holistic approach to addressing mental health issues among young Black boys and men in Islington, with the aims of improving personal mental health and wellbeing, aspirations, and life chances.