What it means and why it matters
Devon’s greatest strength is its people; the communities they build, the care they give, and the places they create together. But not every community feels equally supported or safe, Devon’s diverse communities are often unheard and underrepresented Social isolation, poor access to local services, and rising demand for early help, support for young people to thrive, and public safety responses are placing new pressures on the systems that protect and connect us. This priority is focused on unlocking the power of communities and support community resilience, improving wellbeing, and preventing harm. It means protecting and strengthening what holds people together, through social, physical and civic infrastructure, such as community hubs and modernised library services. Taking a place-based approach to community safety, prevention, and connection, making sure rural, coastal, and vulnerable communities are not left behind. Our goal is for Devon to be a place where people feel safe, supported, and able to participate fully in their community.
Our six commitments with our four-year goals and activities
Commitment: Strengthen prevention and early help services for families, young people, and adults.
Goal: Work in partnership to co-design early help and youth support to prevent crisis.
We will:
- Work with communities, the VCSE and other partners to improve access to services for young people and support their health and wellbeing in localities and as part of a wider programme of prevention and early help.
- Work with schools, GPs, and communities to provide joined up support to families and access to services with a focus on prevention and early help.
- Support the co-design and development of place-based services for high-need communities, working with partners and signposting community and VCSE-based support.
Commitment: Improve access to local health, wellbeing, and support services and infrastructure, especially in rural and coastal areas.
Goal: Improve access to community health and wellbeing services.
We will:
- Support rural community access to health and wellbeing services, mental health and social services.
- Invest in health and wellbeing programmes, drawing in external funding from partners and other funding programmes.
- Collaborate with partners and communities to reduce health inequalities and create the conditions for people to live long and healthy lives.
Commitment: Enhance community safety and reduce harm through partnership working.
Goal: Enhance community safety and local resilience.
We will:
- Work with key partners through Community Safety Partnerships and local agencies to enhance community safety and reduce harm with a focus on supporting young people feel safe to access local activities.
- Address violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and exploitation, working with statutory partners and communities.
- Use data and community insight to target areas of greatest need.
Commitment: Utilise community assets, libraries, open spaces that can bring people together.
Goal: Utilise and enhance community assets and infrastructure working with local areas.
We will:
- Develop and modernise libraries as inclusive community spaces.
- Expand access to digital inclusion, learning, culture, heritage and wellbeing services to support vulnerable families.
- Co-locate services and use hubs to support outreach, advice and engagement, working with partners in localities.
Commitment: Support voluntary and community organisations to build local resilience and inclusion.
Goal: Reinforce the role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in supporting community resilience.
We will:
- Explore ways to provide long-term sustainable funding sources for VCSE partners delivering local support.
- Build local capacity and alliances through training, and co-production approaches.
- Champion community leadership and participation in service design and governance.
Commitment: Promote trauma-informed, inclusive approaches in all services working with vulnerable people.
Goal: Embed trauma-informed and inclusive practice across services.
We will:
- Continue to train staff to understand and respond to trauma and vulnerability, and in co-production and share our approach and examples of best practice with partners.
- Increase trust and support for communities at risk of exclusion.