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Incommunities (formerly Bradford Community Housing Trust) is hosting a presentation this week by a top government policy advisor on it’s successful About Turn supported housing project.

Anne Power is Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

In late 2007 Professor Anne Power was commissioned by BCHT to assess the About Turn Project which helps tenants who have difficulty keeping their tenancy due to their behaviour and personal circumstances.

Staff at About Turn provide one-to-one support and advice to clients and work with other agencies such as Social Services and the Probation Service. Since it was set up in 2004 they have helped over 70 families and individuals to change their lifestyles and maintain their tenancies.

In April 2007, the project’s achievements were recognised by the National Housing Federation which represents over a thousand housing associations around the country, when it was presented with a ‘What We Are Proud Of’ award. The Audit Commission has also recognised About Turn for its good practice.

On Wednesday (11 June), Professor Anne Power will present her assessment of the About Turn project at an event at the Midland Hotel in Bradford attended by representatives from housing groups, Bradford Council and support agencies.

At the event Professor Anne Power will make a presentation on the project and lead a question and answer session on About Turn and also her work.

Geraldine Howley, Incommunities Group Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to host this presentation by Professor Anne Power who is both a leading expert in social policy and a government advisor on social exclusion.

“Our About Turn project goes from strength to strength as a key service helping people face their own particular challenges and to support them in turning their lives around. It demonstrates Incommunities commitment to put communities and people at the heart of what we do and the government’s Respect agenda to intervene early in tackling anti-social behaviour in communities.”

For more information contact Alaf Khan of Incommunities on 07760 172823.


Notes for editor

- Anne Power is the Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

- Since 1965 Anne has been involved in European and American housing and urban problems. In 1966 she worked with Martin Luther King's 'End Slums' campaign in Chicago, and on her return to Britain organised community-based projects in Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. From 1979 to 1989 she worked for the Department of the Environment and Welsh Office, setting up Priority Estates Projects to rescue run-down estates all over the country.

- In 1991 she became founding director of the National Tenants Resource Centre at Trafford Hall in Chester (now the National Communities Resource Centre), which provides residential training and pump priming support for people living and working in low-income communities. She became a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1996 and is Deputy Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at the LSE. She is responsible for ESRC sponsored longitudinal research into the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Britain’s cities.

Issued by Tony Lofthouse, Incommunities Media & Communications Officer on 01274 254253. tony.lofthouse@incommunities.co.uk

As of 9th June 2008 Incommunities is the new name for the former Bradford Community
Housing Trust Group (BCHT). It owns and manages 22,000 homes across the district and is the biggest Registered Social Landlords in the region.