Community development work: The approach in Cornwall Council Research in Practice Podcast

Julie Wilkinson, Associate Research and Development Manager at Research in Practice speaks to Becky Higgins, Cornwall Council's Early Help Hub VCS Engagement Coordinator and Lead for the Community Development Worker Project.

They discuss the role of community development workers across Cornwall and the ethos and benefits of the approach for children and families, the community and the council. Becky also describes how the approach has been adapted in the context of COVID-19 and how this could be developed further in the future. This is the second in a series of podcasts on the topic of community development.

Talking points
Becky and Julie discussed:

The work of community development workers
The origins and ethos of the approach
The co-location of community development workers in the Early Help Hub
How previous work has enabled the council to better deal with the impact of COVID-19
The key benefits of the approach for individuals, the community and the local authority
Advice for others wanting to do similar work.

Related resources
Dartington: Research in Practice. Godar, R. (2020) ‘Enabling community capacity during COVID-19
Dartington: Research in Practice. Sutton, J. (2018) ‘Assets-based work with communities: Leaders' Briefing’
Dove, B.(2020) ‘Someone to watch over me’ Social Work 2020 under Covid-19 Magazine.