what we do

Neighbourhood Management Strategy and Action Planning
Chris Khamis has worked within Birmingham's devolved management structures to provide a Neighbourhood Management Strategy and Action Plan for the Hodge Hill District, the largest District in the City. Profiles and Action Plans have been drawn up for the 13 neighbourhoods in the four Wards of the District, situated in the context of Ward and District profiles. These have been based on small area quantitative data covering a range of issues relevant to neighbourhood renewal, and on qualitative information collected from neighbourhood level consultations with local communities and professionals from agencies working in the neighbourhoods. This has been transformed into a leading edge report, using maps, graphics and plain English to make the results widely accessible and to draw out key issues for action. This work has led to CSK working with other Neighbourhood Management Partnerships in Birmingham (in Soho, Nechells, Handsworth and Sparkbrook Wards) to produce similar Strategies and Action Plans or to assist the Partnerships in this process.

Neigbourhood Management Planning, Evaluation and Training
CSK Strategies is the Midlands partner of the National Neighbourhood Management Network, facilitating conferences, debates, peer support groups and site visits across the region. These have covered topics such as Engaging Young People; Community Cohesion; New Style LAAs; Extended Services and Cleaner Greener.
We have worked with two Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders (NMP).
Chris Khamis and colleage at CSR Partnership prepared the first Delivery Plan for the Heart of Burton's Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder.
CSK Strategies has undertaken a number of assignments for Interlock! NMP in Basildon, Essex including their interim and final evaluations. We are currently, with ECOTEC Survey, conducting a survey of local residents. The aim is to supply the evidence base to establish the benefits of Neighbourhood management in the area.
CSK Strategies delivered a bespoke training programme for neighbourhood managers and coordinators in Northamptonshire County aimed at developing the effectiveness, scale and scope of the neighbourhood management approach in the county.

Programme and Project Evaluation
CSK Strategies is currently evaluating two SRB programmes.
In Bootle, South Sefton, we are currently completing the final evaluation of their SRB6 programme, having undertaken the mid-term evaluation in 2005.
We have recently commenced the evaluation of Rochdale's SRB5, Revitalising Rochdale.
In Birmingham we are conducting, with ECOTEC Survey, an evaluation of the SRB and ERDF-funded interventions in four Local Centres in the north-west of the city: Dudley Road, Soho Road, Villa Road and Lozells Road.
Other SRB programmes that we have evaluated were delivered by the Health Sector: South Birmingham PCT's SRB5 Family Support: Opportunities for Life and Learning and the North East London Strategic Health Authority's SRB5 Programme, The Health Ladder to Social Inclusion.
In Basildon we undertook the mid-term and final evaluations of the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder, Interlock!
A Birmingham-based voluntary organisation, The Muath Trust, asked CSK Strategies to evaluate their £5m refurbishment programme that was funded by AWM and the GOWM.
In June 2006 we led on the evaluation the Regeneration Zones as part of an evaluation of Advantage West Midlands' Delivery Mechanisms.

Health and Regeneration
Regeneration issues in the Health and Social Care Sector have become an important aspect of CSK's work. In 2006 Chris Khamis completed work with key Health and Regeneration organisations in Birmingham on the interdependencies between Health & Social Care and the city's regeneration. This led to a ground breaking Summit of leading players to map out a long term strategy to meet the challenges they faced and to grasp the opportunities presented through better collaboration and partnership working. The subsequent report was taken forward by the Birmingham Strategic Partnership.
Chris Khamis was also appointed to evaluate two SRB5 programmes that were located in the Health Sector. The £24m Family Support: Opportunities for Life and Learning programme, led by South Birmingham PCT, commissioned CSR Partnership to undertake a formative evaluation over the final four years of the programme.
We also undertook the final evaluation of The Health Ladder to Social Inclusion, an SRB5 Partnership led by the North East London Strategic Health Authority.
Most recently, CSK Strategies wrote the Health Strategy and Action Plan for Ladywood Constituency in Birmingham and for the North Sparkbrook and Farm Park Neighbourhood Management area, commissioned by the Heart of Birmingham PCT and the local Constituency Offices.
CSK Strategies in on the IDeA's Healty Communities Framework Panel.

Community Consultation
Between now and June 2008 CSK Strategies will be working with Ancer Spa on the development of the Stratford Road and Warwick Road in Birmingham. Birmingham City Council has commissioned a study of the area and the production of a set of proposals for projects that will bring improved prosperity to these important gateway routes. CSK's particular role will be the consultation activity, engaging the local community and business in the process of visioning and developing ideas.
Much of CSK's work involves community consultation, particularly in the process of developing neighbourhood or area-based regeneration strategies.

Refugees and Asylum Seekers
CSK Strategies has worked for the West Midland 's Refugee Strategy Network on a Change Up funded project scoping the infrastructure services that are provided for Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs). The aims of this project was to provide information to RCOs and to influence the approach of infrastructure bodies towards organisations that support asylum seekers and refugees. This was achieved by the production of a database, a seminar, a conference and a project report. Anna Hraboweckyj of Arte Research, who has undertaken a number of projects relating to Change Up, lead on this assignment, working together with Brenda Addison, Matthew Noden , Greg Cox , and members of refugee organisations.
In 2005 Brenda Addison worked with Liz Garton of the Garton Gresham Learning Company to undertake an evaluation of the mainstreaming partnership of ASSET UK, an EQUAL-funded programme that developed strategies to improve Ayslum Seekers' Skills, Empowerment and Training. This was an impressive national partnership with a large number of significant outputs in the field of training, citizenship, volunteering and skills audits. Our assessment was that the Partnership had made an impact by disseminating their work across a number of sectors, both in the UK and Europe.