How to establish a Compact or partnership agreement

How to establish a Compact or partnership agreement Compact Voice July 2015

What is the Compact? • A voluntary agreement aiming to foster strong, effective partnerships between public bodies and the voluntary and community sector (VCS) • Every government department is signed up to the Compact • Has cross party support • Applies to England

About local Compacts • Reinterpret the principles of the national Compact to reflect local circumstances • There around 165 local Compacts across England • Can be established at borough, district or county level

What is included in local Compacts? Issues covered by local Compacts include: • Funding arrangements • Policy and service development • Advancing equality • VCS independence • Volunteering practice Photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley via www. flickr. com • Improving cross-sector relationships

Creating a local Compact: What to consider • Engage your local partners • Read the national Compact • Include practical examples • Style is important, but not as important as substance • Create supporting documents • Find out what other areas have done

Drafting your local Compact • One person should take the lead on writing the draft • Get your introduction attributed to a senior local figure • Use a tag-line to help you promote your Compact • Include a summary and a glossary of terms Photo courtesy of Stan Wiechers via www. flickr. com

Consulting on the draft • Consult as widely as possible • Hold events to gain feedback • Recruit “Compact Champions” to raise awareness in their own organisations • Show you have taken on board responses Photo courtesy of Highways England via www. flickr. com

Who to involve • The local authority and the local VCS are the two key partners, but other local partners could include: • • • Police authority Police and Crime Commissioner Fire authority Housing association Job Centre Plus Clinical Commissioning Group Chamber of Commerce Healthwatch Health and Wellbeing board Local Enterprise Partnerships

Local Compact signatories • In some areas signatories are limited to representatives signing on behalf of a wider group, while in others areas, individual organisations sign up • Signing up to a local Compact often involves including the names of the signatories in the local Compact, but some areas have an online list of signatories that can be easily amended

Establishing a steering group • Should include representatives from both sectors • Guide the process of creating a local Compact • Help embed the Compact in local partnerships • Can mediate in local dispute resolution Photo courtesy of Mark Morgan via www. flickr. com

Case study: Lewisham local Compact • Consultation included 100 in-depth interviews with community groups and council officers • The council funded a Compact Officer to work part time • Compact steering group included a nominated person from each council directorate

About Compact Voice • Represent the VCS on the Compact • Co-signatories of the national Compact • Work to support partnerships across sectors both locally and nationally • Support use of the Compact through influencing, sharing positive examples of partnership working in practice, and providing expertise

Further Information The national Compact: www. compactvoice. org. uk/sites/default/f iles/the_compact. pdf Find your local Compact: www. compactvoice. org. uk/compacts-map Partnership working toolkit: www. compactvoice. org. uk/resources/brie fings-and-guidance/partnership-workingtoolkit-voluntary-sector Email Compact Voice for advice and support: compact@compactvoice. org. uk or visit the website: www. compactvoice. org. uk Photo courtesy of Mark Morgan via www. flickr. com