Democracy and Community Working in Partnership

Compact for Devon

Working together through the Compact – local government, other public sector bodies and the voluntary and community sector in Devon are improving their relationship for mutual advantage and community gain.

The Compact for Devon was published in July 2005. It sets out the principles for joint working between sectors and establishes a framework through which we can work together for the benefit of people and communities in Devon. Most of the major public and voluntary sector bodies in Devon have committed themselves to working in accordance with its principles. Devon County Council was one of the first signatories.

The Compact aims to promote good practice in the way we work together through codes of practice which set out practical guidelines for specific aspects of working together.

The Compact Hub is the body responsible for developing and monitoring the Compact for Devon. Devon County Council and the Devon Strategic Partnership are represented, as are all the Local Strategic Partnerships in Devon. Each partnership has nominated one statutory sector and one voluntary sector member.

Devon County Council’s representative can be contacted through the Community Strategy Officers’ team. http://www.devon.gov.uk/community_strategy_-_have_your_say

For full and up to date information about the Compact and the Devon Compact Hub visit our website which is hosted by Devon Association of Councils for Voluntary Service on: http://www.dacvs.org.uk/compact.html

Staying Compact Compliant through Difficult Times

Background

The Compact is a document which sets out a framework for relationships between the statutory sector and the voluntary and community sector in the belief that through good communications and partnership working, the two sectors can work better together for the benefit of Devon’s communities.

The new coalition Government is again reviewing the text of the national Compact with a view to further simplifying it and making it more relevant. The basic ideas behind it remain the same:

“That Government and the voluntary sector (which is now referred to by Government as Civil Society Organisations or CSOs) have distinct but complementary roles

The Government believes that the innovation, expertise and ethos of CSOs is essential in tackling the social, economic, environmental and political challenges that the UK faces

Central to this agreement (the Compact) are the principles of respect, honesty, the value of volunteering and the value of support and development to organisations on the front line.

All of this is underpinned through open communication”

The Government envisages the following outcomes:

1 Civil Society Organisations’ independence is recognised and valued

2 Effective and innovative policies, programmes and services, incorporating social value

3 Well managed programmes and services

4 Minimised impact of ending funding

5 An equal and fair society

Although re-worded, the spirit and intentions behind the Compact remain the same.

The Compact for Devon was published in 2005 and is in the process of being revised, along the lines of the new national Compact, to make it simpler and more accessible.  Supporting codes of practice are available covering the following topics:

• Funding and procurement
• Volunteering
• Equality and Diversity
• Partnership Working
• Consultation
• Community Groups

All published documents are available through this web address www.dacvs.org.uk/compact

This guidance note is intended to assist statutory sector managers and budget holders who are facing the need to provide services with reduced budgets, at a time of increasing demand for services.

Compact Principles

Early Dialogue and communication

If consideration is being given to ending or changing a contract, project or grant funding which has been ongoing, it is important to engage the organisation in early dialogue. It will be necessary not only to consider the impact on service users of the termination of a service, but also to consider any unintended consequences, which could result in higher costs further down the line. This would also apply to funding or service reductions.

It is sometimes possible that the organisation is able to suggest a cheaper or different way of delivering the service, and this could also be explored. One of the benefits of working in partnership with voluntary organisations is that they can often be creative and flexible about the way they work; it is to our advantage to listen to any ideas they may have. The development of outcomes based commissioning, as opposed to over prescriptive contracts, should also help to stimulate imaginative solutions.

Whilst the Compact states that a minimum of 3 months notice should be given of the termination or variation of a contract or other funding arrangement, it can often be beneficial to give longer notice where possible, in order for a planned exit strategy to be put into place.

Impact on organisation

Where an organisation is solely, or substantially dependent on the contract(s) or grants which are to be ended or reduced, consideration should be given as to whether support may be available to enable the organisation to find other sources of funding. This could come from the local CVS or, depending on the scale of the operation, from a business advisory service.  

Decision making

Clearly the ultimate decision on funding rests with the funding body itself. Very occasionally there is no other option than to end a funding arrangement without consultation, perhaps when national funding streams cease, or priorities change. In this case the decision should be communicated clearly, early and with an explanation of the reasons.

Retaining good partnership relationships

One of the aspects of partnership working that has worked well in recent years is that the voluntary and community sector are now much better represented at strategic partnership level. The sector has developed much improved communications within its own ranks, thanks to the work of infrastructure organisations and the ongoing representation project. The result of this is that statutory organisations, and particularly DCC and NHS Devon have improved opportunities to engage the sector in high level strategic discussions. This enables the voluntary sector’s voice to be listened to, and assists with mutual understanding and respect. It is vital that effective partnership working at this level continues.

Finally

We all know that funding cuts will have to be made, and our voluntary sector partners are well aware of this. Being signed up to the Compact does not mean we cannot change our priorities and make different spending decisions. What it does mean, above all, that we must communicate those priorities, and engage the sector in ongoing discussions in order to minimise the impact of budget reductions on services to communities.

For further advice and discussion please do not hesitate to contact Sue Craythorne on 01392 382226 or email  sue.craythorne@devon.gov.uk