The Compact is an agreement between the public sector and the voluntary and community sector. The Compact provide guidance which the relationship between the sectors can be developed and strengthened for the benefit of the communities we serve.
Currently the Compact is a voluntary agreement that does not have any legal or contractual status but a commitment has been made by many public and voluntary and community sector organisations when they signed up to the Compact in 2005.
You can download either the Compact summary or the full Compact document by clicking on the links below.
Wirral Compact Consultation
In March 2009, a formal request from the Minister for the Third Sector was sent to Sir Bert Massie CBE, the Commissioner for the Commission asking the Commission to take “what is best from the existing documents rather than start from scratch, and ensure that the new version takes into account recent developments in law, policy and practice.” In addition, it asked that the new Compact “takes account of the implications for Local Compacts, and the new local performance framework, Local Strategic Partnerships, Local Area Agreements and the Comprehensive Area Assessment.”
The refreshed Compact retains all the key points of the original but takes into account recent developments in law, policy and practice.
It is divided into three key areas covering:
- Involvement in policy development
- Allocating resources
- Advancing equality
We would like to know if your organisations supports Wirral adopting the national refreshed Compact and the local Compact to be adhered to in all future partnership working arrangements between the sectors.
Details of the full consultation can be found here.
You can respond using this pro-forma or by emailing wirralcompact@vcawirral.org.uk
When did it start?
It all began back in July 1996 when The Deakin Commission Report on the Future of the Voluntary Sector was published that recommended that the Government should recognise the legitimacy of the Voluntary and Community Sector’s diverse roles and its own responsibility to promote a healthy sector.
After a consultation period which involved views from over 25,000 organisations the National Compact was finally signed in November 1998.
In 2004 a local group was established which began using the national Compact as a base to shape a Wirral Compact.
In April 2007 the Commission for the Compact was launched which shows a real commitment from central government to the Compact agenda.
What is a Compact Champion?
Local Implementation is supported by a network of Compact Champions. A compact Champion is a person within a Department or organisation who will: Promote the Compact values, be responsible for making Compact known, understood and used, be aware of the local and national Compact agenda, Promote involvement and Compact Successes and Ensure Compact compliance cascades down to operational level.
Useful links
For more information about Compact try:
Compact Voice - www.compactvoice.org.uk
Commission for the Compact - www.thecompact.org.uk
Local Government Association - www.lga.gov.uk
