Local Compacts

A year in the life of an Engagement Development Officer

I have been in my post now for twelve months. The time has gone very quickly as I have been extremely busy.

Introducing the East of England Compact Network

Our research suggested that regional Compact networks add real value to local Compacts. Now we are putting that idea to the test by establishing the East of England Compact Network

Stockton: Empowering the Voluntary and Community Sector

At a time when many local authorities were making cuts to the voluntary and community sector and infrastructure groups, Stockton Borough Council was doing the opposite. The VCS were fully involved in a consultation to review the funding structures and support packages available from the council, with their views taken on board to make sure the process was done in a fair and Compact compliant manner.

Wiltshire: Integrating the Compact into local strategy

By aligning their Compact with the Wiltshire Community Plan, the Wiltshire Compact Board has helped to raise its profile.

The dedicated Compact worker paradox

Let me play devil’s advocate: dedicated local Compact workers can be invaluable in getting local Compacts up and running, but can their influence also prevent the Compact from being self-sufficient?

Briefing: Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman

Compact Voice has produced a briefing for voluntary and community organisations about the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO). The briefing outlines the sorts of complaints the PHSO can and cannot help with, how to access their services and the implications for voluntary and community organisations and Compact groups.

The essence of good partnership working

We live in turbulent times. Many of the structures for partnership working are changing, evolving and in some cases disappearing. I’ve been pondering the impact of this and reflecting on what the essence of good partnership working really is.

Oldham: Embedding the Compact in a new Cooperative structure

Oldham Council has recently made the shift to being a Cooperative Borough, and they’ve ensured that the local voluntary and community sector is at the heart of their new structure. The momentum that is being created to develop Oldham as a Cooperative Borough has helped to meaningfully embed the local Compact into their day to day practices.

Should the format of your Compact be as important as its contents?

When renewing your local Compact, should you focus your attention on discussing the appearance and format of the finished document, or should you be more concerned about the content?

The answer may seem obvious – until you take into account making your local Compact accessible to everyone.

Is transforming local infrastructure a good thing?

One of the things I like about my job is that I get a great overview of what current key issues for the voluntary and community sector are, and get to know what is happening locally. We all know that this is a time of change and upheaval, brought about by shrinking resources and a new policy agenda. The emphasis is on doing things differently and on finding innovative ways to provide services.