Case Studies

Compact At Work

Submitted on 5th April 2011 at 23:36

Read about how the voluntary sector and public bodies are working together to deliver better outcomes for communities across the country. If you have any good practice stories you would like to share, drop us a line.

The case studies listed here highlight specific examples of good partnership working in different areas, but do not endorse or rate the local authority as a whole.

Improving awareness of autism in Redbridge

Autism Ambassadors and Redbridge Autism Awareness Roadshow are projects designed and delivered by young people with autism, using funding from Redbridge Council and management support provided by local charity Sycamore Trust. Through working in partnership with the local authority and other organisations, these projects have increased understanding of the issues affecting people with autism and have led to significant improvements in the accessibility of local services.

Creating a space for cross-sector dialogue in Warrington

In seeking to improve their relationship with the local voluntary sector, Warrington Borough Council created the new post of Third Sector Partnership Development Officer (TSPDO). The new role, managed jointly by the council and Warrington Voluntary Action (WVA), coordinates a Third Sector Network Hub, which hosts meetings of strategic importance to cross-sector relationships and ensures a positive dialogue is maintained between the council and the voluntary sector. These innovations have led to improved practices in how the council works with the voluntary sector, and a refreshed local Compact.

Sunderland Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) Project

Often, people disadvantaged by a range of multiple and complex needs, such as poverty, poor housing and mental health problems can’t see their circumstances improving. The MEAM project in Sunderland builds on existing partnerships between the council, Clinks, Mind and Homeless Link to provide more flexible and coordinated services by changing cultures and policies. The project has made a significant impact in turning lives around, reducing homelessness and reducing statutory costs.

Transforming mental health services in Leeds through partnership working

Leeds’ Rehabilitation and Recovery (R&R) mental health service has been designed and delivered through a partnership between Leeds’ NHS Mental Health Trust (LYPFT) and three voluntary sector mental health organisations. Service users work with mental health professionals employed by the partner organisations, moving from stepped intensity residential care to rehabilitation in the community, with support provided for up to 6 months. The service has made a positive impact on the rehabilitation of service users and the length of stay in residential care.

Tower Hamlets: Engaging hard to reach groups to inform health priorities

Tower Hamlets Community Intelligence Bursary

The Community Intelligence Bursary (CIB) is a grant programme jointly funded by Tower Hamlets Healthwatch and Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and supported by Tower Hamlets CVS and Public Health. The coming together of these bodies ensures that the needs and views of the local community, particularly those seldom heard, directly feed into the effective and transparent design and development of services commissioned and delivered in the borough. This is achieved by funding research carried out by voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations who have experience of working closely with the local community.

Redbridge: Bringing fitness classes to community groups

Fit for Fun delivers free exercise classes to community groups and allows them to choose their own activities, venues and times. Originally conceived in partnership by Redbridge Primary Care Trust (PCT) and RedbridgeCVS, the project is now funded by Redbridge Council’s Public Health department. RedbridgeCVS uses its links with the community to identify participant groups which has now reached over 3,000 individuals. Redbridge Council helps RedbridgeCVS to train participants to become trainers themselves and funds RedbridgeCVS’ access to Grants Online which has been instrumental in ensuring that over 90% of the sessions continue once funding ceases.

Partnership working in Hackney delivers integrated support for vulnerable people

By working in partnership with a range of multi-disciplinary teams from across the public and voluntary sectors including GPs, the Clinical Commissioning Group and local NHS Foundation Trust, One Hackney & City is able to offer vulnerable individuals responsive and high quality support and services so that they can safely remain in their own communities.

North Tyneside: Creating Social Value

Voluntary Organisations and Development Agency (VODA)

The North Tyneside Health and Social Value Group, which includes the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), local authority and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, jointly produced a framework for embedding social value in procurement activity to deliver benefits to local disadvantaged communities. In addition to raising awareness, the social value framework takes account of local priorities agreed by the North Tyneside Strategic Partnership (NTSP) and the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and will be considered as part of all local procurement exercises, not just those above the EU threshold.

Norfolk: effective engagement with Health and Wellbeing Boards

Norfolk’s Voluntary Sector Engagement Project plays an important role in ensuring that Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) discussions benefit from voluntary and community sector (VCS) experience and expertise. The partnership allows the HWB to deliver its aim of effective and transparent design and development of policies, programmes and public services that meet the needs of individuals. It is particularly influential in tackling some of the impacts of welfare reform, selecting priorities for mental health services, supporting the Joint Strategic Needs Analysis (JSNA) and contributing to integrated service planning.Norfolk’s Voluntary Sector Engagement Project, funded by the Health and Wellbeing Board, continues the strategic integration of the voluntary sector started through the original Compact agreement.

Portsmouth: building strong health partnerships using the Compact

Partners from different sectors in Portsmouth decided to reinvigorate their Compact agreement. They used the process of renewing it as an opportunity to assess how partnerships were working locally, and to lay the foundations for future conversations about commissioning and the voluntary and community sector.