INTRODUCTION
What is The Wiltshire Compact?
The Wiltshire Compact is an agreement between local public sector bodies and organisations of the voluntary and community sector to support and improve partnership working between the sectors. It is also a model for relations between organisations in the same sector.
The Wiltshire Compact is therefore a series of joint undertakings for members of each sector. It also contains a series of specific undertakings, and all taken together make a positive impact on both day-to-day partnership working in the county and support the delivery of "People, Places and Promises- The Wiltshire Community Plan 2011-2026". The Compact will also support the Thematic Plans that are designed to deliver those objectives, as well as provide a foundation for meeting obligations set out in guidance issued to Best Value Authorities by Government, which has statutory force (visit the Resources page for more information and a legal briefing).
In this context, the term “undertaking” commits us to use our best endeavours in working towards the principle or action in question.
What is The Wiltshire Compact for?
The Compact sets out a framework within which positive, effective, working relationships can be developed by:
• Recognising and building on those things we already do well together;
• Setting standards and making clear commitments about the ways we will work with each other;
• Creating an environment of mutual trust and respect which allows us to take full advantage of new opportunities for partnership working.
The principles set out in The Wiltshire Compact underpin the relationship between us in all areas. In particular the Promises will further develop the ‘Wiltshire way of working’ across the family of partnerships.
RATIONALE
What difference will The Wiltshire Compact make?
The Compact aims to make improvements to the way the two sectors work together, and within each other. We will begin this process by making clear, explicit commitments about the expectations that partners can have when dealing with each other. In time, this will enable us to work towards:
• Simpler funding processes;
• More meaningful and inclusive consultation processes;
• Wider involvement in more areas of public life;
• More co-operation and less duplication across all statutory and voluntary and community organisations;
• More informed decision-making resulting in better and more appropriate services for the people of Wiltshire;
• More support, encouragement and promotion of volunteering, and for community groups.
CONTEXT
Where are we now?
"People, Places, and Promises - The Wiltshire Community Plan 2011-2026"
sets out the vision for Wiltshire, which is to build stronger and more
resilient communities, with greater localism lying at their heart. We
want to encourage and support communities to take the initiative to
strengthen their ability to deal with local challenges and issues in
creative ways which are tailored to their unique circumstances.
Our
communities give us a sense of well-being and belonging. Strong
communities can cope with changing and challenging circumstances and
they will often find their own solutions to many of the problems they
face. These communities require less intervention from public services,
which is not only good for people, but reduces the pressure on
increasingly scarce public resources. This is particularly important
given government’s overriding priority to make substantial savings and
reduce the national deficit.
Greater localism is part of the ‘Big
Society’, where decision making is devolved, and the design and
delivery of services together is influenced by what local people need
and want in their local place. To achieve this, public and voluntary and
community sector agencies work together to design, commission, resource
and deliver those services.
There is much that is already good
about the way the two sectors work together, and within each other,
across a most diverse range of issues facing change in our civil
society.
A great deal of voluntary and community sector activity
within the county is funded by the public sector, which is further
testament to the strong record of partnership working between the
sectors. As the public sector faces up to new challenges, and the new
opportunities for the voluntary and community sector are realised, the
Compact principles have never before been so relevant.
RENEWED PROMISES
Where are we going?
For
the new Compact in 2011, the Board has developed five Promises,
each underpinned by a series of undertakings that follow these themes:
Funding and performance management Working with partners Consulting, engaging and involving Community groups and volunteering Equalities
The Community Plan makes the point that:
"For Wiltshire to continue to be an excellent place in which to live, work and visit, we must work together. This will be the true test of our resilience."
The Compact partners are committed to supporting Wiltshire's vision of building strong and resilient communities.
CONSULTATION: JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2011
The formal consultation period was launched at The Wiltshire Assembly on 9 June, to last four months until the end of September.
LAUNCH: NOVEMBER 2011
The consultation responses having been considered by the Board on 6 October, and changes agreed, the final version of the new Compact has been made available to coincide with national Compact Week, commencing 7 November.
FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT: DECEMBER 2011
The formal announcement was made at The Wiltshire Assembly, held at the Salisbury Guildhall, on Thursday 1 December 2011.
How are we doing?
The Wiltshire Compact provides a framework to help us, and the wider family of partnerships, work together more effectively. As our work continues and evolves, it follows that the Compact itself will need to evolve, taking account of improvements in our relationships and the changing partnership environment in which we all operate.
Each year the Wiltshire Compact Board will initiate its own review of the Compact, assessing monitoring, compliance and outcomes over the term, and looking ahead to new issues that will inevitably face all partners and signatories. The review will:
• Examine the operation of the Wiltshire Compact and the Promises made;
• Assess whether all partners are complying with Compact undertakings;
• Agree an annual action plan, which sets milestones for the further development of the Compact, the technical content of the Promises, and their implementation;
• Evaluate the difference that the Compact is making in Wiltshire;
• Publish a report on its findings.
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