It outlines the shared principles in relation to:
- independence
- funding and accountability
- policy development
- consultation
These principles will help to develop good relations between the sectors.
All voluntary and community organisation (VCS) are encouraged to sign up to the Compact along with councils, local partnerships, learning and skills councils, primary care trusts and the emergency services.
The national Compact
The national Compact was launched by the government in 1998 and was followed by the national codes of good practice on:
- community groups
- black and minority ethnic community and voluntary organisations
- volunteering
- funding and procurement
- consultation and appraisal
We realised we needed a local version of the compact to set out how the VCS and statutory sector work together in the county.
Following consultation with VCS organisations the Derbyshire Compact was first published in 2003.
What does it mean for you?
Our local compact is important for everyone who works in the VCS and public sector.
By following the compact principles and codes it is possible for VCS organisations to:
- improve their relationship with public bodies
- achieve recognition for work undertaken
- gain access to fairer funding
- participate in meaningful consultation
- increase their influence
And for public bodies to:
- improve service quality
- improve inspection ratings
- improve partnership working
- increase accountability, transparency and integrity
The full Derbyshire Compact is attached to this page. It includes the principles we have set out for partnership working locally.
You can also see the action plan for the Derbyshire Compact. This details action points and how we plan to achieve these aims.
You may like to access our jargon buster to help you understand the terms used in these documents and a list of the groups who have signed up to the compact already.
You may also like to read about funding for the voluntary sector or see the Derbyshire Directory for details of local groups and organisations. And local area agreements and local strategic partnerships, both of which are key to the compact.