Harrogate district strategic partnership

North Yorkshire Compact

North Yorkshire Compact

 
The Background
 
Nationally the Government in 1998 launched the Compact after wide consultation across Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). It sets out a shared vision and framework of principles to govern their relationship, with promises from both sides.   These are the national Compact Key Principles:
 
  • A healthy voluntary and community sector is part of a democratic society
  • Working in partnership with the voluntary and community sector can result in better policy and services and better outcomes for the community
  • Partnership requires strong relationships (e.g. integrity and openness)
  • Government can play a role as funder of the voluntary and community sector
  • The independence of the voluntary and community sector should be respected
 
Benefits of the Compact way of working
 
The original idea behind the Compact was to improve the relationship between the public sector and the voluntary and community sector and 378 of 388 local authorities are now covered by one. With the advent of community planning and the setting up of Local Strategic Partnerships the Compact's application was widened and it is now promoted as a way of working in partnership across all sectors, for mutual advantage and the benefit of communities.
 
North Yorkshire Compact
           
The Harrogate District Strategic Partnership signed up to the North Yorkshire Compact and Codes of Practice in November 2006. The full document can be accessed via www.harrogate.org.uk/voluntary
 or www.nysp.org.uk.  The North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership (NYSP) has ultimate responsibility for the evaluation, development and promotion of the North Yorkshire Compact and all key members of the NYSP are signed up to the Compact.  A framework is in place to promote and monitor the Compact at a county level via a Steering Group reports to the NYSP, and there is representation from the Harrogate District on this group. During the past year two further Codes of Practice have been developed and approved, on volunteering and on working with black and minority ethnic community groups.
 
The Compact in the Harrogate District
           
When the HDSP Executive adopted the North Yorkshire Compact in November 2006 it agreed the following roles and responsibilities:
 
Harrogate District Strategic Partnership (HDSP)
Owns the Compact and actively promotes and uses it in partnership working
Harrogate Borough Council
Lead role in promoting Compact good practice, training, communications etc. (HBC Community Engagement Working Group takes a lead role on this)
Voluntary and Community Sector Forum Working Group
Monitors Compact implementation plan and reports to the HDSP annually
Harrogate and District Public Involvement Group
Promotes good practice amongst public and voluntary and community sector organisations in the District in relation to public involvement and consultation, monitors standards. Reports to the HDSP.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IMPACT OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS
 
Good progress has been made in all the areas set out in the action plan.
Good examples of a Compact way of working within the District:
  • National Compact Week: Securing the Future consultation event hosted by the CVS' within the District and supported by Harrogate Borough Council to consider a response to the North Yorkshire County Council's proposed commissioning approach.
  • 3 VCS forum meetings (hosted and lead by Harrogate Borough Council), this forum is the only forum within the District of its kind where the Local Authority and Members can engage with the VCS as a collective.
  • December 2009- the second round of Harrogate Borough Council Community Chest grants were awarded to applicants from the VCS allocated under the Compact code of funding.
  • 12-week consultation period adhered to for a number of consultations and now included as a requirement in Harrogate Borough Council Community Engagement Guidance.
  • Improved representation of VCS at HDSP Annual Conference July 2009 (22 in 2006, 35 in 2007, 37 in 2008, 47 in July).
  • February 2010- North Yorkshire Community Development Fund (Harrogate District allowance) allocated under the Compact code of funding in relation to full cost recovery by the Harrogate District Strategic Partnership.
* Harrogate Borough Council and the two CVS received a commendation during 2007 in the area of Better Funding Relationships, the only award in this category and also the only award in Yorkshire and the North East of England.