SAVO - Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations

ARE YOU familiar with The Compact in Suffolk? The Compact is a set of guidelines and principles for voluntary and community organisations and public agencies to adopt in order to improve working relationships between the two sectors.

The Compact guidelines are designed to encourage each sector to recognise and respect the importance of the other’s role. Voluntary and community organisations make a major contribution to the development of society. They promote both equality and diversity. They help to alleviate poverty, improve the quality of life, involve the socially excluded and make an important direct economic contribution to the County. The Compact should be integral to any policies, agreements, plans and action undertaken between the voluntary and community sector and public bodies.

The Compact in Suffolk recognises that public sector agencies can play a positive role in promoting and supporting the work of voluntary and community organisations. When public sector agencies develop policies or programmes they can have an impact on the work of voluntary and community groups. The Compact in Suffolk will help to make that impact positive.

In reality, it’s an 8 page document, which sets out principles for both the VCS and the public sector to adhere to, to ensure best practice when they work together. It is underpinned by 5 Codes of Good Practice: Volunteering, Community Groups, BME and Diversity, Consultation and Funding and Procurement. These Codes go into more detail about each specific area, building on the main document.

The original Suffolk Compact was developed and launched in 2002, but the Compact in Suffolk has been refreshed over the last two years and both Voluntary and Community Sector Agencies and Public Sector Agencies are, in 2007, being asked to sign up to and re-commit to a Compact Way of Working.

To date, we have a commitment to signing the Compact from a wide range of public sector agencies, such as Suffolk County Council, the PCT’s, the Learning and Skills Council, JobCentrePlus, GO-East, district and borough councils, multi-agency partnerships and the VCS. A full list is available on this website.

The Compact in Suffolk can only work effectively if organisations commit to it. It cannot rely on one person championing the Compact, but must become part of any joint undertaking between the sectors. Complaints have been levied at the Compact in the past, but we are finding that it can be used in an effective way, coupled with the principles of Public Law to challenge decisions and actions of both sectors. All public sector agencies are signed up to the National Compact via the Governments commitment and, if the local Compact is not robust enough, this can be cited in challenging non adherence to best practice. This is a two-way process and VCS organisations can also be challenged on their actions and behaviour.

Having a local Compact allows a dialogue to open between sectors, and it is the process of developing the Compact in Suffolk, which has led to better communication and more understanding between the sectors. As the Compact sets out shared best practice, developed by both sectors, if organisations do not commit to working towards these, how can the relationship between the public sector and VCS move forward?


Home Representation & Partnerships The Suffolk Compact In a Nutshell