Compact Week

• Compact Week 2012 theme
• Compact Week Asks
• Compact Week – free conference
• Free resources for your events
• Further information and guidance

Compact Week 2012 theme

The theme for 2012 Compact Week is Valued Partners: Making Best Value Meaningful.
 
In the era of Best Value Guidance, there is an increased emphasis on the role of local commissioners, with a wealth of new partnership structures emerging in areas such as health, and changes to how services are delivered with the impending introduction of the Social Value Act, which due to come into place in January 2013.
 
This year, we will be focusing on how Compact Voice can help to ensure that the vital role of the voluntary and community sector is recognised in this new landscape.

Compact Week Asks

Each year during Compact Week we set a series of ‘asks’ – achievable, influential activities which Compact groups can undertake to help partnership working in their area.

We encourage every local Compact group to try and deliver one (or all!) of these asks. We’ve tried to come up with asks that are easily achieved but will have maximum benefit for your local Compact.

The asks:

1. Make contact with at least one key commissioner in your area, to raise awareness and understanding of your local Compact and how it can help them in their work.
 
The people responsible for commissioning public services can sometimes be unaware of who to contact about their local Compact, or even how their local Compact can help them. It is vital for effective cross-sector relationships that commissioners are familiar with their local Compact and work to those principles agreed by both sectors.
 
We are have put together a template letter, which you can download here (or at the bottom of this page), personalise and send to local commissioners in your area.
 
The template letter also highlights the briefing note ‘Best Value Guidance and the Compact' which was jointly produced by Compact Voice and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
 
If you’re not sure how to find a local commissioner, NAVCA have produced a helpful guide called ‘Where is your Commissioner?’ which you can download from their website.

2. Ask your local council and VCS to ensure there is up-to-date information on their website/s about their local Compact.
 
One of the main points raised at many of the events we attend across England is that people cannot find information about their local Compact online, on either Council for Voluntary Service or local council websites. Often where there is information online, it is out of date.
 
We have put together some general text about the Compact, local Compacts and links to resources – which you can personalise to suit your local area and pass on to the person responsible for maintaining the website.
 
Please take the time to ensure there is up-to-date information about your local Compact online.

3. Supporting promotion of the Compact to Members of Parliament

Compact Voice is aiming to raise awareness of the Compact amongst members of Parliament.

Early Day Motions are a key way for MPs to show their support on particular topics, and can help raise awareness of issues which may affect their constituents.

Andrew George MP, one of the chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Civil Society and Volunteering, has tabled an early day motion in Parliament welcoming Compact Week, and expressing support for the Compact

EDM 648 states:

“That this House welcomes Compact Week which takes place from 5 to 9 November 2012; recognises the important contribution that Compact has made to enabling better relationships between civil society and Government; notes the important role of local Compact agreements in helping build better communities through stronger partnerships; and celebrates the vital contribution that the voluntary and community sectors make to society.”

The ‘ask’ for local groups is for local Compact groups to email their constituency MP to show support for the Compact by signing EDM 648.

You can find out who your local MP is by visiting findyourmp.parliament.uk, and you can download some draft text to send to your MP (download the file from the bottom of this page).

Compact Week conference

During Compact Week 2012, we held a really successful conference in London. Thanks to all who attended. You can read a round up of the day's developments in our blog 'Putting Partnerships in Perspective'.

Free Resources for your events

If you’re running an event during Compact Week, or just providing an update on your local Compact at a meeting (which we would encourage you to do!), we can provide a selection of materials free of charge.

You can also request a speaker from Compact Voice to attend your event and discuss the Compact – find out more about our free speaker service here. Please provide 3 weeks’ notice prior to your event, as our staff will be busy in the lead up to Compact Week.

Further information and guidance

Download the Compact Week 2012 logo here (.jpg) feel free to use this on materials or letterheads.
 
We have also put together some text about Compact Week, which you can circulate to your contacts or include in newsletters. Download this below.
 
If you’d like to find out more about Compact Week, please get in touch.