Announcing the results of the 2013 annual survey of local Compacts

This week, Compact Voice will be launching the results of our third annual local Compact survey. The results allowed us to build a detailed picture of the health of local Compacts right across England. We hope that the new addition of data around government policies and their impact on the VCS is particularly useful.
 
The findings show there is much to be reassured by; respondents showed higher levels of support for the importance of Compact principles than ever before, and over a third of local areas stated they were intending to update their local Compact in the next twelve months. As a response to this, Compact Voice are going to be issuing more detailed guidance on renewing and refreshing local Compacts in the coming months.

The responses prove that local Compacts continue to be relevant, topical, and responsive to the changing landscape.
 
We have also seen a steady increase in the number of local Compact groups involved in new local health mechanisms, with the majority of respondents recognising the important role that the new health landscape has to partnership working. Navigating the complexities of health reform has been a topic that our members have stated is of significant importance to them, and we are pleased that progress is being made to strengthen partnerships.
 
However, the survey results aren’t all positive. We have seen a decline in perceptions of awareness, use, and resourcing for local Compacts, which while perhaps inevitable in the current financial climate, remains worrying.
 
We have also been given clear messages about what local areas need to achieve to strengthen their local Compact, and the top three recommendations remain as they were last year; more promotion and awareness, leadership from local public sector officers and resourcing.
 
It’s difficult not to see these as inexorably linked, with resourcing changes having an impact on the ability for local areas to promote their Compact. However, despite the on-going financial challenges, there is are lot of positive stories as well: The Compact Voice engagement team continue to highlight these through our good practice case studies. We are also developing tailored programmes, working with different areas across England to overcome some of the barriers to effective local partnership working.
 
Every year, Compact Voice develops a comprehensive operational plan which helps set out our priorities. These include local engagement, national campaigning, sharing good practice, and helping challenge where there are barriers to successful partnership working.
 
The evidence gained from the annual survey results enables us to ensure these activities are based on comprehensive and detailed local intelligence. It also helps to inform what our priorities should be for the coming year. Without the evidence to strengthen and support our work, the role we have in championing the sector’s interests on the Compact would be considerably less representative, and have considerably less impact.
 
Over the next few months, the engagement team will analyse the results from the survey to help tailor where their efforts can make the most impact. Nationally, we will work with policy makers to help them understand the local picture, and how it should be considered by new programmes and activities. We will provide regular updates on these activities to highlight how what you tell us makes a difference to what we do.
 
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.