Discussion

Compact Voice have been supporting the Cumbria Compact Steering Group as part of our Priority Areas Programme. We have been supporting the Steering Group in their work to sign up 4 councils in the area to their local Compact. Carlisle City Council signed up to the Compact on Tuesday: this is excellent news.

NCVO's 'A Day in the Life' programme is a free work shadowing initiative which provides an opportunity for staff in voluntary and community organisations and participating government departments to step into each other's shoes for a day.

While it is always useful to consider the impact to equality groups and issues when introducing or developing policies, a better longer term approach would be to ensure that individuals, groups and organisations representing different equalities strands are signed up to local Compacts and represented on local Compact working groups.

Ensuring ongoing engagement will mean that equality issues are kept high on the agenda for Compact groups, and that the needs and interests of a diverse range of stakeholders are represented.

The national Compact only applies in England, however, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own agreements, which are listed here.