SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND
BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE – 7 AUGUST 2003
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF CORPORATE POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
It was agreed at the Members Development Day held on 27th February 2003 that this report should be submitted for debate and recommendations. The report will then be considered for decision by the Executive on September 10th 2003.
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
1.
To debate and make recommendations on the Draft Voluntary Sector Compact
(Appendix 1)
2.
To support and promote the further development and implementation of the
Voluntary Sector Compact
3.
To note that the draft is purely a discussion document and that the agreed
Compact will be professionally presented
BACKGROUND
The Compact is an agreement between the Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary and Community sector and sets out the principles of working in partnership.
The Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary and Community sector are committed to working together to develop the Compacts application and effectiveness. As part of that process, codes of good practice for funding, consultation, arbitration and policy development will be prepared jointly as appropriate.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Council’s CPA Improvement Plan requires us to develop the role of key partners in consultation and the delivery of services, which includes a review of the Voluntary Sector Compact.
The Isle of Wight Council Community Partnership Team and an officer of the Rural Community Council have, subsequently, jointly redrafted the Voluntary Sector Compact.
The Compact aims to:
Following adoption of the agreed document an implementation plan will be formulated which will identify and set out the expected performance measures and targets.
CONSULTATION PROCESS
The Compact has undergone vigorous consultation within:
Ř The Voluntary Sector
Ř The Voluntary Compact working group (comprising of representatives from the Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary Sector)
Ř The Isle of Wight Council’s Legal Services section and Policy team (Service Level Agreements)
Ř Directors Group
Ř The Voluntary Sector Forum, deadline 11th July
Forthcoming consultation will include circulation to all Community Forums, with a deadline for return of comments by 22nd September 2003. The draft Compact will also be placed on the Isle of Wight Council’s website for general consultation with the same deadline.
Following the adoption and launch of the Compact, an implementation plan will be jointly devised and agreed between the Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary Sector. The implementation plan will take into account a number of legal implications such as Disability Discrimination Act and the Crime and Disorder Act.
A member of the Community Partnership team currently undertakes the work involved in this process and there are no additional resources required.
It is anticipated that the Compact will be officially launched in November 2003.
There is a mandatory requirement to have a Compact up and running by 31st March 2004.
The Compact is not a formal contract, rather an agreement between the Council and the Voluntary Sector on the principles of good working practices. The Compact is a developing document and as such will be the subject of regular review and appropriate revision by the Compact working group.
We are required to develop the role of key partners in consultation and the delivery of services, which includes a review of the Voluntary Sector Compact, as determined in the Council’s CPA Improvement Plan
APPENDICES ATTACHED
Appendix 1 – The Voluntary Sector Compact and glossary
BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT
None used in the preparation of this report.
Contact Point:
Sue Chilton, Community
Partnership Manager, 823632, [email protected]
JOHN BENTLEY
Head of Corporate Policy and Communications
The Government has launched a Compact defining the relationship between itself and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). The Government's view is that voluntary groups bring distinctive value to society and engage the skills, interests, beliefs and values of individuals and groups. The Isle of Wight Council agrees with this view and has consequently drawn up this Local Compact relative to the Council and the Voluntary Sector on the Island.
The Isle of Wight has a population of 132,719 and is predominantly a rural area with the principal town of Newport at its centre, and a number of towns each playing a role in the economy of the Island. Approximately 50% of the Island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The total length of coastline is 65 miles - 28 miles are lengths of Heritage Coast. In 2000, fifteen of the forty-eight wards were in the worst 20% nationally. Two of them were in the most deprived 10%.
The Isle of Wight Council is the single Unitary Authority for the Island, comprising 48 elected Members. It delivers a full range of local authority statutory and other services to the community and, by its nature, is a democratically elected body with political affiliations. The services delivered by the Council are disparate and the organisation encompasses five Directorates, each with its own service groupings.
The Voluntary and Community Sector is diverse, both in the nature of the organisations which it includes and in terms of their aims and objectives. Groups and organisations may be very local or part of a broad national network. They may involve only voluntary effort or may have paid staff and extensive annual budgets. Locally we have:
· Self help or mutual support groups responding to particular conditions (e.g. medical, unemployment, poverty, disability)
· Organisations which focus upon a particular interest (e.g. ecological, environmental, religious, social, cultural)
· Groups which work in the community in different ways, either concentrating on particular issues or age groups or localities/neighbourhoods
· The Rural Community Council (RCC) which is the Island's Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and the main link between the VCS and the Isle of Wight Council (IWC)
· A Voluntary Sector Forum, which is a representative network, open to all groups and individuals from the VCS. A representative Voluntary Sector Cabinet is elected annually by the Forum and deals with matters of concern to the sector on their behalf
· Providers of services to those in need or socially excluded
A LOCAL ISLE OF WIGHT
COMPACT
A Compact is about developing better working relationships between the Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector on the Island. A Compact should be a starting point for developing and improving our partnerships based on shared values and mutual respect.
COMMON PRINCIPLES
q Both the Isle of Wight Council and the voluntary and community sector share a common objective: to work for the benefit of the communities of the Island and to ensure high quality, accessible services, thereby promoting equality of opportunity and social inclusion.
q There is recognition that both fulfil complementary roles. The IWC supports the voluntary and community sector, which contributes significantly to the effectiveness of the Council's activity and enables both sides to achieve more together than separately.
q It is recognised that a partnership is where all partners are equally important. This means mutual appreciation of each other's roles and objectives as well as mutual acknowledgement of the constraints facing both the statutory and the voluntary and community sector.
q The Isle of Wight Council acknowledges the independence and diversity of the voluntary and community sector and the sector's right to challenge, comment or campaign on policy and practice.
q The voluntary and community sector acknowledges the Council's statutory responsibilities, particularly in relation to Best Value, and the constraints placed on it by central Government directives and performance indicators.
q The voluntary and community sector also recognises the decision-making role of elected members and their democratic responsibility to balance the needs of everyone on the Isle of Wight and work within the resources available
COMMUNICATION
q The Isle of Wight Council and all organisations within the voluntary and community sector, especially the Rural Community Council combining its role as Council for Voluntary Services, recognise their responsibility to be channels of communication.
q
The Compact Group (need to identify who, when,
where) will be responsible for reviewing
communication methods, ensuring that the best use is made of all mediums of
communication including face-to-face contact, meetings, newsletters and websites
and that information is disseminated in
a way that is most beneficial.
q The Isle of Wight Council will identify named contacts in departments to help facilitate access to information. The Compact Group will be responsible for publishing details of a network of contacts within both sectors and for ensuring that the details are updated.
q For enquiries relating to the Compact, the Compact Group will be the first point of contact.
q Both sectors will respect the confidentiality of information, when given to it on that basis.
RESOURCING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Funding (includes - service level agreements, contracts or grants)
The Isle of Wight Council will:
q Allocate resources to the voluntary and community sector on the Island against clear and consistent criteria, taking account of the priorities identified within The Community Strategy, the I.W.C Corporate Plan Etc., Best Value and value for money, and principles of equality, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and accountability
q Inform the voluntary and community sector about its funding priorities and criteria
q Support the infrastructure of the voluntary and community sector, as far as it is able to. Every effort will be made to help voluntary and community organisations develop the capacity to respond to the needs and priorities of service users.
q Allow access to Funding Officer for advice and information.
q
Aim, wherever possible and appropriate, to foster
sustainability through the life of
the individual Service Level Agreements in place.
q Give as much warning as possible, usually six months clear notice (timescales may vary), about any changes to the level of funding in contractual arrangements.
q Use plain English, streamlined, transparent and accessible processes and provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
q
Give consideration to payment of expenses when
volunteers are asked to participate in joint planning and consultation
exercises. (needs to be budgeted for)
q
Identify an
appropriate Isle of Wight Council member of the Executive for the reporting
process (to be named in the Appendix).
The voluntary and community sector will:
q Recognise and respect the need for accountability and the principles of Best Value and value for money
q Acknowledge the constraints the IWC works under and its dependency on Government funding and direction on spending priorities
q Develop quality standards for service delivery that are appropriate to each organisation, without undermining the contribution and involvement of volunteers
q Make the best use of opportunities provided by local umbrella and infrastructure organisations in order to access information, support and training on fundraising
q
Provide
agreed, measurable outputs as specified in the individual Service Level
Agreements. (SMART targets – see glossary)
q
Adopt the
same commitment to delivering equality, eliminating unlawful discrimination and
respecting human rights: as those adopted by the Isle of Wight Council.
ADVICE AND EXPERTISE
The Compact will help make the most of the wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience available in both sectors, by developing mutual advice and support networks.
JOINT TRAINING
The Compact Group will consider ways of developing sharing and spreading learning across the Council and other public bodies and the voluntary and community sector on the Island.
·
A Training Strategy
will be devised for future working.
PREMISES AND BUILDINGS
The IWC’s policy on
Council Tax discounts for voluntary organisations will be applied as
appropriate.
2.
COMPACT BENEFITS
The co-operative and collaborative climate created by the Compact will encourage and strengthen the following activities enabling their more effective and efficient delivery by co-ordinating and improving support and liaison between the authority and the voluntary sector. This requires active communication between the parties to secure the greatest benefits from new opportunities and existing services.
Partnership working between the statutory and voluntary sectors will allow all parties to optimise and attract money from certain funders.
3. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES & EQUALITY
Equality and Equal Opportunities are key values of both the Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector. It is felt appropriate therefore to set clear and strict conditions under which all those associated with the Compact will act.
Neither party to the Compact shall treat one group of people less favourably than others because of their colour, race, gender, disability, age, sexuality, nationality or minority group origin, in relation to decisions to recruit, train or promote staff or volunteers, or providing services to others.
All parties to the
Compact will have regard to the need to promote good relations between people
of different ethnic backgrounds and eliminate unlawful discrimination.
The following legislation and Codes of Practice must be adhered to:
· Commission for Racial Equality's Code of Practice for Employment
· Race Relations Act 1976
· The Equal Opportunities Commission's Code of Practice on employment, discrimination and equal pay
· The Sex Discrimination Act 1975
· The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
· Health & Safety Act 1974
· Any subsequent amendments or relevant new legislation
4. MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION
If any dispute or difference should arise between the Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector in connection with, or arising from the Compact, it shall be referred in the first instance to first contacts:
If the matter cannot be resolved informally at the first stage, then the dispute is brought before the Compact Development Group (comprising of representatives from the Isle of Wight Council and the Voluntary Sector) who will reach a decision on a way forward. It will aim to reach a consensus of opinion. This process may involve liaison with:
It is, however, recognised that where services are purchased by the council from the voluntary sector through a contractual or service level agreement process, the contract or agreement will often have its own defined procedure to be followed in the event of default or dispute. The mediation process outlined in the above paragraph will not therefore apply to any disagreements, which are governed by such contractual procedures.
5.
MONITORING AND
REVIEWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPACT
The IWC and the Voluntary Sector are jointly committed to monitoring and reviewing the Compact annually in order to assess its continuing effectiveness and impact.
The Compact Group will meet at
regular intervals to:
·
Set out an
agreed action plan with SMART (see glossary) targets and outputs
·
Monitor progress against agreed measurable action points and provide regular feedback to the responsible
Heads/Committees of each partner
· Determine criteria for evaluating success on an annual basis
· Develop more detailed codes of good practice on the various sections in the Compact, as the need for them becomes apparent. These will need to be adopted as appendices to the Compact
· Identify any new tasks that need to be undertaken and review existing. The results of which will form the basis of the Compact Review.
· Review the composition of the Compact Group and consider setting up any necessary sub-groups
·
Identify contact officers within each Council
department
The Compact Group will consider and set up appropriate mechanisms for resolving conflicts and complaints.
Both sectors will undertake:
·
To report to their members and constituents on an
annual basis (A process to be defined in the implementation plan)
· Demonstrate commitment to, and share responsibility for, implementing and reviewing the Compact
· Distribute the Compact widely and provide induction and training within their organisations to raise awareness of how the agreement affects joint working
6.
MEMBERS OF THE
COMPACT GROUP
Representative of Local Strategic Partnership
Portfolio holder Social Services
Chairman Social Services Select Committee
Director with responsibility for Social Inclusion
Director with responsibility for Equality and Diversity
Policy Unit rep. with responsibility for Partnerships
CVS Officer – Rural Community Council
Director of Age Concern
Manager of Osel Enterprise
Chairman or Secretary of Vectis Equality Project
Rep. of Women’s Refuge
Rep. of Island Volunteers
+ Head of Policy Performance & Resources, Social Services acting in an advisory capacity.
Groups nominating/providing members will indemnify those members for any activity undertaken in relation to the group.
Whilst it is acknowledged by both sectors that this Compact is not a legal document, both will endeavour to work within the spirit of the Compact and make it meaningful.
GLOSSARY
Best Value is a statutory responsibility for local authorities to achieve continuous improvement in services by a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. All services must be reviewed by challenging how and why they are provided, and comparing them with the performance of others. Stakeholders must be consulted and competitiveness must be tested against external providers.
Consultation is the process of seeking and listening to views within defined parameters. This includes seeking information and advice about future decisions, and testing the impact of decisions which have already been taken.
Contracts record the agreement between the commissioner of a service and the provider of the service. It specifies the service to be delivered and the arrangements for delivering and paying for it. Arrangements for monitoring and ending the contract are included. Contracts are legally binding.
CVS Council for Voluntary Services
Diversity means the variety and difference within voluntary and community groups and the local community.
Evaluation is the assessment of the value of a project, piece of work, or service. Its purpose is to help an organisation decide whether it is achieving what it wants to and if it needs to do anything differently.
Monitoring is the routine collection and recording of information, sometimes against statutory performance indicators, on the activities of an organisation. It provides information on what an organisation is doing, but makes no judgement about the value of the outcome or results of those activities.
Partnership is when one or more organisations work together to achieve a shared and clear set of objectives. There is a clear understanding of the contribution of each organisation, which takes into account their differences, and there is equal respect for the role and experience of all partners. A successful partnership depends on the sharing of information and decision-making.
Service level agreements are written contracts which set out how two organisations will work together over an agreed period. They are not as onerous as a typical contract and usually contain less legalistic language but may be legally enforced.
SMART Specific: Measurable: Achievable: Realistic: Time-specific.
Statutory sector is the name given to organisations created through Acts of Parliament whose functions are determined by the law. Local authorities, including parish and town councils, are democratically elected and are accountable to the voters and central government. They have legal responsibilities for the social well-being, economic development, environment and health of the people they serve. Other statutory agencies, such as health authorities and the probation, police, fire & rescue and ambulance services, are not directly elected and are accountable to the appropriate Secretary of State.
VCS Voluntary and
Community Sector
Voluntary organisations are: formally structured; not-for-profit (although they may make surpluses); independent and not part of government; managed by unpaid, voluntary management committees or boards of trustees; have paid employees and volunteers; may be registered charities and/or companies limited by guarantee
Community organisations are: local community and self-help groups; more informal; often made up entirely of volunteers; any staff are likely to be part-time; independent; without regular income or funding
Trustees are the group of people responsible for the control and management of a charity, which includes members of a charitable association's management committee and directors of charitable companies. Certain specific statutory duties arise from being a trustee.
Umbrella organisations - also sometimes referred to as intermediary organisations - are an important force in the voluntary sector, fulfilling four main functions: development, services to other organisations, liaison and representation. However, it is acknowledged that not all umbrella organisations perform all of these functions. (Deakin Commission 1996)
Users are the people who benefit from or use a service. They are also called customers, clients, consumers, beneficiaries, recipients.
Volunteering is an activity that a person - volunteer - chooses to undertake, whereby they do something to benefit either an individual or a group (not relatives) or to benefit the environment, for which they receive no payment.