15/07/04 - The first ever Local Compact between Darlington Borough Council, the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and local voluntary and community groups was launched today at Darlington's Crown Street Library.
Darlington MP Alan Milburn officially launched the document that was signed by the Leader of Darlington Borough Council John Williams, Sandra Pollard, Chair of the PCT and Alan Coultas, Chair of CVS (Council for Voluntary Services). Over 60 representatives from the local voluntary and community sector attended the event that will see the strengthening of the working relationship between the two public sector organisations, Darlington Borough Council and the PCT and local community and voluntary groups.
Adopted by full Council in April, the Local Compact is a statement of partnership between the public sector and the voluntary and community sector. It is a commitment to work together more closely, and to respect each other's rights and responsibilities. It provides a framework to develop more detailed agreements in specific areas in the future.
The Compact is the result of detailed discussions with officers from across all public sector departments, local organisations, elected members, voluntary organisations and smaller, grass roots community groups. Once in place the document will provide a framework to guide joint working and will be put into practice through a number of agreed actions. These will make sure that it becomes an effective working document that will also provide a tool for evaluation.
The Compact supports the four visionary goals and eight connecting themes of the Council's existing Community Strategy. These include making the Borough an area where prosperity is created and shared, a location for learning, achievement and leisure, a place for living safely and well and an area with a high quality environment with excellent communications links.
In its wording, the Compact recognises the importance of each type of organisation and the different environments in which they operate. It seeks to open the channels of communication between the different groups so that each can achieve their own aims and objectives more effectively and help each other to work towards common goals.
Once in place the Compact will help to encourage greater openness and consultation between the public sector and local voluntary and community groups. Key working practices will include policy development and consultation, funding support and sharing resources, supporting volunteering and working towards clearer routes of communications between all groups.
Darlington Borough Council Leader John Williams said:
"Here in Darlington we already enjoy a good working relationship with the PCT and local voluntary and community groups. The Local Compact provides an agreed, structured and measurable framework to guide how we will work together for the benefit of the local community and to improve the delivery of services to everyone."
In addition to reviewing the Compact every six months, the Steering Group will hold a yearly meeting with representatives from the voluntary, community and public sector to review the progress of the working document.