PAST WINNERS

Derby Compact won the prestigious Local Compact of the Year Award for its work on strengthening the links between the Derby Compact and the Local Strategic Partnership, Derby City Partnership. This year, it has revised its Compact to include a new process for conflict resolution and developed a publicity plan to raise awareness of the Derby Compact and promote its work. It has established a strategic city-wide Volunteer Co-ordinators Forum to share best practice and address policy issues in relation to volunteering and to ensure that the Derby Code of Good Practice on Volunteering is implemented. In addition, it has developed a Joint Commissioning Framework for the voluntary and community sector in partnership between the City Council, Primary Care Trust and the third sector, which sets out detailed guidance for Derby City Council and Derby City Primary Care Trust on processes to be adopted to ensure effective third sector involvement in the planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care services.

Compact Champion of the Year 2008

Laura is the Partnership Manager at Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations (SAVO). Laura won this award for her personal commitment and enthusiasm. She has acted as the catalyst bringing local organisations together to agree on their reviewed Compact, organising a steering group made up of representatives from country and local third sector groups, public and local authorities.

Compact Award for Excellence at a Regional Level 2008

The South West Regional Compact was launched in September 2004 and was the first example of a Regional Compact. It meets bi-monthly and its shared set of values and principles aids the input made to the region's strategies and policies.

As well as drawing up the Compact, the group has agreed plans to promote, implement and review it and there are many examples of good practice encompassing review mechanisms, policy planning, campaigning and communications. Absolutely fundamental is their commitment to sharing Compact values and principles, and having a robust and open framework for discussing, promoting, and resolving and respecting differences. For the last two years, they have used their annual review report, to highlight how each of the partner organisations has been influenced by the Compact.

Compact Award for Excellence at a National Level 2008

This work was undertaken by the Department of Health to consider the entire Department's funding of the third sector, including its primary funding streams as well as contracts resulting from procurement, and grants across a range of the Department's programmes. The Department conducted the review guided by Compact principles for involving and consulting the sector and it provided organisations in the sector with the opportunity to participate in a wide-ranging debate with the Department about important issues regarding their future funding relationship, and influence the Department's approach to funding for the sector in future. Over 700 organisations participated in consultation workshops; 195 organisations submitted a response either online or through a paper-based questionnaire and 53 organisations submitted a written response outside the questionnaire format.

The outcome of the review and consultation process is the creation of a 'Third Sector Investment Programme' that replaces the previous Section 64 General Scheme of Grants for 2009-10. The two functions that have been implemented immediately are establishment of a 'Strategic Partner Programme' and the 'Innovation, Excellence and Service Development Fund'. The resulting strategic framework for investment will set the context for a more coherent approach to funding of the sector by the Department, stronger governance of their funding relationship and the opportunity to further mainstream the principles of the Compact and its Funding Code of Practice across the range of DH policy and delivery programmes. From 2010-11 the third sector investment programme will also include a new volunteering investment fund, that builds on the existing Opportunities for Volunteering scheme.

The Commissioner's Award 2008

The Haringey Compact Implementation Group (HCIG) has developed a Compact Proofing Toolkit, an essential tool that will make a significant impact in the effective implementation and use of Haringey's Compact. This toolkit was based on Haringey Council's Equalities Impact Assessment model and was developed to be used across sectors in order to: assess Compact Compliance; support providers to develop and put in place Compact Compliant processes which add value; identify gaps in partnership working; and share learning and inform best practice in partnership working.

The toolkit is divided into two parts and has been designed to be applied to a range of processes and activities. Part 1 is a Compact impact assessment and Part 2 contains Compact proofing performance checklists, in order to assess the Compact specifically against principles contained within the Compact. The toolkit has been piloted by the Haringey Strategic Partnership (HSP) in its review of Area Based Grants (ABG) of approximately £22million. It is also being used to develop its new commissioning framework. It is a learning tool with the aim of making the Compact part of everyday business.