Shropshire Compact Development - Your views are needed!

Work has begun on the development of a new Compact between the Voluntary and Community Sector and the new Council in Shropshire. It is hoped that this can be in place by June 2009 to co-incide with the inauguration of the new Shropshire Council.

(Anyone wishing to keep up to date with the progress of the development of the new council should follow the link on the Shropshire County Council website http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/onecouncil.nsf )

The Compact is an important document which will help to guide the working relationship between the Council, partners and Voluntary and Community Sector organisations. It is important that it is developed in partnership to enable the views of both parties to be taken into account in the final document.

Building on experience and good practice Shropshire is now developing a new Compact with the VCS through stages and this will be launched by the new Council (and VCS) when the new Council is formed in April/June 2009.

The stages in the development have been:

• Development of a new joint Compact Group which met in June & September 2008
• Circulation of a Compact Questionnaire to VCS & public services in summer 2008
• Well attended Compact & Third Sector Strategy conference held on 5 November with local, VCS, public service, regional & national speakers & discussion groups on the new Compact and possible Third Sector Strategy
• Membership of the Regional Compact Panel
• Appointment from VCS of a Compact Development Officer to work with joint Compact Group
• Development of compact working through new Community Working team of 21 officers