What is the Surrey Compact?
The Surrey Compact is an agreement that builds relationships that change how partners behave, engage and work together in the statutory, community, voluntary and faith sectors (VCFS). This promotes understaning and co-operation between planners and providers of local services. As such the Surrey Compact principles need to inform working practice throughout these organisations. This foundation of good working relationships enables the organisations to share resources and resolve important issues.
A National Compact was published in 1998. The Government expected Local Compacts in every local authority area by the end of March 2005. In Surrey, Surrey County Council, Surrey Police, Surrey Police Authority, NHS Surrey, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust , Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust, Surrey Police, 10 boroughs and district authorities and approxamately 400 VCF organisations are signatories to the Surrey Compact.
What is the Surrey Compact?
The Surrey Compact is a commitment to continually improve relationship by:
- sharing information and best practice between partners
- respecting inclusion and equality
- all organisations having an equal voice to all
- trust and openness
- working together
- delivering better outcomes
- simplifying and improving the funding process
- improving communication and resolving disputes
- the use of these to provide better services for the people of Surrey.
Why is the Surrey Compact important?
It provides the foundation for better partnership working. This is ever more important to be able to meet the needs of communities when resources are shrinking.
The Government assesses how well the Councils and other public sector organisations are engaging with the other sectors. Working with the Surrey Compact helps to create - and demonstrate - better partnership working. This helps us all to use our resources more effectively.
Evidence gathered by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations shows that Compacts do improve the relationship between the public and voluntary sectors. This benefits Surrey residents, and those that work in both sectors, through more collaborative working and better understanding of each others' needs
Please feel free to download the Surrey Compact Documentfrom below.
