The Lichfield District Compact

The Lichfield District Compact is an agreed way of working between the voluntary and community sector when they come together in partnership(s)

Why do we need a Compact?

During the 1990s, increasing emphasis was placed on the development of multi-agency partnerships to identify and address needs in communities.

The contribution of the voluntary and community sector was being recognised as crucial to this process, however the vcs was not being treated as an equal partner and its specific needs for engagement in partnership working were not being met.

As a result, in 1998 Government agreed a Compact with the vcs nationally with an expectation that it would be rolled out locally over time.

How was the Lichfield District Compact developed?

The Lichfield District Compact was developed by a multi-agency steering group set up in June 2003 and the Local Compact was adopted in March 2004.

What's in the Compact?

The Compact contains principles that are shared by all those who sign up to it and shared and individual responsibilities that apply to the sectors. There are specific sections covering:

• Policy and consultation
• Funding
• Volunteering
• Community participation