Information | Young Lives

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Compact

Compact is a framework for partnership between Government and the voluntary and community sector.  It is supported by five Codes of Good Practice in which Government and the sector commit to particular actions. 

The Wakefield District compact is a framework of principles that underpins relations between Voluntary and Community Sector organisations in the Wakefield District and the Public Sector.  It applies to all multi-agency working engaged in the delivery of the Community Strategy and the Local Area Agreement, as well as related local partnership issues, such as children’s trust arrangements.  The principles in the Compact are fundamental to the way partner organisations work together to deliver improved well-being to people in the Wakefield District

Government, Voluntary and Community sector agree new Compact for working in partnership
A renewed Compact has now been published. Compact is the agreement which governs the relations between the Government and civil society organisations in England. On this website you can download
• The Compact Accountability and Transparency Guide
• The Compact
• Statement of Support from leading Sector Organisations
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/government-voluntary-and-community-sector-agree-new-compact-working-partnership

Read the Wakefield Compact here.

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/1F516441-C1DF-42DF-A518-CC2E5A7A07B6/0/Compact2004.pdf

Contact Point

ContactPoint is a contacts list, or online directory, for those who work with children and young people, such as headteachers, doctors and social workers. It will only be available to authorised staff, and will enable the delivery of coordinated support for children and young people.  It will be a vital tool to help safeguard children, helping to ensure that the right agencies are involved at the right time and children do not slip through the net.  It will help make services better for children and young people.
ContactPoint will be a quick way for someone working with children and young people to find out who else is working with the same child or young person.  It is a key element of the Every Child Matters programme to transform children's services by supporting more effective prevention and early intervention. The programme's goal is to improve the health, well-being
Visit the Every Child Matters website to find out what information will be held on ContactPoint, read more about integrated working and find out about the range of tools that will help services work together more effectively to meet the needs of children, young people and their families.
 http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/contactpoint/about/

 Good Governance

A code for the voluntary sector.  The NCVO have produced this code which is primarily aimed at trustees of voluntary and community organisations who have ultimate governance responsibilities.  It will help them to lead their organisations through example, and to achieve excellent governance.  It is also aimed at chief executives, who provide the bridge between trustees and staff, and have a central role in ensuring good governance.

www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/governanceandleadership/?id=13148

Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIO)

What is a local infrastructure organisation?
LIOs, such as the Young Lives Consortium, are the voice of the local third sector, providing their members with a range of services and development support.

What they do:

Raise standards
LIOs work with local groups to ensure a high quality local sector. As they provide access to information on, for example, training, funding and legal advice, they can help with quality assurance standards, ensuring that groups and organisations in the district have the knowledge, skills and resources they need.

Identify and fill the gaps
LIOs can monitor the services provided by the third sector in its local area, so are able to identify the gaps in services. They can then work with new groups to address unmet needs as well as ensuring that existing groups are equipped to shape their services to the changing needs of the community.

Provide a voice
LIOs represent the views of groups and organisations to the local authority and other agencies and public bodies. They promote two-way communication, and are the voice of the local sector.  They should be consulted on policy developments and contribute to discussions and decision-making at a local level, and are involved with the local Compact - an agreement between the sector, councils and other local public bodies.

Communication and cooperation
These infrastructure organisations can encourage and support groups and organisations to work together and share resources to create a more efficient way of working and build a stronger local sector. They provide a forum for networking, in order to share good practice and expertise as well as forming partnerships that can bid for tenders.

Promote strategic involvement
The third sector should be involved in local policy-making and planning.  LIOs ensure that the sector is represented and involved in local strategic partnerships, local area agreements and other influential planning groups.  They work with representatives who sit on various sub-groups and committees to keep in touch with what is going on in the district and ensure they are involved with the key local issues.

The local infrastructure organisations for the Wakefield District are:

Young Lives Consortium (VCS groups working with children and young people)
www.ylc.org.uk
Voluntary Action Wakefield District (VAWD) (All VCS groups in the Wakefield District)
http://www.vawd.org.uk/
VOXnet (Community Empowerment Network)
http://www.voxnet.org.uk/showcase/