The report seeks approval of the Voluntary & Community Sector Compact for 2023 to 2025.

The Committee considered a report on a Voluntary and Community Sector Compact for 2023 to 2025. 

The report explained that the Compact had specifically been requested from the sector and co-produced over six months by the Council and voluntary and community sector organisations across the borough.  The aim of the Compact was to create and embed mechanisms that ensured the work to improve the lives of residents and communities was effectively joined up, targeted to add most value, and each partner supported the other as much as it could.

The Compact provided a framework for partnership working, with dialogue and collaborative working between the Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector including the following:

·         Our Shared Ambition

·         How we will Work Together

·         Principles of Our Compact Approach

·         The Relationship Between Reading Borough Council and the Voluntary & Community Sector

·         Our Compact Offer

·         Accountability for the Compact

·         Annual Review

The Compact covered the period for 2023-25 and would align with existing Closing the Gap funding agreements between the Council and voluntary and community sector as well as the Council’s medium term financial strategy. Progress would be reviewed annually by the Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector.

It was noted that a key element in the action plan would be to raise awareness and that the Compact worked for the whole sector. The Action Plan had been developed with the voluntary and community sector and would be taken to the Council’s Social Inclusion Board and reviewed on a regular basis.

Rachel Spencer, Chief Officer, Reading Voluntary Action, attended the meeting representing the Reading Voluntary sector leaders.  She explained that the leaders of RVA would raise awareness and encourage the wider sector to be involved in the Compact.  Rachel confirmed that she would attend a future meeting to update the Committee and to share positive working across the sector.

Resolved –

(1)          That the Voluntary and Community Sector Compact 2023-25 as presented in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(2)          That, as per section 10 of the Voluntary and Community Sector Compact, the Committee receive annual updates on the activities of the Compact at future Policy Committee meetings.