Lambeth Compact

The Compact is an agreement between the Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector made in November 1998 to improve their relationship for mutual advantage. The Compact aims to build the partnership relationship between government and the sector. The principles outlined in this national Compact have now been given more detail in a set of codes of practice, as well as leading to the development of local Compacts.

In Lambeth the process began in 1999 and continued for over a year with consultation, review and dialogue. A final version was produced in April 2001: “Working Towards a Common Agenda – the Lambeth Compact”. A copy was sent to every LVAC member.

There is an introductory section setting out why and how the Compact has been produced. There are then five sections each with complementary undertakings and action points from the statutory sector and the voluntary and community sector:

1. Key Principles for Joint Work – some key agreements and joint undertakings which influence the following undertakings. Action point: annual reviews.

2. Consultation and Involvement – the approaches to be taken both in the statutory sector conducting and the voluntary sector responding to consultation. Recognising dual roles for voluntary groups both as providers and campaigners. Action point: a Funding Code for Lambeth.

3. Partnership Working – building practical partnerships to deliver services.

4. Resources – chiefly funding, but covers all resource issues including premises. A key action point is the development of a Premises Strategy.

5. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Issues – adopts the Stephen Lawrence enquiry definition of institutional racism and sets a definition for BME groups. Action point: infrastructure and development support.

Click here for a copy of the Lambeth Compact.

Click here for a background and summary briefing.

You have read this far and have developed an idea of what the Compact is. Do any of your colleagues, management committee or members know anything about it?

There is a Compact Development Officer based at LVAC – Gethyn Williams. Gethyn can come to your organisation and explain what the Compact is and how it can work for you. Gethyn is particularly interested in meeting forums and networks. If you are a member of a forum or network, can you invite him to speak?

Knowing about the Compact isn't enough. The Compact and codes exist to be used. This might mean looking at what the Compact says about consultation before a policy change, a Best Value Review or a new service is developed. In monitoring performance, look at whether the way you work is in line with the Compact. If you work with voluntary and community groups, are your expectations of them linked to the undertakings from the voluntary and community sector in the Lambeth Compact? However much of the Lambeth Compact has fairly general commitments requiring interpretation. A way to clarify things is to develop and adopt local codes of practice that reflect the national codes.

The national Compact has a series of Codes of Practice attached to it. These codes not only give more detail to the undertakings in the Compact but also give best practice examples. Implementation of the Lambeth Compact may include developing equivalent local codes for Lambeth.

Consultation & Policy Appraisal Code
Funding Code
Black & Minority Ethnic Community Code
Volunteering Code
Community Groups Code - Draft

For further information on the Compact, please click here.