About Us

What is the Lincolnshire COMPACT?

The "compact" is a statement of partnership between voluntary, community and statutory sector organisations. By signing up to the compact, organisations are making a commitment to work together more closely and to respect each other's rights and responsibilities, differences and duties. The compact offers an approach to partnership and a framework through which stronger relationships can be built.

The compact is a living document for building relationships that change how partners behave, engage and work together at an individual, organisational and partnership level.

The Aim of the Lincolnshire COMPACT

The aim of the compact is to:

• promote good working relationships between voluntary, community and local statutory organisations.

The outcomes of this aim will be:

• better co-ordinated services
• improved quality of life for the people of Lincolnshire
• improved understanding between sectors of each others values and ways of working

The Objectives of the Lincolnshire COMPACT

The objectives of the compact are:

• To develop a framework that promotes voluntary and community group engagement in influencing and decision making that affect the community
• To work towards greater equality, recognition and respect between the sectors when working in partnership.
• To improve communication and information flow between statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

The Shared Principles of the Lincolnshire COMPACT

The shared principles and values of the compact are:

• All partners recognise that they each have distinct but complementary roles in the development and delivery of public policy and local services.
• The partners also acknowledge the importance of accountability.
• Partnership working adds value and helps to create shared aims and objectives.

What is the Voluntary and Community Sector?

The Voluntary and Community sector is an important partner in meeting the needs of individuals and communities in the county of Lincolnshire. Voluntary and community organisations in Lincolnshire are diverse in terms of structure, size, history and culture as well as in the range of activities in which they engage. They range from large organisations with many paid staff to small informal groups run by volunteers. Some are national or regional in scope, others cover the whole county or are based in local communities. Voluntary and community groups are independent, defining their own aims and objectives and choosing methods by which they achieve them.

They often have a small group of people known as a management committee who take responsibility for the running of the group.
These groups often have a constitution or set of rules which guides activities and future work.

Making the Lincolnshire COMPACT Work

To make the compact work organisations should:

• sign up to the compact
• adopt the compacts’ codes of practice
• work in the spirit of the compact
• support the Lincolnshire compact working group
• embed the principles and values of the compact within their own organisation
• promote the adoption of the compact to other organisations

"THE COMPACT DOCUMENT ITSELF WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING”