Words into ActionTrafford Compact Conference

Janet CallenderChief Executive Trafford Council

15th July 2010

The Real Value of the Community and

Voluntary Sector

• Advocate and campaigner • Catalyst for cohesion between communities• Force for social justice and tackling inequality• Key role in the design and delivery of

services• Innovation and creativity

However…

Contribution and Impact

• Valuable Contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector

• Often Underestimated

• Building Social Capital, Relationships and Bridges

• Articulating and meeting the needs of our most vulnerable residents

Ingredients for Success

• Recognition of the contribution the voluntary sector makes

• Mutual respect

• Effective partnership working

Making a Difference in Trafford

• Nearly 900 voluntary Sector Organisations Operating in Trafford

• Employing around 3,000 people• Wide range of services from social care to

business support• Representing communities of interest and

ensuring agencies listen to local concerns• Stepping in where public and private

sector don’t

Contribution to our 2021 Vision

• Safety and Reassurance

• Strong Economy

• Strong Communities

• Brighter Futures

• Positive Environmental Impact

• Better Homes

• Improved Quality of Life for all

Trafford Compact

• Partnership wide Compact agreement December 2007

• Builds strong relationships for mutual advantage and benefit of all Trafford Residents

• Provides a framework for sustainable improvements in quality of life

• An agreed way of working

“The way we do things round here”

Why is the Compact Important?

• Embraces principles of fair and effective funding and meaningful consultation

• Commitment to build the capacity of the sector

• Challenging current practice - “critical friend”

• Sharing and learning from what works

Council’s Commitment

• Support VCS to lead and deliver

• Encourage initiatives and develop shared practice

• Increase shared commissioning

• Support community involvement

Challenges Ahead

• Government inherited a substantial deficit

• Focus on reduced spending rather than increased taxes

• 50 days- emergency budget (22nd June)

• £6.2bn reduction 2010/2011 (£1.165bn for local government)

• Spending review to be published in Autumn

How do we meet the challenges together?

• Scale of the challenge such that all public service bodies will have to engage in transformation/innovation

• Partnership Approach is essential

• Identify and seize all opportunities across all of Trafford

…We are stronger together than apart.

Never has it been more important to work together effectively to get the most out of

our shared (if reducing resources) in Trafford

“Maximise the return on the Trafford £!”

So want about the “Big Society?”

What is it? It’s about-

• Encouraging social responsibility

• Reducing Government control

• People coming together to improve communities

• Developing social enterprise and social capital

Big Society

• Presents new challenges• New Government policies• New emphasis on engagement• Different role for local authority and

partners• Shift to local solutions to local issues

“localism, localism, localism”

Big Society

What will we be doing?

• Stimulating• Listening• Hearing• Creating• Supporting• Training• Letting go

“Engagement, Engagement, Engagement”

Big Society

Big Debate

• Over the Summer / Autumn• Partnership working• One conversation• Locality focus• “voice group” focus• Evaluation and feedback

Real opportunity for the community and voluntary sector to lead the way…

Final Thoughts

“The Chinese have 2 brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis’.

One brush stroke stands for danger, the other for opportunity.

In a crisis beware the danger but recognise the opportunity.”

J F Kennedy