News - Compact for west Cheshire set to make a real difference

With so much positive partnership work taking place between different sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the relaunched Compact for west Cheshire will provide plenty more opportunities to support communities across the borough.

The Compact for west Cheshire sets out ways both the public and community sectors can work collaboratively to benefit communities, with a clear framework to help make sure coproduction and engagement are at the heart of services being delivered for local people.

The community sector has continually adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure people could access the support they needed and the growing partnerships with public sector organisations, such as the Council and NHS, have been key. Without working together as one big team, using the knowledge and skills of different organisations across sectors, residents wouldn’t have received the level of support they did.

The Compact will now help develop these positive relationships in the future so communities continue to benefit.

What the Compact means to the community sector

Hoole Community Development Trust is one of many organisations in the community sector to sign up to the Compact, saying: “For us, success for the Compact would see resources in the sector being further integrated to deliver community social wellbeing services in a more sustainable way.”

Parkinson’s UK, another organisation to get involved, adds: “We’d like to see the public, community, health and social care sectors working more closely together for the benefit of the local community.

“It’ll be good to have clarity on which organisations have signed up to the Compact so we can then connect and collaborate with them.”

Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) is the go-to organisation for the community sector in west Cheshire, offering a range of different services for its members to help them grow, connect with other sectors and act as their voice, commenting: “It’s important for our sector to be well represented on various boards and partnerships to make sure we’re involved with decision making from the very start.

“We want to be seen as equal partners as we have so much knowledge, skills and experience in our sector, knowing our local communities and their needs inside and out.

“We’re very proud of the strong partnerships we’ve formed with public sector organisations in the local area and we’re looking to build on them so everyone sees the value our sector has to offer.”