Surrey Compact

Elmbridge Borough Council is signed up to Surrey Compact
What is a compact? It's a written commitment between public bodies and the voluntary and community sector, about how they relate and work with each other using best practice. It's about creating benefits for everyone by working together in the spirit of trust and respect. This provides the chance for both the public bodies and voluntary and community sector to address many important issues.

So what does that mean in practice?
Elmbridge Borough Council has to conduct itself in the spirit of the Compact and the Codes of Practice. So any officer working with the voluntary and community sector must keep within the Compact and Codes of Practice. The Compact and the Codes have been produced in collaboration between the public bodies and the voluntary and community sector in Surrey.

What are Codes of Practice?
They flesh out the Compact and provide direct guidance on the topics on which they are written.
So far there are three completed Codes. They are:

• Funding Code
• Volunteering Code
• Consultation, Communication and Engagement Code
• Diversity and Disability Code ( coming soon ) and
• Positive Dispute Resolution Code (out for consultation)

The areas that the above codes cover are very much self explanatory and it is up to officers to ensure that the way in which the Council works is Compact compliant.

Please visit the the |Surrey Compact website to find out more information and to obtain copies of the Codes of Practice if you think it is relevant to your work.

Elmbridge Borough Council is involved with the Compact at Chief Executive, Councillor and Officer level.

If you need further guidance on any of the above please contact the |Voluntary Sector Support Officer.