The Gateshead Compact 2024 to 2027

1.   Strong, sustainable VCSE sector

A shared commitment to ensuring a strong, healthy VCSE sector by providing appropriate levels of funding which, where affordable, are linked to inflation.

Before the start of each financial year, and aligned to the council's budget-setting process, any voluntary-sector organisations who have a contractual or grant agreement with the council will have the opportunity to advise of any impact of actual or anticipated cost pressures on their ability to fulfil their obligations under these arrangements. The council commits to having due regard to this information, and entering into discussions with the sector about options to mitigate such pressures.

All partners have an opportunity to maximise support for the VCSE sector via effective use of social value in procurement processes.

Gateshead Council will work towards building VCSE sector funding into the base budget, as a way of protecting this funding in the longer term. All public-sector partners are encouraged to consider this.

All partners commit to considering the best way to provide longer-term and sustainable funding to the sector for the delivery of agreed outcomes, for example, using a grant-funding or a procurement approach, taking into account the regulations that apply to the partner and the need for fairness and transparency. Grants are often the preferred funding option for the VCSE sector, and we encourage all partners to take a grants-first approach to funding, only using contracts where this is strictly necessary.

2.  Long-term planning and transparency in commissioning

A shared commitment to working together to provide transparency and objectivity in public-sector commissioning and procurement.

This will include public-sector partners providing clear and annually updated information about the extent of their expenditure in the VCSE sector. It will include implementing full commissioning cycles, which allow the VCSE sector to input fully, and providing co-production opportunities for people with living and lived experience.

A commitment to improved and proportionate contract management, with contracts linked to inflation. For the VCSE sector, this includes the commitment to provide the commissioner with good-quality monitoring information regularly, and to receive feedback and engage in dialogue with commissioners.

For new opportunities, commissioners commit to ensuring that thought is given to whether the funding should be in the form of a grant or contract as referred to in point one above, and to ensure that opportunities are widely shared and that the social value provided by VCSE organisations is acknowledged fairly and transparently in assessments.

3.   Valuing and enabling volunteering

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities. We have a shared commitment to valuing the role of volunteers; removing barriers to volunteering; supporting the take-up of opportunities; ensuring an effective infrastructure is in place to support volunteering; and working in partnership to encourage volunteering.

4.   Gateshead locality working

A shared commitment to the value of local community development.

And the role of public-sector organisations, VCSE organisations, faith groups and community leaders in engaging people in decisions that affect them, and co-production and delivery of services.