[WiLT] Compact has 'had little impact'

[WiL Admin]

Compact has 'had little impact'



Only one in four councillors, local authority and primary care trust
staff think the Compact has had a significant impact on their
relationship with charities, a survey has found.



The research by consultancy nfpSynergy showed that 25 per cent of
councillors and 24 per cent of local authority staff agreed with the
statement: "The local government Compact has made a big difference to
our relationship with charities."



The survey of 460 councillors and more than 420 local authority
staff - including chief executives and employees in PCTs, social care,
housing and education - also found that more than half of councillors
and local authority staff thought charities were able to provide
public services as cost-effectively as local authorities.



Sixty-three per cent of councillors and 59 per cent of local authority
staff thought charities provided public services as cost-effectively
as private companies.



Both groups were strongly supportive of the idea that charities should
be able to "campaign to change the policies of local government
relevant to their work".



Lindsay Sutherland, a researcher for nfpSynergy, said the majority of
councillors and local authority staff were either unaware of the
Compact or thought it did not make much difference.



"The implication of the survey is that councillors and local authority
staff are behind the idea of the Compact and that they do want to work
with charities," she said. "But the fact that the Compact is not
binding could mean that they don't give much importance to it."



Richard Corden, chief executive of the Commission for the Compact,
said the report sent out conflicting signals.



He said that although many councillors and local authority staff
thought the Compact had not made a big difference, there was a lot of
support for the right of charities to campaign to change local
government policies.



"Establishing the freedom of charities to campaign is one of the main
principles of the Compact," he said. "Local councils strongly agree
with the principles of the Compact."



MAIN POINTS



- One in four councillors and local authority staff in the survey said
the Compact had a significant impact on their relationship with
charities



- 63% of councillors and 59% of local authority staff thought
charities provided public services as cost-effectively as private
companies



- Both groups polled were supportive of charities lobbying local
authorities.



http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/DailyBulletin/815641/Compact-had-little-impact/DBD63B3EFB33EFCEDC6311EA67582789/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin