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Chapter 2. The Relationship between Welsh
Government and the Third Sector
Shared values and purpose
2.1. The Welsh Government and the Third Sector share a number of
common values about the role of individuals and communities in a
modern democracy, which will underpin all aspects of this Scheme.
These values are about a society which:
ensures that people are not treated less favourably because of their
gender, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy and
maternity, being married or in a civil partnership, being a disabled
person, or being transgender;
is inclusive and enables people to participate in all its economic,
social and cultural activities;
empowers people to participate in the development of their
communities and recognises the value of such a contribution;
relies on people’s voluntary action to foster community leadership
and enhance local democracy;
comprises public, private and voluntary sectors which complement
each other and seek to tackle social issues in a spirit of partnership
between them;
enjoys the benefits of a healthy environment and a thriving
competitive economy, alongside vibrant community life, as a result
of its commitment to sustainable development.
2.2. Welsh Government and the Third Sector recognise the challenges that
public services face. Demand and expectations are increasing, and
public funding is under continuing pressure. This means that
preventative and community services are more important than ever.
We recognise that quality of life cannot be delivered by the state alone,
and we need to capitalise and build on community action and
volunteering, and help communities to be resilient at the local
neighbourhood level.
2.3. We believe that the Third Sector can help to transform the way that
public services meet present and future demands, by treating people
and communities as assets and equals in the design and delivery of
services, not only as service receivers. Some people describe this as
co-production, and it means building services around the person and
the community and unlocking potential resources of time, money and
expertise to combine with, not replace state support. It makes
resources go much further by using them in different and new ways
which strengthen individuals and communities. Through this Scheme
we will make sure that the arrangements for working with the Third
Sector, and for designing and funding public services, support a new
approach to public services based on co-production.
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