Dudley Strategy for Tackling Health Inequalities 2010-15

8.4 DEVELOPING THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITYSECTORThere have been long-standing positive relationships between public sector healthand social care agencies and the voluntary and community sector in Dudley. Manyof our services in Dudley could not be delivered without the voluntary and communitysector.Examples have included:- Grant Funded services by the Dudley MBC‟s Directorate of Adult, Community andHousing Services to Black and Minority Ethnic groups in Dudley who provide daycare and other specialist support within the sector- Service Level Agreements by the Directorate of Adult, Community and HousingServices with larger providers such as MIND or ReThink- Health Act (former “Section 28”) support by NHS Dudley to local voluntary andcommunity sector activity- Advocacy roles carried out by organisations on behalf of specific service usergroups- LINk activity undertaken as part of their remitThese examples are underpinned by the Commissioning intentions of both DudleyCouncil‟s services in adults and children‟s social care and those of NHS Dudley.Our Joint Commissioning Framework made health inequalities a key informingprinciple for our approach to commissioning and the examples of the way we workwith the voluntary and community sector referred to above are very much part of thatapproach.This context is also strengthened by the broader activity undertaken by the DudleyCommunity Partnership and its partners in working with the voluntary and communitysector to develop a Compact (More information available athttp://www.dudleylsp.org/local-compact). Dudley‟s Local Compact is a partnershipagreement between the local public agencies in Dudley Borough, and the voluntaryand community sector. Dudley‟s first Compact was published in June 2002 and hassince been revised to include all members of the Dudley Community Partnership. Therevised Local Compact was formally signed by representatives of the Partnership inMay 2004.The Local Compact recognises the invaluable contribution made by voluntary andcommunity organisations to the Borough. It sets out a number of principles andundertakings on behalf of local agencies and the voluntary and community sector inorder to improve relationships and to work more effectively together in improving thequality of life in the Borough.This framework aims to give an overall coherence, therefore, to the way in which thesectors work together and this is given practical effect in the delivery of care andhealth services and the voice which is given to users, carers and patients of ourservices.189