Agenda item

Report of the Head of Communities (SC/24/04) on a proposed Civic Agreement between the Torbay, Plymouth and Devon Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Assembly and Devon County Council, attached.

An Impact Assessment has been prepared, is attached, and also available on the website at Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Assembly Agreement - Impact Assessment.

RESOLVED that the proposed Civic Agreement be approved.

(Councillors Leaver and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Communities (SC/24/04) on a proposed Civic Agreement between the Torbay, Plymouth and Devon Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Assembly and Devon County Council, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet noted that Devon had a long history of charitable activity and philanthropy and the County had an innovative, creative and world renowned social enterprise sector. The Council had worked alongside the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector throughout its history, and currently commissioned charities and not for profit organisations to deliver across its areas of responsibility.

During the pandemic, the local VCSE demonstrated its agility and innovation in providing vital support to the most vulnerable in Devon

The Torbay, Plymouth and Devon Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (TPD VCSE) Assembly, established in 2022, was a broad based inclusive and shared collaborative model where people, communities and organisations could contribute and engage in the way they wanted to. It provided network support necessary to create a fluid pool of people and organisations, with a broad range of skills, expertise, innovative solutions and lived experience. The Assembly could fully engage in, inform, and influence strategic partnership discussions, co-design of services, policy development, co-commissioning and joint leadership and decision making. Appendix 1 outlined the Assembly’s reach and governance arrangements.

The proposal was that the Council and the Torbay, Plymouth and Devon Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Assembly form a shared Civic Agreement to set out a commitment to work in partnership to better understand and collectively respond to some key challenges and opportunities for Devon in the years ahead. The agreement set out shared strategic priorities, principles and ways of working and would be underpinned by an annual and mutually agreed plan of activity around specific areas of focus and priority, which would include key priorities for the Council.

The proposal aligned with the vision and priorities in the Council’s Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025 and had the potential to enable delivery of aspects of the Council’s principles around good governance, decision making and partnership.

An Impact Assessment had been prepared and circulated with the agenda (on the website at Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Assembly Agreement - Impact Assessment). This highlighted that the agreement was a new proposal and built on relationships and arrangements across the VCSE sector and the Council. The signing of the agreement could in turn lead to significant positive impacts for all citizens through better sharing of information and insight and joint working to tackle specific issues, particularly those impacting people from groups with protected characteristics.

The Cabinet noted that the proposal would help to deliver the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities in developing its working with a key partner in Devon; would provide value for money in developing innovative solutions and learning to increase efficiency, effectiveness of services and to mitigate risks; and develop capacity and connections between the Council and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Devon.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability and carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and alignment with the Council’s Strategic Plan) set out in the Head of Service’s Report having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Croad, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

RESOLVED that the proposed Civic Agreement be approved.