The government has been urged to ensure that charities and state bodies have the resources they need to implement the Civil Society Covenant.
At a discussion in Westminster this week, Hampshire council leader Nick Adams-King said short-term funding for local authorities had made it “incredibly difficult” for them to support voluntary organisations to plan, invest and retain staff.
At the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on charities and volunteering, Adams-King said: “Too often voluntary organisations are brought in late, or superficially, or simply to tick a box.
“True partnership is transformation, it's not just about commissioning – it’s about co-production, shared ambition and mutual respect.”
Geethika Jayatilaka, London Plus chief executive, said improvements to some public commissioning processes were being held back “because there’s no sustainable resourcing”.
“The covenant itself, there was such optimism when it was launched, we need to make sure that some of those changes are now filtering down to the way that different organisations are actually delivering, whether that’s local government or the NHS or public sector bodies,” she said.
Portsmouth council cabinet member Chris Atwell said that smaller local organisations often lack “the capacity to engage with larger or complex authorities”.
He said: “From our experience, the covenant’s principles require cultural change, and that doesn’t happen by itself.
“Organisations and the people in them will need supporting and that means resources.”
The APPG was also attended by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham who said that the community and voluntary sector should be “absolutely at the heart of public sector reform”.
‘Some welcome progress’
The calls for government resources came after chancellor Rachel Reeves was urged by Mental Health Matters to introduce a £20m central implementation fund for the covenant ahead of her November budget.
Commenting on the APPG discussion, NCVO chief executive Kate Lee said early and sustained engagement from the government with the charity sector was needed to ensure the covenant delivers “real change.”
Lee said: “There has already been some welcome progress.
“The next step is for the covenant’s structures to be set up as a priority, so government can begin engaging meaningfully with civil society on its implementation.”
Lee added that the Civil Society Council, which she will chair, would play a “central role” in informing perspectives on what resources charities need to make the most of the covenant.
Besides the council, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also working on a “local covenant partnerships” programme.
This programme is intended to encourage more cross-sector secondments and deliver new locally-led covenant agreements.
