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Partnerships

Partnerships come in many forms and this section looks at the potential for successful partnerships between community organisations, between the community and public sector and between the community and private sector.

The best partnerships are based on the recognition that by working together, the organisations involved can achieve common aims and greater mutual benefits than they would have done alone. Good partnerships are underpinned by agreed ways of working, which can be either in a verbal or written format. However informal you think your agreement should be it is always best to have these recorded in writing as a safeguard for all parties.

Principles that should underpin all partnerships include:

• working together in a spirit of partnership, sharing commitment and common objectives
• amicable, non-confrontational relationships based on trust, openness and honesty
• identification and solution of problems through positive attitude and resolution of dispute and disagreement without formal sanctions
• delivery of high quality services demonstrating best value for local communities
• ethical behaviour in service delivery
• collaborative working to seek funding/investment opportunities to enhance services
• innovation and imagination in developing service improvements
• working together to share resources and drive improvements forward
• focusing on outcomes and a flexible approach to service improvements
• sharing the risks and benefits arising from efficiency, improvement and change
• awareness of respective responsibilities

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