On 3 December, representatives from Kingston Council, the NHS, and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector came together to officially launch the Kingston Compact - an important milestone for partnership working in the borough.

The Kingston Compact is a shared agreement, which aims to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for local residents by supporting prevention, inclusion, and community wellbeing.

The Compact was signed at the Kingston VCSE Forum (hosted by Kingston Voluntary Action) by Denise Madden, Deputy Executive Lead for Kingston and Richmond Places (South West London ICS), Sarah Ireland, CEO of The Royal Borough of Kingston Council, and Sanja Djeric Kane, CEO of Kingston Voluntary Action (KVA).

Denise Madden, Deputy Executive Lead for Kingston and Richmond Places (South West London ICS) said: "I am delighted to sign the Compact on behalf of the South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB), as the NHS recognises the importance of the VCSE sector in supporting our residents to live healthier lives. We have well established partnership arrangements in Kingston, and the Compact provides us with the platform to further develop our ways of working, ensuring we are all working under the principles of the Compact and being good partners.

“VCSE services will continue to be an integral part of how we deliver neighbourhood health and care as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan. The Compact will ensure that the VCSE are represented in the development of Neighbourhood Health Plans and considered in service design decisions."

Kingston Voluntary Action’s CEO, Sanja Djeric Kane, emphasised: “Launching a Compact means a lot for KVA as Kingston's Local Infrastructure Organisation for the VCSE sector, as it significantly contributes towards one of our strategic objectives which is about improving partnership working and cross-sector collaboration. But, also, being a VCSE organisation ourselves, we are looking forward to implementing the Compact with RBK and local health partners in order to strengthen our relationships, further improve mutual understanding and trust and create more opportunities for innovative ways of working together."

You can read the Kingston Compact online.