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The Trust’s Response to the Civil Society Covenant Consultation

The Trust welcomes the UK Government’s plans for a “fundamental reset” of its relationship with civil society. The creation of a Civil Society Covenant (CSC) has the potential to herald in a new era of partnership and new working relationship between government at all levels (local authorities and other regional and local public bodies), and civil society, to address some of the country’s most significant challenges.

The CSC is a unique opportunity to rethink how civil society and state interact, and it can successfully act as a catalyst for change if it embodies the third sector values of service, integrity, and collaboration. It should also ensure that civil society is enabled to hold government to account when needed.

Achieving the ideal balance requires fostering a culture of collaboration not only with all levels of government (local authorities and other regional and local public bodies) but across the entire third sector.

For the Trust, this collaborative approach must also include the private sector to effectively address the challenges of reducing poverty and alleviating fuel poverty.

In response to the consultation questions, the Trust highlights what is essential for the Civil Society Covenant to succeed in its objectives:

Foster Cross-sector Collaboration and Data Sharing

A stronger co-working approach is needed between charities, social enterprises, businesses, and the government, wherein each organisation is regarded as equal and can contribute their expertise and resources.

One of the key recommendations from the Trust’s report, Towards an End to Fuel Poverty in Britain, is to foster cross-sector collaboration and data sharing. Encouraging data-sharing protocols among public, private, and non-profit sectors could enhance service delivery, reduce duplication of support, and enable early intervention for households at risk.

Openness, Transparency, and a Clear Purpose

The government must clearly define the specific challenges it aims to address—whether related to poverty, health, or disability—and openly communicate any financial, legislative, and prioritisation constraints. Historically, government responses have often been limited to well-meaning statements without actionable follow-up, due to a lack of clarity regarding the scope of the issues and the specific support needed.

Furthermore, issues such as fuel poverty span multiple departments (e.g., the Department for Energy Security, DWP, and the Ministry of Housing), creating fragmentation and hindering effective collaboration.

Discussions with civil society should have a clear purpose and strategy, with transparency regarding the expected outcomes. This would facilitate the formation of cross-sector working groups focused on solving complex problems, such as fuel poverty and a just transition.

Past collaboration efforts have often failed due to an overemphasis on shared budgets or working practices, rather than a shared purpose.

For the CSC to achieve its goals, it must have a clear sense of purpose and promote a purpose-driven approach in its relationship with civil society.

Expanding Engagement and Diverse Voices

The government should broaden its engagement with civil society, actively seeking diverse and alternative viewpoints. While organisations like NCVO and ACEVO play important roles, they represent just one part of a complex and varied ecosystem. A wider range of stakeholders should be included in discussions, as the current dominance of the same voices limits the potential for alternate perspectives.

In embracing a national perspective, the CSC must not overlook smaller, local charities that are deeply embedded in their communities. These organisations are the lifeblood of their local areas, addressing needs that might otherwise remain unmet. The unique insights and solutions these charities offer have often been overlooked, but for the CSC to be truly inclusive, they must be integrated.

In 2024, the Trust convened over 100 non-profit and utilities representatives across a series of roundtables held in Britain, focusing on ‘Alleviating the Detrimental Impact of Fuel Poverty – What Works, What Happens Next.’ These discussions formed the basis for the Trusts report, Towards an End to Fuel Poverty in Britain.

This type of collaboration enhances collective impact and ensures a more comprehensive approach to developing solutions for tackling issues such as fuel poverty. It also allows for the amplification of the voices and expertise of the Trusts 38 funded frontline organisations.

The ‘Charity Sector’

The term ‘charity sector’ or ‘civil society’ encompasses diverse organisations with vastly different missions, sizes, and approaches. Other sectors, such as health, insurance, and housing, are segmented by function rather than profit model; civil society should be treated similarly. Can a Civil Society Covenant truly represent such a varied range of organisations, from medical trusts to food banks?

There must be a fundamental shift in how the government engages with civil society, recognising the sector is not a monolithic entity and needs to be addressed by function and focus rather than merely financial model. This segmentation would enable clarity of purpose and better and more efficient use of resources.

Financial Realism and a Fairer Financial Framework

Given the country’s financial constraints, there must be acknowledgement that continually asking for more funding is untenable. Charities often reduce the burden on state services by delivering care and support efficiently and compassionately and have different drivers to public institutions. The government should realise just how much charities deliver by way of support services, but that they should not be treated as a fall back for a lack of publicly funded services.

Prioritising government contracts for non-profit organisations could maximise public funds by directing expenditure to enhance services rather than generate shareholder profits.

The key recommendation from the Trust’s Towards an End to Fuel Poverty in Britain report advocates for more effective funding models, are:

Conclusion

To ensure the CSC is a success, transparent communication, mutual respect, and shared goals among all stakeholders are essential. The proposed covenant should include clear guidelines for accountability, regular evaluations to track progress, and mechanisms for amicably addressing conflicts.

The third sector knows from experience that to make change happen, political and policy promises must translate into action.

The collaborative approach proposed by the CSC has the potential to create new relationships that will enable civil society to advocate effectively for the needs of its communities and ensure that policy decisions are informed by the realities of what is happening on the ground in local communities.

It is the Trust’s view that only by fostering an environment of trust and cooperation, will the covenant enhance the effectiveness of civil society initiatives.