Share this content
Key findings
- Integrated care systems (ICSs) form the basis of a national vision for planning, developing and leading a strategic approach to addressing wider health, public health and social care needs of local populations. Key to achieving this is that ICSs work with the organisations that contribute to those aims, and legislation makes it a requirement to develop greater collaboration with all system partners.
- The voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector is an integral part of local health and care systems. VCSE organisations deliver key services that support the health and wellbeing of the population. In addition, they contribute vital insight and intelligence on the needs of the people and communities they engage with and are frequently a route to engaging with communities themselves.
- Our research explored three key areas where barriers and challenges impact on partnership working between the VCSE and statutory sector. They are:
- commissioning, service design, and delivery
- sharing data, intelligence and insight
- funding and sustainable investment.
- We identify a range of different actions that leaders in ICSs and statutory and VCSE sector organisations can take to start to engage with addressing each barrier. In addition, we identify actions that can support leaders to work across the scale and diversity of the VCSE sector.
- Common to many of the actions and approaches to addressing barriers are ways of working that facilitate more equal partnership. Examples include involving the VCSE sector early in planning and decision-making, building an understanding of the sector, and approaches such as co-design and co-production.
- Leaders in ICSs and the wider VCSE sector can also take action at a more strategic level to support embedding the VCSE sector as an integral part of an ICS. Examples include developing a common vision for the VCSE sector and having a dedicated lead for the VCSE sector within an ICS.
- National guidance for ICSs outlines initial steps for embedding the VCSE sector. However, working to address the barriers and challenges to greater integration is an iterative process, takes time and often starts from the ground up. There is no ideal starting point so organisations across an ICS should seek to make those links in ways that are meaningful, testing and trying approaches that enable progress.
- While the actions typically reflect localised or bottom-up approaches on which integration is being built, we also identify actions that NHS England, other national bodies and funders can take. These can help mediate some of the barriers and challenges that influence integration and facilitate approaches to addressing others.
Comments
Please can this document issue an addendum. This will need to be reflected in any 'partnership' references in the document.
The reference to the VCSE sector should read the VCFSE sector (F=Faith). Faith communities are significant partners in supporting/providing/hosting community services i.e. youth and older people services, parent/carer and toddler/baby groups etc. The support of their volunteers through covid was invaluable, Faith groups are included locally on developing Food strategies etc. This is a significant ommision culturally and in relation to diversity. I have only read the summary to check if Faith groupos are mentioned there as may have just been a typo, but doesnt seem to be. The NHS and Councils are asking more and more of the community to stretch finite resources, they are a significant partner.
The paper doesn’t mention primary care Patient Participation Groups as a VCSE resource at neighbourhood scale – one which ICSs can help promote and support. Nor does it really touch on the value of small-scale, un-constituted, local community groups with their value eg for the prevention agenda; and there’s opportunity for ICSs to encourage and help PCN social prescribers to tap in to these groups by producing a database and developing contacts. See "Where is the C in VCSE?" https://www.pcc-cic.org.uk/where-is-the-c-in-vcse/
The "Joint review of partnerships and investment in the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the health and care sector" said (p9): “Targeted support for the very smallest social enterprises and community groups can play a large part in creating health and wellbeing, as fewer people will be left unsupported where there i a wide range of community-based and innovative interventions from which to choose.” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-partnerships-and-i…
Yes, In order to achieve the desired objectives and goals for integrated health care management and community health support services, Organizations/Institutions that are involved in health care and support services management systems at International, Continental, Regional and Community levels should show and share their Best practices with other players are able to support, coordinate and network. Sporadic health interventions by some key health players and inadequate resources to address some health challenges in some spheres of the society globally has contributed to the failure to eliminate certain communicable diseases like Malaria, Cholera, Sexually Transmitted Infection like HIV/AIDS.
Putting resources together and working in partnership with grassroot organisations/Institutions is the only way to overcome health challenges globally.
Add your comment