Integrating Health & Social Care - Understanding the integration and transformation agenda: Post Event Page

As part of Regional Voices Strategic Partner Programme with Department of Health, Wellbeing East Midlands hosted a day on Tuesday 21 January in Leicester dedicated to helping the VCS understand the shifting policy behind the integration and transformation of health and social care and what the role of the VCS might be.

The day was split into two sessions. In the morning the Wellbeing East Midlands network focused on the policy and economic drivers behind the integration and transformation agenda and the role of the VCS in supporting communities to understand these changes and influence them for positive outcomes. 

The morning session aimed to help organisations:

• Identify the big challenges facing the health and social care economy;
• Better understand the integration and transformation agenda for health, social care and public health;
• Consider the potential impact of the agenda on communities and individuals; and
• Debate the role of the VCS and how organisations and sectors can work together to support whole system change and protect (enhance) outcomes for service users.

Presentations and delegate list from the event are available to download below:

• Integration of Health and Social Care: Understanding the changes – Rachel Quinn, Chief Executive, One East Midlands
• Better Care Fund – Sue Wilson, Head of Service, Adults & Communities Department, Leicestershire County Council
• Integration or Bust – Eddy McDowall, Senior Advisory Healthwatch, Local Government Association
• Delegate list

Useful briefings produced by Regional Voices are available to download below:

• Working with the voluntary and community sector – A guide for health and wellbeing boards
• The voluntary sector – A key partner in local healthwatch: a guide for local healthwatch and the voluntary and community sector
• Influencing local commissioning for health and social care – Guidance for the voluntary and community sector

Useful videos produced by the Kings Fund can be accessed below:

• Joined-up care: Sam’s story
• An alternative guide to the new NHS in England

In the afternoon, as part of Regional Voices’ Supporting Influence project, One East Midlands met with VCS representatives on Health and Wellbeing boards and Healthwatch representatives to look specifically at:

• The role that Health and Wellbeing Boards will play in planning for and enabling change to take place; and
• Work being undertaken locally to prepare for integration and transformation and the use of the Better Care Fund.

The presentation from the afternoon session is available to download below:

• The Better Care Fund: Perspectives on the role of Health and Wellbeing Boards – Cheryl Davenport, Director of Health and Care Integration, Leicestershire County Council and Programme Advisor to East Midlands Health and Wellbeing Boards