Supporting Influence for VCS reps on Health & Wellbeing Boards


Health and wellbeing boards

Health and wellbeing boards are a critical new structure in the health and care landscape, where key policy makers and commissioners can have overview of health needs of a population and the direction they need to take to improve community health.

The VCS can present the voice of the communities it serves on health and wellbeing boards, impacting on strategy and commissioning in the local area. However the sector is diverse and the VCS voice needs to be accountable to the wider sector. In addition, in many locations there is not yet a VCS representative on the health and wellbeing board, which highlights the need for the sector to work closely with local Healthwatch, which has a statutory seat on the board.

For further information on health on health and wellbeing boards and the VCS click here.

For further information on why the VCS is a key partner in local Healthwatch click here.

To find out who is the VCS representative on your local health and wellbeing board as well as contact details for the health and wellbeing board, your local Healthwatch and other useful health and social care organisations visit our Who’s Who here for the East Midlands and here for the East.


Supporting Influence

Regional Voices has been awarded funding from the Department of Health (Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund) for a two year project, entitled Supporting Influence, to support VCS influence on health and wellbeing boards.

In each of the nine English regions including the East Midlands and East, Regional Voices' component networks, including One East Midlands, are developing networks to support VCS influence on health and wellbeing boards. 

One East Midlands will work to support effective engagement with health and wellbeing boards in the East Midlands and East, both where there is a VCS representative, and where there is not. Ourselves and the other networks within Regional Voices will looks at different routes to influence and share good practice nationally.


Surveys

As part of Supporting Influence, surveys will be carried out twice a year to ask the voluntary sector about engagement with health and wellbeing boards, including what is working well, what could work better and what support would help.  

The surveys are aimed at voluntary sector representatives on health and wellbeing boards, Healthwatch representatives on health and wellbeing boards and the wider voluntary sector.

The results of the surveys will be used to influence policy makers, develop support mechanisms and share interesting practice.

To read the results of the first survey, which closed at the end of September 2013, click here. The results of the second survey which closed at the beginning of March 2014 will be available shortly.

Further surveys will be taken throughout the duration of this two year project, to enable us to tailor support and be well informed when talking to policy makers.


E-bulletins

As part of the project, Regional Voices is developing a regular e-bulletin, which can be downloaded below.

One East Midlands circulates regionally branded versions of these e-bulletins to VCS representatives on health and wellbeing boards in the East Midlands and East. To receive copies of these email information@one-em.org.uk.


Resources

In response to the surveys, Regional Voices is developing resources to support health and wellbeing board representatives from the VCS. These include:

Additional resources on influencing the agenda, roles & responsibilities and funding representation will be available shortly.