Health and Social Care Forum

In July 2007, VONNE and the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) organised an event looking at the feasibility of a regional voluntary and community sector (VCS) health & social care forum.

There was broad agreement on the need for such a forum and since then VONNE and interested member organisations have been working to make sure this group takes shape.

VONNE now facilitates the regional VCS health and social care forum. The forum brings together health and well-being organisations to ensure that the sector has a democratic and representative voice, influencing, taking part in, and leading policy and practical developments at a regional level.

The forum took part in the consultation on the regional health and well-being strategy (Better Health, Fairer Health), and many of its members sit on the regional advisory groups that are driving forward the work of this strategy. It also submitted a response to the proposed NHS constitution, and many members attended and fed their ideas into the Transforming Social Care events that VONNE and partners ran in the spring of 2008.

The forum welcomes new members so if you would like any further information please contact Jo Whaley at VONNE via email on jo.whaley@vonne.org.uk or by phone on 0191 233 2000.

Currently, the organisations involved in the Forum are:

  • Age Concern England
  • Age Concern North Tyneside
  • BECON
  • Catalyst Stockton
  • Community Integrated Care
  • Gateshead Access Panel
  • Gateshead Crossroads Caring for Carers
  • Living Streets
  • Mental Health Concern
  • Mental Health North East
  • Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency
  • Motor Neurone Disease Association
  • Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
  • NESEP (North East Social Enterprise Partnership)
  • Neurological Alliance Tees Valley, Darlington, North Yorkshire
  • Newcastle CVS
  • Newcastle LINk
  • North East Council on Addictions
  • North East Regional Alcohol Forum
  • One Voice Network
  • Princess Royal Trust for Carers
  • Regional Youth Work Unit
  • Sight Service
  • St Cuthbert's Hospice
  • Tyneside Women's Health