The VCSE Partnership Programme aims to ensure the VCSE sector is embedded at all levels of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS), from strategic board level to design and delivery of services in neighbourhoods and localities.
There are a variety of ways that VCSE organisations can be involved in the VCSE Partnership Programme:
Health and Wellbeing Network – our regular bulletin which shares news and opportunities about things which are happening in the world of health and wellbeing, including VCSE Partnership Programme updates.
VCSE Partnership Forum – two-monthly meetings where strategic leaders of voluntary organisations, come together. A range of external stakeholders attend and engage with the sector through this forum, providing a form of two-way engagement between the ICS and the voluntary sector.
Finally, our VCSE sub-groups which this blog focuses on.
Our VCSE sub-groups are often linked to communities of interest that are involved in the ICS Priority Workstreams/Clinical Networks. They provide an opportunity for organisations, connected with the subject of the sub-group across the whole geography of the ICS, to get together and input collective information into and out of the relevant work streams/clinical networks. They are a place for discussions, sharing learning and creating more strengthened relationships.
Each sub-group has a representative who attends the relevant ICS Workstream or Clinical Network for their group. This allows the opportunity to feed information into and out of the ICS at a strategic level and ensure the VCSE play an active role.
Our current VCSE sub-groups include:
- Mental Health
- Ageing Well
- Learning Disabilities and Autism
- Multiple and Complex Needs Network
- Women / Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
- Neurology
- Black and Minoritised Communities - Membership of this sub-group is open to any organisation led by people from ethnically minoritised communities; organisations with a targeted project for ethnically minoritised groups across the North East and North Cumbria. This includes asylum-seeker and refugee groups and projects.
We are also currently mapping out and gauging interest for the creation of three further sub-groups:
- End of Life
- Carers
- LGBTQIA+
Membership of these groups is open to any VCSE organisation who work with these communities of interest in the North East and North Cumbria, whether that is through one project or multiple.
As with all of the VCSE Partnership Programme, our sub-groups aim to be as accessible and transparent as possible. There is no obligation to attend meetings and you will still receive mailings to be kept up to date. You are also welcome to feed into sub-group meetings via email if you are not able to attend.
You can join our VCSE sub-groups, Health and Wellbeing Network and Partnership Forum here.
If you would like to attend sub-group meetings of a group not listed, or learn more, contact our VCSE Engagement Manager, siobhan.flynn@vonne.org.uk or our VCSE Engagement Coordinator, sian.dickie@vonne.org.uk