Healthier in Partnership

Healthier in Partnership is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships between the NHS Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. 

This involves Voscur, The Care Forum, Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) and Healthier Together facilitating discussions and framework development between health-focused VCSE groups and the STP. 

Healthier in Partnership: Phase 1 (2018/19)

Phase 1 involved bringing together professionals from the public health sector and health-focused VCSE organisations to explore relationships and potential new ways of working.

We held a series of interviews and focus groups and an event, called Healthier in Partnership (May 2019), to explore what partnership working could look like and what each stakeholder would want from the partnership. 

As a result, we have developed the following:

• Statement of intent – This describes intentions for the VCSE and STP to work together, and how these relationships could develop. 
• Checklist – A toolkit for VCSE sector representatives and Chairs of boards, committees, working groups and sub-groups, to understand their role, promote reflection and support best practice in working with the STP. 
• Action plan – Charting the development of VCSE sector and STP relations, this action plan covers aspects such as communication and access to services. The plan was created by participants during Healthier in Partnership engagement work.
• Analysis – The analysis from the interviews, focus groups and events underpins the above and is included here for information.

This engagement work gives a voice to VCSE organisations of all sizes, but particularly smaller organisations that can often be overlooked in collaborations. 

Healthier in Partnership: Phase 2 (2020/21) 

We have recently secured some funds from NHS England & Improvement, as well as in-kind support from Healthier Together, to continue this work. 

Voscur, The Care Forum, VANS and Healthier Together are currently starting Phase 2 of the Healthier in Partnership project, where we will continue to highlight the value of smaller organisations in keeping communities healthy. We will focus on implementing the action plan - for example, by using the checklist and by co-designing a new Remuneration Policy.

With this project, we aim is to maximise the involvement and impact of the VCSE sector in STP activities and programmes so that people and communities are well served by diverse services. Project updates will be included on this page. 

If you have any questions about Healthier in Partnership, please contact:
Mark Hubbard – Head of Partnerships and Commissioning at Voscur: mark@voscur.org

Part of a national learning programme

Our Healthier in Partnership project is part of a national learning programme funded by NHS England & Improvement. This website includes essential components of successful partnerships, models of partnership working, challenges and recommendations. It includes the work from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and the other sites across England. 

For more information, please see: https://publications.ncvo.org.uk/creating-partnerships-success/models-of-partnership-working/