Additional £5 million National Lottery funding boost for 11 expert partnerships tackling health inequalities across England

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Partnerships in England working to reduce health inequalities and improve the lives of local people have been given a boost, thanks to almost £5 million of National Lottery funding.

11 partnerships – in Dudley, Greenwich, Hyndburn, Kent, Northamptonshire, Scarborough, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Bolton, Halton & St Helens and Staffordshire – have been awarded up to £450,000 each to continue improving links between health and care services and promoting the role of the voluntary sector and the value of cross-sector partnerships.

Awarded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, these latest grants mark the second phase of the Health Equality programme, through which an initial £700,000 in development funding was awarded last year to place-based partnerships to build and progress ideas and solutions to tackle local health inequalities.

The 11 partnerships cover the breadth of England. In Scarborough, the SeeChange project will use National Lottery funding to tackle health inequalities by empowering and encouraging local groups and individuals to try new ideas, create new spaces, services or activities that contribute to local health service delivery.

The funding in Scarborough will also be used to create a formal voluntary sector alliance to ensure the voices of local charities and community groups are heard in decision making processes, along with a cross-sector partnership made up of health and voluntary organisations and local businesses to improve the health and wellbeing of the local workforce.

In Tower Hamlets, the Flourishing Communities project will use £450,000 to support and engage with women from ethnic minority communities to tackle health inequalities. The project will focus on the key role the voluntary sector can play in supporting black and minority ethnic communities to engage with health professionals and identify and create solutions to the health and wellbeing challenges experienced by these communities.

Phil Chamberlain, England Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We are delighted this funding will support 11 expert partnerships across England to continue engaging with local people and developing solutions that support equal health outcomes and allow communities to prosper and thrive.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, these partnerships will use their local expertise to bring about real change, promoting the role of the voluntary sector and empowering communities to take a leading role throughout the process.”

This latest National Lottery funding comes after Integrated Care Systems – 42 partnerships that bring together NHS, local authority and voluntary sector groups to plan and deliver joined up health and care services – were formally established as statutory bodies in England earlier this year.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes across the UK.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

Health Equality Funding

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The Northamptonshire Integrated Care System has received a Grant from the Lottery Community Fund which amounts to 448K over the next three-year period. The Grant must be used to embed the VCSE into the Integrated Care System. Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire is the Grant holder, but to ensure the maximum and effective use of this funding an Oversight Group has been established which consists of a range of Statutory and VCSE Partners. Health Equality Funding seeks to develop systems and solutions to enable effective partnership working between sectors and the delivery of measurable reduction of health inequalities for local communities.

Partners involved in the application process were:

  • VCSE Assembly Thematic Leads.
  • Collaborative Leads (Elective Care, CYP, Aging Well, Mental health).
  • Directors of Place (North and West Northants).
  • Northants Health Inequalities Lead (Public Health).
  • Primary Care representatives (North and West Northants).
  • The VCSE Assembly Independent Chair.
  • VIN CEO or Development Manager (As Grant holders).

As Grant holders VIN will maintain responsibility for the financial, project management and reporting aspects of the grant. In some cases, VIN will need to make difficult decisions as the grant holder and will take a steer from the Oversight Group before deciding on a relevant course of action.

Delivery

The submission was structured into 4 priority areas as set out below:

  1. Structure, systems, and processes.
  2. People and collaboration.
  3. Pilot projects to test, learn and gather information.
  4. Improving capacity and capability for involvement.

Recruitment

An Alliances Manager is central to the successful delivery of the projects and its outcomes, and their main role is to:

  • Be a central point of contact for all in the delivery of the project.
  • Take a lead in forming the structure, systems, and processes for VCSE and community involvement within the defined ICS structure in the North and West of the County.
  • To engage with key stakeholders by facilitating network meetings training and events.
  • To work closely with both Directors of Place (North and West).
  • To engage across the sector.

The VCSE Assembly will remain the main construct for collaboration, voice, and representation of the VCSE sector, but it is recognised that other engagement opportunities through adapted models or frameworks will be available, and these should be utilised where they exist.

What does Year 1 look like?

The activities below are those scheduled for Year 1 of the Grant and should be divided equally between West and North Northamptonshire.

Activity

Purpose

Value

Strategic Network meetings

 

 

 

 

 

Backfill/ bursary scheme

People and collaboration

A forum where partners from across sectors can come together and get to know each other better, discuss systems, barriers, development, and impact in a targeted way. Building understanding and developing new ways of working.

Improving capacity and capability for involvement

To ensure that capacity to attend is not a barrier, especially for smaller organisations.

£15,000

Information portal – website

 

 

 

Improving capacity and capability for involvement

A mechanism for informing the VCSE and wider partners about every aspect of the ICS and Connect Northamptonshire.

£3,500

Neighbourhood planning toolkit

People and collaboration

To facilitate structure, representation, and voice of communities in the development of Local Area Panels.

£20,000

Coaching and training programme for community

People and collaboration

To support people that would like to participate at a neighbourhood panel, so they have the confidence, skills and capability to carry out the role effectively.

£5,000

Leadership training programme

Improving capacity and capability for involvement

To support new and emerging leaders, harnessing fresh ideas and ways of working.

£5,000

Representative  Training

Improving capacity and capability for involvement

Supporting those with a representative role within the ICS structure.

£5,000

Pilot projects

Test and Learn

Projects should test new approaches, reach out to hard-to-reach groups, add value to local delivery, and fill a gap in local need.

£55,000

Neighbourhood commissioning events

Structure, systems, and processes

To build relationships; Commissioning and co-production of services at a local level are a key element of the vision of integrated care.

£8,000

How does my organisation participate?

Not every organisation can sit at the representative structures of the ICS. Not every VCSE organisation would want to: The role of the Oversight Group is to ensure that the correct voices are heard to advance the cause of the VCSE and local communities within this new framework.

The Alliances Manager and the Oversight Group will have a role to process information and ensure connectivity. The VCSE ICS Portal is one method of achieving this and you should check back regularly for updates and developments.

Health Inequalities in the 21st Century

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The Institute of Fiscal Studies have just launched the Deaton Review which examines Health Inequalities within the UK in the 21st Century. The report can be found here.

The IFS define what they mean by the term Inequality, how that Inequality has changed over time and the affect that health has on families and gender.

In conclusion they note that Inequality is the most pressing topic of the day not only within the UK but across the Globe: Their belief is that more work and more analysis should be undertaken of the nature of the various divides which exist, and which Inequalities matter most.

VIN Participates in Peer-to-Peer Review

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire has been asked to participate in a Peer-to-Peer Review of Havering’s new Integrated Care System (ICS), alongside Julie Curtis the Director of Place for West Northamptonshire. Participation includes holding and facilitating several stakeholder Focus Groups and supporting the process of change within the ICS in Havering. This is due recognition of VINs role within the Northamptonshire ICS, and for securing Health Inequality Funding over the next three years from the Lottery Community Fund. Russell Rolph (CEO) states:

Bringing the wider determinants of health into the ICS could be a game changer. We have already learned many lessons from our own ICS journey in Northamptonshire, which is far from over, and offering help to other systems is a great way of sharing information and gathering best practice. As the Peer-to-Peer Review advances more information will be made available, so keep looking out for this at our What’s New Section of the Website.

Friday Bulletin

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The latest copy of the Friday Bulletin is now live.  Take a look to keep up to date on funding options, job opportunities and local events. You can find a copy here or email info@voluntaryimpact.org.uk to be added to the mailing list.

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire is seeking new Trustees

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire is seeking new Trustees with specific experience in Human Resources or Fundraising. Following an audit of the Boards skills and experience these knowledge gaps have been identified. Experience can be current or past. Interested parties should read the general Role Descriptor attached.

Annual Snapshot 2022

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VIN’s Annual Snapshot can be viewed here.

We hope you enjoy its contents. The Snapshot will also be made available at our Annual General Meeting scheduled for the 24th of November 2022 between 6PM and 7.30PM. If you wish to attend, please let us know at info@voluntaryimpact.org.uk.

It is undoubtedly still a challenging landscape for the Voluntary and Community sector in Northamptonshire. Funding restrictions, funder re-prioritisation and competition all make for a fragile VCSE, at a time when individuals and communities will need us more than ever. The last three-year period has in many ways been a rinse and repeat cycle of disruption and transformation, yet the VCSE has stepped up to the challenge and continued to deliver services in a new and innovative manner. What VIN now wants to see is more long-term grant or contract programmes where we move beyond outcomes and into real societal impact. The short-term nature of current funding prevents this, but it’s an absolute necessity to ensure that communities of all shapes and sizes are lifted in line with the Levelling Up Agenda: Key to this is Infrastructure, ensuring the resilience pathways for fledgling and established Voluntary organisations who can build and develop in the certain knowledge that they will be there to provide not just in 12 months’ time but over the next 20.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF)

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West Northamptonshire Council has been awarded 1.3 million pounds over 2 years to support projects under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

According to the latest data, 176,000 (or 43%) of households live in Rural Areas within West Northamptonshire and this population is growing.

Challenges within this Rural context include an ageing population, lower social mobility, a lack of affordable housing and supply and poor access to digital infrastructure.

The REPF forms part of the wider Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) where Northamptonshire is receiving approximately 5.4 million pounds.

The Government Prospectus for the fund can be seen here: Rural England Prosperity Fund: prospectus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The REPF funding is divided between supporting Community and Place (in areas of less than 30,000 in population)  and supporting Local Business.

Please note that Northampton Town is excluded from this funding as it has a current population of more than 30,000.

Applications are not being taken at this stage, but organisations are asked to consider Rural Priorities and complete the attached Snapshot Survey. To do this please contact Louis Devayya or Julia Raven to be given the appropriate login information.

West Northamptonshire Rural England Prosperity Fund (snapsurveys.com)

If you have any questions about the fund, please contact West Northamptonshire Council at the following:

VIN attended a workshop on this fund on the 3rd of November 2022. The Presentation from that session can be viewed here.

Transforming Adult Social Care Provision

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North Northamptonshire Council are reviewing how they can deliver their in-house adult social care provider services. They want to improve the services that have been inherited from Northamptonshire County Council, so people who use these services experience better outcomes in the future while also improving working conditions for staff and their ongoing development.

They have written a strategy which explains how they intend to achieve this. The strategy aims to:

  • Provide short-term care rather than long-term care, with a focus on reablement, enablement and developing independence, moving away from the provision of longer-term support.
  • Make their provider services modern and fit for the future.
  • Improve pay and working conditions for care staff.
  • Consider if their buildings used for care can be made better and review other options if they cannot deliver what they want from our current buildings.

The Council are committed to making their services better for staff and for the people who use them. They want to hear what people who use their services, family carers, their staff and other interested stakeholders have to say about the changes they are proposing in their strategy.

This consultation closes midnight, Sunday 15 January 2023.

Have your say:

Please visit the North Northamptonshire Consultation and Engagement Hub for further information and details of how to have your say.

 

Launch of the send ranges 0-25 years

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West Northamptonshire Council has been working on the development of the SEND Ranges (0-25) over the past 10 months under the leadership of Anne Hayward SEND Consultant to West
Northamptonshire.

The SEND Ranges have undergone considerable consultation and co-production with parents, services, SENDCOs and those professionals in Health and Social Care and have been trialled by over
16 educational establishments from 0-25 years. The results of those trials will be shared on the 17th at the launch.

The launch will be held at Northampton School for Boys on Thursday 17th November 2022 and will be rolled out in three sessions as follows:
• 10.00am-12.00pm
• 1.00pm-3.00pm
• 6.00pm-8.00pm

 

For more information, or to book your place, click here.