The move to radically change the health system structures, led by NHS England, is continuing to develop at a pace. You may have seen that the dissolving of Clinical Commissioning Groups as a legal entity into the Integrated Care Systems as a new legal entity, has been delayed from the original April deadline to an anticipated date of 1 July, however, many of the new structures are now operating in shadow form.
This new way of working will bring together all of the elements of health care in the widest sense, to operate in a more joined up and integrated way. This is leading to both changes at the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) system level as well as significantly at place. In BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire, respectively, new place based new Integrated Care Alliance (ICA) Joint Committees are being formed supported by other committees. These new committees are bringing together representatives from the Hospital Trusts; the Local Authority; the Integrated Care System; Primary Care Networks; Healthwatch; Social Care, Mental Health and importantly the Voluntary and Community Sector.
Nationally and locally the 200 or so CVS’s or Infrastructure organisations as we are sometimes referred to, are playing a key role in developing ICS structures as the voice for the Voluntary Sector. Across BSW there are over 2,800 separate charities of all shapes and sizes and the majority do not cross the borders within BSW. All of the Integrated Care Systems developing across England (42 in total) are different in geography, make up and shape and so there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to VCSE representation.
For BSW the three CVS’s: 3SG in BaNES, Voluntary Action Swindon and Wessex Community Action for Wiltshire, together with the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire and Swindon, Community First, have come together to form a BSW VCSE Leadership Alliance at system level. The Healthwatch services will also join as both VCSE organisations and the important public/patient voice they represent. At place level, each CVS is coordinating a VCSE Leadership Alliance – in BaNES and Swindon this pre-existed, in Wiltshire it is developing. It is through this structure of place- based alliances feeding into a system level alliance that the voice of the Voluntary Sector will be represented at all levels across the new Integrated Care System. We will continue to develop the representation across the system as we go forward and the various work strands develop.
Please see diagram below and link to BSW website here Our localities - BSW Partnership
At system
As well a BSW VCSE Leadership Alliance, The BSW Integrated Care System is committed to appointing a director onto the main Integrated Care Board with a background in the sector – it’s important to note that this will not be a representative role. The BSW VCSE Leadership Alliance will assist the ICS with this appointment process. It is also anticipated that there will be broader VCSE representation on the Integrated Care Partnership (yet to be developed).
At place
There is various VCSE representation as well as the local Healthwatch services.
In BaNES the VCSE re
presentation at place is:
Joint Committee – Kate Morton, Chair 3SG , Wayne De Leeuw, Dorothy House Hospice and representation from HCRG
In Swindon the VCSE representation at place is:
Joint Committee – Pam Webb – Voluntary Action Swindon as the voice for the sector generally
Development Executive – Voluntary Action Swindon as the voice for the sector generally , Susanna Jones, CEO Swindon Carers Centre and Hazel Howe, CEO Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind
In Wiltshire the VCSE representation at place is:
Joint Committee - Lynn Gibson, Chief Executive of Community First and Amber Skyring, Chief Executive of Wessex Community Action as the voice for the sector generally
Wiltshire Programme Board – Judy Walker , Carers Support Wiltshire & Mary Reed Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living
We look forward to working with you all to ensure that the Voluntary Sector across BSW is a valued and suitably resourced partner within the new Integrated Care System and is able to work collaboratively to respond to health priorities and their wider determinants as the focus shifts more towards keeping people well and preventative services.