Help map the size and scale of our sector’s workforce 

, ,
Humber and North Yorkshire Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Collaborative is working in partnership with the University of York to record, understand and evidence who is part of the VCSE sector workforce across our region.

The VCSE sector is a crucial part of Humber and North Yorkshire’s health and social care workforce, providing many services to our communities. However, there is a lack of understanding of what the sector’s contribution consists of, and without the data it is difficult to get system partners to recognise the size and scale of the sector and to understand what we have within Humber and North Yorkshire.

Positioning the VCSE sector as an equal partner

Humber and North Yorkshire VCSE Collaborative‘s mission is to position the VCSE sector as an equal and key partner in the design, planning and delivery of health and social care across our region. To do this, they need to know who powers our VCSE sector; who makes up our workforce, our working patterns and our contribution to health and care across our communities. To collect this data, they need your VCSE organisation to be involved in a workforce mapping exercise.

The data your organisation provides will be collated to create an in-depth picture of our sector. This will feed into the planning of future investment and resource allocation into the sector for the delivery of health and care services across our communities. By completing the survey, here’s how you will be supporting your organisation and the wider VCSE sector across Humber and North Yorkshire:

  • Value – if we can show the value provided by our workforce this can evidence the need to invest more into the VCSE sector.
  • Diversity and inclusion – the sector is diverse and being able to showcase that and evidence a sector that represents its communities is hugely valuable to health and care system partners.
  • Volunteer management – this can evidence the role and value of volunteers that provide significant hours that the sector could not do without.
  • Planning – talent retention – knowing the sector means organisations can compare themselves to the rest of the sector and not lose talent to other organisations.
  • Data driven – the world is dependent on good data. This survey creates a collective picture which leads to better decision making.
  • Impact – understanding the values and strengths of the sector workforce means we can drive real impact and build trust with both communities and system partners.

The survey is open now and will close on 28 March 2025. Before you complete the survey, please read this guidance.

Get involved here

 

Let’s talk Money with North Yorkshire Council

,

North Yorkshire Council is now in the second year of providing many of your local services, from rubbish collection and recycling, public health, social care and education, roads, transport and leisure services as well as support for businesses. The council has brought together the services previously provided by eight councils into one, but there is still a significant task ahead as they continue to transform services now and in the years to come.

The council remains passionate about providing value for money services, and improving outcomes for local people, businesses and communities across North Yorkshire. But, like all councils, and many of you, they are facing major financial challenges. They are also experiencing ongoing increases in demand for services like adult social care and children and young people with special educational needs.

The council spends about £1.3 billion every year delivering local services to people and businesses. These include:

  • The collection of around 310,000 tonnes of waste from more than 300,000 properties. 45 per cent is reused, recycled or composted.
  • Maintaining over 9,250 kilometres of highways and with direct responsibility for nearly 7000 kilometres of public rights of way, and over 1,645 bridges.
  • Managing and maintaining 8,300 council houses
  • Processing over 50,000 housing benefit changes every year.
  • Providing 15,700 children and young people with special educational needs support
  • Providing 26 Leisure venues, including 18 with swimming pools
  • And supporting more than 3,300 children and young people via our children and families service

The council wants to hear from you about what is important to you and how you think they should spend the money available.

There are several ways you can take part in Let’s Talk Money:

You can fill in an online survey here https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/LetsTalk – the survey is on Commonplace, which is a safe and easy-to-use online tool used to engage with communities, by over 250 organisations including neighbouring councils in Leeds and West Yorkshire.

If you would prefer, you can pick up a paper copy from your local library or main local office and return it in the envelope provided.

You can also email letstalk@northyorks.gov.uk or call 0300 131 2 131 (please say ‘Let’s Talk’ when prompted) to request a survey.

You can write to:

Let’s Talk

North Yorkshire Council

County Hall

Northallerton

DL7 8AD

Accessible formats of the survey are available on request. Please share your views with us and encourage your colleagues, friends and family to do the same. The survey closes on 9 December 2024.

Questions from members of the public?

Please ask residents to email LetsTalk@northyorks.gov.uk or call the number above if they want to speak to someone about the Let’s Talk Money consultation.

Our NHS – We need to talk

,

What’s the next chapter for our NHS?

The local NHS across Humber and North Yorkshire is embarking on We Need to Talk – a four-week conversation with people through social media and in-person focus groups about the future of the NHS in our area.

Starting 14 October, it lays bare some of the difficulties faced by the NHS, whilst giving people an opportunity to signal how they might want the NHS to change to meet the challenges of today and the demands of the future.

There’s further information about We Need to Talk and details of how people can get involved in the conversation at www.ourNHS.org as well as a short survey to complete.

As part of this campaign, several local engagement/drop-in sessions are being held across North Yorkshire:

  • Gallows Community Centre, Scarborough (5 November 10am-1pm)

Other events/training sessions include:

Book here for the following Men’s health events:

  • Lunch and Learn session on cancers primarily affecting men and people assigned male at birth (18 November, 12-12:45pm – virtual)
  • Men’s health awareness session (19 November, 12-1pm – virtual)
  • Health and Wellbeing Conversations Training (21 November, 12-1pm, virtual)

Resources for VCSE organisations working with Children and Young People

Click here to view digital resources that may be of interest to VCSE organisations working with Children and Young People.

Also, download Little Moments Together Cards here.

 

Humber and North Yorkshire launch Whole System Reward and Recognition Programme

,

Have your say and share your thoughts

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (HNY HCP) has announced the launch of its Whole System Reward and Recognition Group.

The purpose of the group is to identify and embed schemes which:

  • Recognise, celebrate and showcase the achievements of HNY Health, Care and VCSE staff
  • Reward staff through the provision a contemporary portfolio of non-pay staff benefits, which level-up, wherever possible, the offer to all health, care and VCSE staff.

HNY HCP is inviting you to feedback your thoughts on both their current reward and recognition programmes, and ask you to share what you would like to see in the future. To do this they have created a simple, short and anonymous 5-minute survey, which closes on 20 September.

For more information read their informative document, and you can access the survey here.

“Offering a sincere thank you for a job really done is the very least we can do to all our hard-working staff.”

Alex Seale, North Lincolnshire Place Director, HNY ICB and SRO of the Whole System Reward and Recognition programme

Have your say on affordable housing in and around Settle 

,
A new community survey has been launched by the Craven Community Land Trust (CLT) to explore how local residents would like to see the area’s lack of affordable housing addressed.

The survey, which is being supported by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, gives people the chance to have their say on a crucial issue for local communities and help shape Craven CLT policies and priorities for the future.

The impact of insufficient affordable homes has been widely acknowledged, with average house prices in Craven rising once again in 2023 to £281,000 – up nearly 9% in just a year. By comparison, wages remain well below the national average, making it hard for local people to find somewhere they can afford.

In response, Craven CLT is hoping to reach out to people who are currently struggling to find affordable housing in the area. They want to hear from current residents and people looking to return to the area with a local connection, whether that’s work or family.

More than 3,000 questionnaires have been mailed out to residents and there is also the option to complete the survey online – giving lots of ways for anyone to take part.

Rural areas are experiencing a housing crisis

“Rural areas in North Yorkshire are experiencing a housing crisis. With so many people unable to afford to buy their own home, a supply of genuinely affordable rental accommodation is essential,” said Lynn Northrop, Chair of Craven CLT.
“The survey is quick and easy to access online and will help us to make the case for delivering more affordable homes in the Settle area.

“We hope people will be eager to have their say, as it is so important that we address the urgent lack of affordable homes in line with local views and aspirations.”

Craven CLT was set up to provide affordable rented homes for individuals and couples living and working in the Craven area. All properties owned by the Trust will be held in perpetuity, securing affordable rental housing for every occupier.

The Trust also works with local community groups and organisations to protect services and keep them in community ownership.

Complete the survey by May 3

Anyone living in Settle, Giggleswick, Langcliffe or Stainforth is invited to complete the survey either using the paper version posted through their letterbox or online.

Additional printed copies can also be requested by email.

The closing date for responses is Friday 3 May.

VCSE non-selective hustings for Combined Authority Mayoral candidates

,

Residents in York and North Yorkshire will elect the first ever York and North Yorkshire Mayor on 2 May for the new Combined Authority, giving people more control over investment in our region and how public services are run. But what does this mean for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector?

What questions would you ask of Mayoral candidates about their plans to support charities, community groups and social enterprises in our region?

Come along to a non-selective hustings at the Priory Street Centre in York on 16 April (10am – 12 noon) being hosted by Community First Yorkshire and York CVS. People who work or volunteer in the sector are invited to hear from Mayoral candidates and pose questions.

Book your place here.

Not able to attend, email your questions to comms@yorkcvs.org.uk and we will aim to ask these on your behalf during the hustings.

Let’s talk food

,

North Yorkshire Council wants to hear your experiences, so that they can look at how to reduce the amount of food waste and make healthy food more accessible.

They want people living and working here to be involved – please fill in the Let’s Talk Food survey.

The Let’s Talk Food survey is part of the wider conversation that has been taking place about food in North Yorkshire, looking at the whole food system – from how we grow food, what we grow, to what we buy and eat and how much we throw away

There are several ways you can take part in Let’s Talk Food:

  • You can fill in an online survey here  – the survey is on Commonplace, which is a safe and easy-to-use online tool used to engage with communities, by over 250 organisations including neighbouring councils in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
  • If you would prefer, you can pick up a paper copy from your local library, leisure centre or main local office and return it in the envelope provided.
  • You can also email letstalk@northyorks.gov.uk or call 0300 131 2 131 (please say ‘Let’s Talk’ when prompted) to request a survey.
  • You can write to: Let’s Talk, North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD

Accessible formats of the survey are available on request. Please share your views with the council and encourage your colleagues, friends and family to do the same. The survey closes on 1 April 2024.

Questions from members of the public?

Please ask residents to email LetsTalk@northyorks.gov.uk or call the number above if they want to speak to someone.

Ask questions of the Director of Health & Adult Services in North Yorkshire

, ,
Submit your questions for Richard Webb, Director of Health and Adult Services in North Yorkshire Council

Three times a year, Richard Webb, Director of Health and Adult Services at North Yorkshire Council, meets for a Q&A about public health and social care with representatives from citizen voice groups, including the ageing well network.

The next meeting is coming up on 8 February and you are invited to submit questions about public health and social care topics which you would like your ageing well network representative to ask. If you are interested in representing the network at this meeting in future please contact Jeanette Hague, the Age Friendly Network Coordinator at Community First Yorkshire.

If you would like to send in questions, please contact Claire, Helen and Liz from the council’s Health and Adult Participation and Engagement team at HASengagement@northyorks.gov.uk or call 07929 873638 by Thursday 25 January. If you are sending more than one question, please indicate which is your most important question. Sometimes the council receive too many questions to cover in the time and this will help them prioritise the most important ones.

After the meeting the council will share an update about what was discussed at the meeting so you can find out what questions were asked and the responses given.