How the voluntary sector and health and wellbeing boards work together

Both North Yorkshire and York have their own Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWB). Each HWB has representatives from local authorities, NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and partners including the voluntary sector. The voluntary sector representative for the North Yorkshire Health & Wellbeing Board is Jill Quinn, Chief Executive from Dementia Forward.

Each Health and Wellbeing Board works to develop robust joint health and wellbeing strategies and sets the framework for commissioning health care, social care and public health services.

Find out more about the North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board here.

You can find out more about the York Health and Wellbeing Board here.

North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board.

Documents circulated by the Board provide insight and recommendations for joining up all parts of society and the economy to improve peoples health and wellbeing. The most recent papers are:

North Yorkshire Director of Public Health Annual Report 2021 – North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, Louise Wallace, reviews 2021 as “the biggest public health challenge in living memory” and sets out local needs and priorities for 2022. Public Health has maintained crucial services which are covered in the report.

Our place – shares some of the innovative work that councils are leading to promote good mental health and wellbeing.

Family and community impacts of Covid-19 in Bradford District – shines a light on national and local health inequalities in terms of poor outcomes relating to deprivation, ethnicity, poverty, housing, health and disability.

Building Back Health and Prosperity – sets out a vision to be bold in the way we build back better health and prosperity, improve public services and tackle health inequalities. Seven areas of action listed for health devolution. Themes are also reflected in the NHS Reset programme.

Over-Exposed and Under-Protected: The Devastating Impact of Covid-19 on Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Great Britain – this report focuses on health, mental health, housing, finances, use of public transport during Covid-19, experiences of racism and presents recommendations for employers and Government.

North Yorkshire County Council’s Care & Independence Overview & Scrutiny Committee looks at the needs of vulnerable adults and older people and people whose independence needs to be supported by intervention from the public or voluntary sector.

Published minutes can be found on the County Council’s website (you will need to open up the relevant committee tab).

Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector colleagues involved in North Yorkshire Safeguarding groups providing the voluntary and community sector ‘voice’ are:

• North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NYSAB) – Caroline O’Neill, Head of Policy and Partnerships, Community First Yorkshire
• NYSAB Performance, Process and Learning Sub-group – Liz Lockey, Chief Officer, Hambleton Community Action
• NYSAB Performance and Quality Improvement Sub-group – Liz Lockey, Chief Officer, Hambleton Community Action
• North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive (NYSCP) – David Sharp, Chief Executive, North Yorkshire Youth
• NYSCP Learning and Improvement Sub-group – Damien Smith, Development Officer, North Yorkshire Sport
• NYSCP Practice Development Sub-group – vacancy to be filled

There are two safeguarding boards – for adults and children – which produce resources and guidance for people and organisations.

The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board protects adults who may be at risk from abuse by promoting co-operation and effective working practices between different agencies. Find out more on their website, from how to raise a concern, access training and find the policies you need.

North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NYSCP) undertakes the work formerly of North Yorkshire Children’s Trust and North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board with the aim to ensure all children in North Yorkshire are safe, happy, healthy and achieving. Find out more on their website, from how to raise a concern, access training and find the policies you need.

There are two Health and Care Partnerships, also known as Integrated Care Systems (ICS), spanning North Yorkshire. For more information on upcoming meetings, publications, and how to get involved through engagement and innovation go to:

• West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
• Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Both Health and Care Partnerships produce weekly updates on activities and planned work.

Keep in touch with how the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is working with the VCSE sector in their newsletters here.

Find out more about how the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care partnership is working with VCSE organisations here, including their latest newsletters. You can sign up to receive their VCSE Collaborative newsletters here.

The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Collaborative represents the wider VCSE Sector and comprises of Place Leads from VCSE sector infrastructure organisations, the NHS, and the VCSE Programme Director.

The VCSE Collaborative sits within the governance of the HNY HCP and is equal to the other Collaboratives of Mental Health, Primary Care, Acute and Community. The VCSE Collaborative’s vision is to enable the potential and impact of the VCSE sector to be realised by being fully integrated into the planning, design and delivery of health and care across Humber and North Yorkshire. The Collaborative meets on a monthly basis and provides an overview of areas of activity.

Sitting on the Collaborative are:

• Gary Sainty – VCSE Programme Director
• Jason Stamp – Chief Officer, Forum (Chair)
• Alison Semmence – Chief Executive, York CVS (Vice Chair)
• Jane Colthup – Chief Executive, Community First Yorkshire
• Andy Barber – Chief Executive, Smile Foundation
• Susan Oliver – Chief Executive, Humber and Wolds Rural Action
• Claire Etheridge – Delivery Manager, Sector Support North East Lincolnshire
• Jan Garill – Chief Executive, Two Ridings Community Foundation

Find out more about the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership VCSE Collaborative here.

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership runs the Harnessing the Power of Communities (HPoC) programme to engage with the VCSE sector in all areas of their work and at all levels of decision making and delivery. Area planning and working with wider voluntary and community organisations in Craven involves Mark Hopley, Head of Community Support at Community First Yorkshire in addition to local VCSEs. The structures facilitate new opportunities for voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations to shape services and decision making, and collaborate with one another and across sectors.