Health Equity North:The contribution of the Voluntary,

Community, Faith and Social Enterprise Sector

Warren EscadaleVoluntary Sector North West

About VSNW

• Regional Voices NW Partner• DoH VCS Strategic Partner• Policy areas: Health, Economy, & VCS levers of

change• Health Equity North Inquiry • Membership• Health & Social Care Network (over 500 contacts)• Consulting on a strategy to get VCS going

Voluntary sector in the North

Significant resource for change:• 71,000 + VCS groups• Income of c.£4.8bn (2011/12)• 175,000 employees• 4.2m volunteer once a month• 6.4 volunteer once a year

under £10k £10k-£100k £100k-£1m £1m-£10m £10m+ -

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

VCS in the North by income (2011/12) source NCVO Almanac

Engaging communities: understand what’s working & what’s not

• Engage the engaged to engage (Community Asset Investigators)

• Gather VCS evidence (East Cheshire CVS, Comparing Apples with Oranges: 2014)

• Future proof your evidence gathering (STAR - LSE & Health Foundation)

• Encourage larger VCS agencies to open their databases to collaborators (Age UK Lancashire)

NB Turn this into see-able action. Get groups on board.

Work the world of work• Engage with the Work Programme – challenge how it

links to health inequality; use H&WBs.• Talk to your LEP:– Ask how health and social care groups are engaging in

‘Building Better Opportunities’– Encourage them to think about wellbeing; offer support

developing measures - A ‘wellbeing premium’ could be included as part of the funding.

– Ask them what their Community Grants Programme will look like; can you match?

NB. Make success measure wellbeing not jobs.

As providers

• Build in codesign/coproduction• Key role in prevention work, linked to holistic

delivery / wellbeing.• Connect silos and funding streams

We need to change

• We need to champion Living Wage• We need to make sure that

volunteering ≠ job substitution.• We need to start a race to the top – ‘community

value’• We need to transform our VCS infrastructure

levers• We need an effective workforce strategy:– run alongside a public sector workforce strategy– use light-touch co-location and exchange schemes

As lobbyers/campaigners

• Use the Social Value Act to lobby for maximum social value from public sector spend, including funding of local VCSE organisations and investing in local services.

• Advocate on behalf of communities and equalities groups to make sure no-one gets left behind as economy begins to grow.

• Making the case for health inequality and wellbeing as part of Devolution discussions

• Unleashing community potential .... as part of sustainable PSR

What is VSNW doing?

• Social Prescribing – why? Change local relationships, drive +ve sector development

• Exploring future of volunteering• Revive NW Social Value Foundation?• Link large VCS providers to communities• Devolution debates – with emphasis on ‘good devolution’

and brokering VCS strategic engagement• Looking to work with NW Healthwatch on devolution

agenda• Championing communities - Thriving Places campaign &

economic role of VCS.

Warren Escadale, VSNWWarren.escadale@vsnw.org.uk

@VSNWEscadale

Regional Voiceswww.regionalvoices.org

@regionalvoice