It details five main changes are that are coming in around public health:
1.    Local authorities will lead on public health, to shape services for local needs (health and wellbeing boards will be key to this)
2.    Public Health England (PHE) will support integrated public health from April 2013
3.    An integrated PH outcomes framework is being developed, focused on health outcomes
4.    Make PH a clear priority across government- a cross-government committee is being formed.
5.    Commitment to reduce health inequalities as a priority across the system.

The voluntary sector gets one clear mention in the overview- that local authorities will be thinking about how they use existing networks of community groups and third sector providers (and pharmacies), and also be developing new relationships to promote health and wellbeing).

Nationally, PHE will bring together 18 different bodies together (includes the Health Protection Agency, the National Treatment Agencies, the public health observatories, cancer registries, some Department of Health and strategic health authority functions) and will be twice as big as the Department of Health.  It will be an executive agency, more independent from the Department of Health than originally proposed.

At the DH Strategic Partners meeting this week we were told that:

• across the system, from national to local, there needs to be a sustained partnership with the VCS in order to improve population health
• they want a collaborative approach to evidence gathering, an open and cross-sectoral approach to policy and delivery, and a recognition of the social market- with more collaboration between providers and commissioners.

Next steps and opportunities to influence: more detailed plans about the future of public health, and its transition to local authorities and PHE, will be published in the Autumn.  In the meantime, early implementing health and wellbeing boards are being set up across the country- and it will be useful for the voluntary sector to work with these boards, to feed in the needs and priorities of the communities that we serve.  Nationally, Regional Voices is working with the Early Implementers Network, to ensure that the importance of the voluntary sector in reducing health inequalities is embedded in the system.

What Regional Voices thinks:

• We welcome a clear commitment to the reduction of health inequalities and reference to the Marmot Review in the Government response.
• We are concerned that not all health and wellbeing boards that are being set up are engaging with the voluntary sector in a systematic way. Our overriding principle is that a tokenistic place offered on a Board is of little value to either statutory health providers or Third Sector organisations.  Any engagement must be meaningful and be underpinned by the existence and accountability to a much wider and recognised Third Sector network which will inform and support any direct representation and act as an advisory panel.
• It is not yet obvious how the voluntary sector will link with Public Health England, and we will look for further opportunities to engage with them as they develop.

What do you think?
What are your experiences of the developing Health and Wellbeing Boards in your local area?  We’re interested in capturing different models that are developing for engaging the voluntary sector and the people we work with.  What are your thoughts on benefits to the voluntary sector from engaging with Public Health England?

Let us know your thoughts by commenting below, and/or linking in with your regional health and social care network, so we can raise your issues with the Department of Health.

The report is published by Regional Infrastructure Services East (RISE) who are a forum with representatives from each of the subregional consortia in the East of England funded by Capacity Builders.

Follow this link to read the summary report.

Click here to view the presentations on the COVER website.

The aim of Hidden Asset 2009 was to identify the immense contribution made by the third sector in multiple communities across the South East.

The report highlights the economic and social contribution of over 600 voluntary and community organisations in the South East. This research has proved a crucial asset in re-enforcing the innate and often underestimated role played by voluntary and community organisations within the South East.

View the full report 

View the Executive Summary

PROMiSE aims to enable third and independent sector organisations to engage with the MHIP by accessing information, support and links. The Network will also build upon best practice and share knowledge, skills and experience on a region-wide basis.

Mental Health Improvement Programme (MHIP) is a collaborative programme between the NHS, Social Care, the third sector, independent sector, users and carers, which aims to improve mental health across the North West. It was set up following a year-long review of mental health services in our region, which has the highest level of hospital admissions for depression and anxiety.

MHIP is committed to inclusive working, addressing issues such as community engagement, health inequalities and involvement of seldom heard groups or individuals. The experience and knowledge of service users and carers is central to the work of the programme.

Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW) is the regional voluntary sector network for the North West. Its purpose is to ensure that the voluntary and community sector, in all its diversity, plays its full part in shaping the future of the North West. As such, VSNW is fully engaged with the region’s health and social care agenda, has experience of other networks and has excellent links within the sub-regions and with organisations dealing with traditionally under-represented groups.

Richard Caulfield, Chief Executive of VSNW, said he would work to ensure that PROMiSE had a significant effect: “We really look forward to working with members to develop this network, to ensure it has an impact both within MHIP and further afield.”

Find out more about PROMiSE

In the South East, RAISE conducts a regular quarterly survey of members which has found that two thirds of respondents (66%) are finding demand for services increasing, a 10 % raise on figures from the previous quarter. This is having a varied impact on organisations; from challenges of maintaining quality through to ensuring availability of services to those in need.

Over one in eight of RAISE members have already had to make staff redundant due to the current financial crisis and lack of jobs continues to be the major challenge facing communities in the South East.

http://www.raise-networks.org.uk

In the West Midlands RAWM is working with Social Enterprise West Midland and West Midlands European Network on responses to the recession. Together they have developed a Third Sector Economic Manifesto from the first ever West Midlands Third Sector Economic Summit which they are asking all voluntary groups in the West Midlands to sign-up to.

Click here to link to RAWM manifesto

London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) is running the Big Squeeze campaign. A worrying 94% of respondents to LVSC’s recession survey have said that the recession is already affecting the communities they work with. 81% are not confident of being able to meet demand, both now and in the future. Based on these findings they will be calling on key public agencies to reaffirm their support for the work of the sector in Phase 2 of the Big Squeeze Campaign.

http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=100050

Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Forum has conducted a ‘Health of the Sector’ survey and found that 14% of voluntary and community groups are not sure if they will survive over the next financial year, and staff levels were not keeping pace with levels of demand. The Forum has also recently published a VCS Manifesto for their region. It includes 18 commitments the sector are seeking from politicians in the run up to a general election, covering; retention of grants as a funding mechanism; use of the 8 intelligent commissioning principles; continued funding for advice centres; a community programme to create new jobs in the VCS for unemployed people.

14% of voluntary and community groups are not sure if they will survive over the next financial year

http://www.yhregforum.org.uk

South West Forum (SWF) has produced Community Crunch, a review which highlights that the current downturn comes on top of an already fragile situation for voluntary and community groups in the region. Its report argues that voluntary and community sector must be fully involved and represented in regional task groups and other structures established to respond to the downturn. It also proposes that Government should consider establishing a dedicated £10m fund in each English region to enable voluntary organisations to respond effectively to the increased demand for their services.

SWF have also published ‘When it matters: voluntary and community action in the South West’ , a case-study document that shows how voluntary organisations in the frontline are responding to increased demand as a result of recession.

Both documents are available to download from the home-page at www.southwestforum.org.uk

‘Surviving NOT Thriving’ is the verdict of VONNE’s (Voluntary Organisations Network North East) recent members survey. Survey results show over half of respondents reporting a negative impact on funding, with a quarter predicting job losses and some already operating on reserves.  Charities and community groups that offer support when people are most in need are themselves in danger of folding as the recession deepens. Find out more at http://www.vonne.org.uk/vine/index.php

Organisations that work with the most vulnerable people in the North East are facing the squeeze of a decrease in funds at a time when demand for their services has never been higher.

Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW), are campaigning for an adequately resourced advice sector, as well as working for increased VCS engagement in tackling worklessness, the Train to Gain programme, and the economic agenda of local strategic partnerships and sub-regional economic partnerships. VSNW are also conducting scoping exercises to assess VCS potential for apprenticeships, the Future Jobs Fund, and improved strategic use of volunteering. More information on activities in the North West can be found at Voluntary Sector North West http://www.vsnw.org.uk/recession.

Hard times: the recession and the voluntary and community sector in the East of England is published by Cover, the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum for the East of England.

Based on a survey of its members, it concludes that

“The VCS in the East of England is underfunded.

The recession is having a twin impact on the sector:

• Demand for VCS services, particularly advice and support services, is rising.

• Income is falling or flat (which in itself is a cut as fixed costs such wages and bills still have to be paid) for over 70% of VCS organisations responding to our survey.”

The full survey report can be found at http://www.cover-east.org.

One East Midlands have published research commissioned by the East Midlands Infrastructure Steering Group (EMISG) which investigates the impact of the recession on a sample of VCS organisations in the East Midlands.

The biggest impact that was being felt by all respondents was greater uncertainty. The main areas of impact were on the potential of further funding and the impact on volunteers and recruitment and retention of staff.

On funding the key points related to:

• Difficulty in quantifying impact due to uncertainty over the availability of future contracts;
• Increased competition was expected, whatever contracts became available;
• Period of concern was really the next 12/18 months;
• Reduced income from fundraising efforts.

One frontline organisation reported a drop of 50% in donations from the general public in the last 6 months

Information on activity in East Midlands can be found at One East Midlands’ website: http://www.oneeastmidlands.org.uk/news.php