Our VCSE Assembly for Norfolk and Waveney was effectively constituted in July 2022 and has begun to take an active role in the Place led conversations across Norfolk and Waveney.
The advent of our ICS, and the focus of a health and social care system which wants to make the pivot to more preventative and early interventions for our citizens, is a very real opportunity for the VCSE sector and ICB to work more closely together, and our Assembly is well placed to coordinate action across that opportunity.
Place Leads, appointed through VCSE, ICB and LA representation, have been engaged across our five boards and eight Health and Wellbeing Partnership Boards. A chair, appointed and mandated by both VCSE sector and ICB representatives, is one of only two across the country with a seat on the main board and full voting rights.
The VCSE Assembly is piloting new ways of working alongside our statutory partners, with a focus on developing our approach as an inclusive collective of organisations, groups, individuals with clear, robust communication mechanisms.
Built upon our strategic core values of Ambition, Connection and Integrity, we aim for the Norfolk and Waveney VCSE Assembly to be a positive force for change, where collaboration gives measurable, tangible outputs and outcomes.
Become a member of the Norfolk and Waveney VCSE Assembly
The Assembly is a shared space, a space where any and every VCSE organisation can work with colleagues from our Integrated Care Board and wider Integrated Care System. Where we can learn together and build shared strategies for the early and preventative interventions that will empower our communities.
Our shared ambition is to ensure that every citizen of Norfolk and Waveney is able to live their best life. We know that health and care inequalities exist across our communities and by becoming a member we commit to work together to address them.
We are welcoming all VCSE organisations across Norfolk and Waveney to sign up and become a member of the VCSE Assembly, and to receive our Norfolk and Waveney VCSE update, which will be launching in July.
Background
The Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector across Norfolk and Waveney is large and varied. There are 3,645 registered charities, 220 community interested companies and 124 societies with their registered offices in Norfolk and Waveney.
There are also many informal VCSE organisations, often referred to as ‘below the radar’ groups. Previous research has suggested a medium estimate of below the radar groups is 7.5 per 1,000 of population. This would suggest Norfolk and Waveney has 8,250 of such groups bringing the total number of voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations to be in the region of 12,000.
In January 2019, the NHS Long term plan was published, with a key priority to join-up health and care services. In April 2022 Norfolk and Waveney is due to become an Integrated Care System (ICS), bringing NHS organisations together with partners in local government and the VCSE sector to provide more joined-up care for people.
Through the ICS infrastructure, we will collectively plan, coordinate and provide high quality services that improve the health and wellbeing of the local population, and tackle inequalities. The VCSE sector are an essential partner in delivering these ambitions.
Since 2019, VCSE organisations across Norfolk and Waveney have been working in collaboration with health and social care partners to develop a VCSE Assembly. This aims to provide a more meaningful, effective and equitable partnership, to strengthen the relationships between the broad range of voluntary, community and social enterprise groups and organisations operating across Norfolk and Waveney, with local health and social care commissioners and providers.
Place Network Leads
To speak to the Lead in your Place please contact:
- North Norfolk, vacant – pending review
- West Norfolk, Ashley Bunn
- South Norfolk, Lee Gibbons
- Norwich, Daniel Williams
- Great Yarmouth, vacant – pending review
- Waveney, Chiara Saunders