Press release

Voluntary groups lend a hand to government to improve health and wellbeing

21 voluntary sector organisations that will be part of the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme announced today.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published
17 April 2013
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The 21 voluntary sector organisations that will be part of the new Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme for 2013/14, were announced today at the Department of Health.

The Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme has been running for four years and brings together a range of voluntary sector organisations to use their expertise to inform and shape national policy.

The programme provides a way for policy makers to reach hundreds of thousands of voluntary and community sector organisations through the extensive depth and reach of the partners’ networks. This helps to ensure that the voice of small voluntary and community sector organisations are in direct contact with national bodies at the heart of decision making.

Norman Lamb, Care and Support Minister, said:

I am delighted that these 21 organisations will share £3.5m to help them work in partnership with the Department, NHS England and Public Health England as part of a new system-wide Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme for 2013/14.

The voluntary sector has a valuable role to play in improving health and wellbeing and this new programme will help develop and build strong and productive partnerships with the sector and support organisations to build capability more widely.

This new system-wide programme will build on the successes and lessons learned from the DH Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme, which developed and built strong partnerships and led to the Department of Health being rated as one of the highest performers within Government for collaborating with the voluntary sector.

Olivia Butterworth, Head of Public Voice NHS England led the programme for DH for the last four years and said:

NHS England looks forward to working closely with the Health and Care Strategic Partners. Working collaboratively across NHS England, PHE, DH and the voluntary sector there is the potential for great gain, particularly in ensuring that citizen’s and communities are at the heart of new arrangements and that we unlock the potential contribution of the voluntary and community sectors to contribute fully to improving health and wellbeing outcomes for everyone.

The new Strategic Partners for 2013-14

Following a competitive assessment process by DH, NHS England and PHE, 21 out of the 66 organisations who applied have been recruited to the programme for 2013-14.

These organisations offer a broad reach across DH, NHS England and PHE responsibilities and priorities and across the voluntary and community sector in health and care across England. They are also able to reach people and communities across the equality protected characteristics and provide extensive depth of reach to particularly vulnerable groups and communities. They are:

  1. Age UK
  2. Carers UK and Carers Trust
  3. Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
  4. The Disability Partnership (Royal Mencap Society, Scope, Sense, The National Autistic Society)
  5. Disability Rights UK, Shaping our Lives National User Network and CHANGE
  6. FaithAction
  7. Men’s Health Forum (MHF)
  8. Mental Health Providers Forum (MHPF)
  9. NACRO, Action for Prisoners’ Families and Clinks
  10. National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)
  11. National Children’s Bureau (NCB)
  12. National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC), Help the Hospices and Marie Curie Cancer Care
  13. National Council for Voluntary Youth Services with Addaction, Association for Young People’s Health, Brook, CLIC Sargent, Street Games and Youth Access
  14. National Housing Federation
  15. National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) Partnership
  16. National Voices
  17. Race Equality Foundation (REF)
  18. Regional Voices
  19. UK Health Forum
  20. Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), National Care Forum (NCF) and Sue Ryder
  21. Women’s Health and Equality Consortium (WHEC)

Notes

To arrange interviews with any of the partners, please contact: Kat.Caldwell@dh.gsi.gov.uk – 0113 2545604

For further information go to:

Department of Health Voluntary Partnerships Team:

Rebecca.Spavin@dh.gsi.gov.uk - 0113 2546649 Howard.X.Chapman@dh.gsi.gov.uk – 0113 2545212

Press Office:

Alison.Langley@dh.gsi.gov.uk - 020 72105375

Find out more about NHS England here.

Find out more about Public Health England here.

Published 17 April 2013