Health Management and Policy Alert

The role of voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in public procurement

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) - 

The DCMS commissioned independent analysis to assist the government in targeting efforts first, to unlock public service spend for maximum social value and second, to support the sustainability of the VCSE sectors. This research explores the role which VCSEs can play in public services. It identifies how we can reduce barriers to increase VCSE participation in public service markets. A particular focus lies in areas such as health and social care, disability, employability, where tailored and bespoke support is often beneficial to best support vulnerable groups.

• Report
• More detail

Realising the benefits of provider collaboratives

NHS Providers - 

NHS trusts will play a critical role in delivering the key purposes of integrated care systems, often through partnership arrangements that will act as delivery vehicles within ICSs including provider collaboratives, place-based partnerships and neighbourhood multi-disciplinary teams. This briefing: provides a brief overview of how provider collaboratives are developing across England; illustrates some of the emerging benefits that collaboratives are working to realise; explores how trust leaders see the role of provider collaboratives developing within ICSs; and identifies some key enablers and risks trust boards need to consider.

• Briefing
• More detail

NHS Pension Scheme: proposed amendments to continue the suspension of restrictions on return to work

Department of Health and Social Care - 

This consultation seeks views on proposals to continue the temporary NHS Pension Scheme ‘retire and return’ easements until 31 March 2023 via amendments to NHS Pension Scheme regulations. These easements allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work in the NHS or increase their working commitments without having their pension benefits suspended. The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 12 September 2022.

• Consultation detail
• Press release

 

Building capacity and capability for improvement in adult social care

The King's Fund -
In this discussion paper, we look at how local authorities in England improve the quality of adult social care. In the paper, we don’t make recommendations. Instead, we ask some questions, intended for the adult social care sector, about what the future should look like.

• Discussion paper
• The King's Fund - publications

Framework agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (known as NHS Digital)

Department of Health and Social Care -
This document outlines how the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will work with NHS Digital during the transitional period before the dissolution of NHS Digital as a separate entity. It includes information on: aims and objectives, the resolution of disputes between NHS Digital and DHSC, the role of the sponsorship team, governance and accountability, and management and financial responsibilities.

• Agreement
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Life changing care: the role, gaps and solutions in providing social care to people experiencing homelessness

St Mungo’s  - 

This report examines the provision of care services for people who have been homeless and finds they are missing out on the care they need and deserve because of a lack of specialist provision. People who have experienced homelessness often have multiple and complex health conditions, which can result in their care needs being much higher and more prevalent at an earlier age, than the general population. The report makes eight recommendations about how to improve the current situation.

• Report
• More detail

How are we doing? A coproduced approach to tracking young Black men’s experiences of community wellbeing and mental health programmes

Centre for Mental Health - 

There are few culturally relevant tools focusing on young Black men’s mental health outcomes. Using approaches that lack cultural sensitivity limit services’ ability to know whether they are working well, and can lead to mistrust and disengagement. Funded by Mind, Centre for Mental Health has designed a new, culturally informed approach to monitoring young Black men’s outcomes for accessing wellbeing support — Culturally appropriate evaluation for young Black men. It was coproduced with young Black men to identify what impact a service has on their mental health and wellbeing. Community wellbeing and mental health programmes are being asked to pilot the tool, to help determine its effectiveness.

• Report
• More detail

Working in partnership: creating an effective rough sleeper strategy

Local Government Association - 

On 19 May 2022 over 30 councils attended a morning roundtable to discuss their priorities for the new rough sleeping strategy, due to be released later in the year. The roundtable was broken up into three workshops to look at what central government, local government and the third sector can do to help end rough sleeping.

• Report

What do we want from the next prime minister? Health and social care

Policy Exchange - 

This manifesto sets out sixteen policy ideas for the health and care sector: eight focused upon the current pressures concerning access to services; and eight which look to put the NHS on a sustainable longer-term footing.

• Manifesto
• More detail

The continuing impact of Covid-19 on health and inequalities

The Health Foundation - 

This long read revisits the conclusions of The Health Foundation's Covid-19 impact inquiry, published in July 2021, to consider the further direct impact of Covid-19 on health outcomes and the broader implications for health and the wider determinants. It also discusses the extent to which previously highlighted risks to health have been addressed and the implications for the country of ‘living with Covid-19’.

• Long read