Health Management and Policy Alert

Snowballs and eels: a rapid review of national funding for cross-sector partnership building in health and care in England from 2019 to 2022

National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) -
This report considers the results of a rapid review of the national funding available for cross-sector partnership building in health and care over the last three years. Considering the longer term, it finds that since the launch of the 42 sustainability and transformation partnerships in 2016, through to the placing of integrated care systems (ICSs) onto a statutory footing in July 2022, much progress has been made. It concludes that external funding and support for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) continues to have a part in supporting local partnerships to develop and thrive and play a full role in ICSs.

• Report
• NAVCA - publications

Actions to support partnership: addressing barriers to working with the VCSE sector in integrated care systems

The King's Fund - 

This report (commissioned by the NHS England Voluntary Partnerships Team) provides an overview of the key actions required to tackle barriers and challenges to better partnership working between integrated care systems (ICS) and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

• Report

A working partnership: aguide to developing integrated statutory and voluntary sector mental health services

Centre for Mental Health - 

Increasingly, the NHS and the voluntary and community sector (VCS) are being expected to work together to shape and deliver integrated mental health (and other health) services. This guide has been developed drawing on the experiences of a significant number of people actively involved in the development of integrated mental health services across the country from a range of perspectives. It reflects the many common themes and suggestions they shared.

• Guide
• More detail

A reflective learning framework for partnering: insights from the early work of the Healthy Communities Together partnerships

The King's Fund -
As integrated care systems develop, NHS, local authority and voluntary sector organisations working in health and care in England are coming together and working in partnership to improve the health and wellbeing of local populations. But what does it take to ensure these new partnerships succeed? Here we offer a framework for reflective learning that partners can use together.

• Read it now

The power of youth volunteering: learning from the Pears #iwill Fund Network

Institute for Voluntary Action Research -
Since 2018, 32 NHS Trusts and their respective charities have been welcoming young volunteers into their hospitals. Funded through the Pears #i will Fund, these Trusts joined a network to share, support and reflect during the course of their funding. This report shares insight across participating NHS Trusts to develop youth volunteering programmes and explores the meaningful contribution and impact of young volunteers. It includes practical advice on how to embed and sustain youth volunteering programmes that would be useful for both health and voluntary sectors.

• Report
• Institute for Voluntary Action Research - publications

Adding value through volunteering in NHS trusts: a resource for volunteer services managers and policy leads

The King's Fund - 

This report outlines the case for a strategic approach to volunteering in NHS trusts, what it comprises, and what support is needed to deliver such an approach. It is supported by examples drawn from the experiences of trust volunteer services, which share practice, highlight opportunities for development, and describe how others have adopted and implemented a strategic approach to volunteering. The report ends by reflecting on some of the challenges, as well as considering the role of NHS trust volunteering within the wider community and integrated care systems (ICSs).

• Report
• More detail

Volunteering and helping out in the Covid-19 outbreak

Centre for Ageing Better - 

This report, based on research conducted by NatCen Social Research, aims to understand the patterns of formal volunteering and informal support that emerged in and between July 2020 and November 2020.

• Report
• More detail

 

Volunteering and helping out in the Covid-19 outbreak

Centre for Ageing Better - 

This report, based on research conducted by NatCen Social Research, aims to understand the patterns of formal volunteering and informal support that emerged in and between July 2020 and November 2020.

• Report
• More detail

 

Understanding local patterns of volunteer activity during Covid-19

Young Foundation - 

This research, commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, seeks to improve understanding of the ways in which volunteers were mobilised at local authority levels in England during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the overarching aim to support future policy development on volunteering. The findings reflect the experiences of community organisations, local authorities and funding bodies, among others during the spring and summer of 2020.

• Report
• More detail

The road ahead 2022

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) - 

This report is NCVO’s annual analysis of the changing operating environment for NCVO members and those working or volunteering in the voluntary sector. It identifies and explains forces and trends shaping the sector and are likely to have an impact on voluntary organisations in the future.

• Report
• Press release