ICB renews agreement with VCFSE sector to build on positive work to date

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has strengthened its commitment to working with the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector by renewing their partnership agreement.

ICB chair Emma Woollett and VCFSE Alliance chair Tracy Hopkins signed the agreement at November’s ICB board meeting to build on the positive work and outcomes that have stemmed from the partnership, and following various changes within the ICB leadership structure.

Ms Woollett said: “The VCFSE sector plays an important and unique role in helping to address health inequalities here in Lancashire and South Cumbria, promoting community engagement and by being involved in decision-making processes.

“In renewing this agreement, we are strengthening our relationship and commitment to working collaboratively, with the joint aim of improving health outcomes for the population of Lancashire and South Cumbria.”

The agreement continues the arrangement for the ICB to invest in VCFSE services and cements the long-term goal of creating a more equitable relationship between health and the voluntary sector, as well as strengthening our connection with communities in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Tracy Hopkins, the VCFSE Alliance chair and representative on the ICB board, said: “This agreement reaffirms the critical role of VCFSE organisations in achieving the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan. Our partnership with the ICB is essential to improving population health, addressing inequalities and ensuring that local people receive the right support at the right time.

“I am delighted we continue to develop our partnership working. We have achieved some incredible results in communities where investment has been targeted, but there is so much more we can do together.

“When VCFSE services are integrated alongside clinical interventions, health outcomes improve and our partnership has the potential to develop this integrated approach across Lancashire and South Cumbria.”

There have been a number of examples over the past 12 months where investment in the VCFSE Alliance has had an impact so far as a result of partnership approaches to support communities, including in urgent and emergency care, frailty and early diagnosis of cancer in areas such as Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen. 

One example presented at the November board meeting highlighted the work in Blackburn Central Ward. By developing robust proposals for investment of Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) funding into the VCFSE sector, the Alliance has been able to support new ways of working. Working with vulnerable adults and families in the ward to help them avoid unnecessary attendances has seen an estimated 140 admissions avoided, reducing demand on busy services, saving residents unnecessary visits and saving the NHS an estimated £125,000.

These savings are the result of reaching more than 2,400 people through targeted health messages and resources, and providing direct one-to-one support to 161 people.

Paul Hegarty, the ICB’s associate director of population health and place delivery for Blackburn with Darwen, said: “The ICB committed a small amount of funding from our winter pressure fund this year to the VCFSE sector to support reducing unnecessary attendance at urgent and emergency care, and to facilitate safe and supported discharge from hospital.

“In Blackburn Central ward (one of two pilot areas initially selected, alongside Blackpool), the vulnerable adults and families project aimed to help people stay out of hospital and avoid attending urgent care if they didn’t need to. To do this we supported individuals, predominantly aged between 18 and 64 who would benefit from support across a partnership delivered in neighbourhoods.

“The project worked collaboratively with local partners to identify and address the underlying reasons why people thought they needed urgent care, and by engaging individuals and discussing their needs they were navigated into different services. Avoiding urgent care, they were better supported in the community through both clinical and non-clinical services working together through a joined-up local offer.

“In a short space of time, we established strong foundations for future integrated support, reaching people who were previously accessing unplanned care and therefore were not experiencing the benefits of integrated, coordinated care. Partnership working has meant we were able to offer people consistent, non-judgemental help at the earliest point of need.”