Black Country Health Inequalities News – Wanted: Research and Evaluation Partner for the Voluntary and Community Sector

The Health and Care Act 2022 has meant big changes for UK health and care systems to deliver better, more joined up care to communities. The latest change is the creation of an Integrated Care Board on 1^st July, bringing together partners from the NHS, local government and the Voluntary and Community sector, as well as others, to tackle the needs of our communities as a whole.

This means that there is now further drive from the Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS) to involve the Voluntary and Community sector in plans for improving people’s health and wellbeing, especially when it comes to areas with lots of health inequalities in communities.

This year, funding is being made available by the ICS to the four Health and Care Place-Based Partnership Boards in the Black Country to allow this work to take place. Each area has its own priorities that it will focus on, with opportunities to work with the voluntary sector in delivering them.

To find out more about your Place-Based Partnership, contact Sarah Taylor at sarah.taylor@wcva.org.uk

To find out more about how your Health and Social Care System is changing, visit the King’s Fund YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blapgFKXv0I

Wanted: Research and Evaluation Partner for the Voluntary and Community Sector

NHS England Voluntary Partnerships Team are seeking to commission a research and evaluation partner to undertake work to establish and develop an evidence repository to understand existing activity taking place within ICSs that focuses on impact and explore current barriers to embedding existing evidence into decision-making and build upon this to develop a VCSE Impact Framework.

NHS England (NHSE) is working to facilitate and embed effective partnership working between the VCSE sector and ICSs. The NHSE Integrated Care Systems: design framework states: “The VCSE sector is a vital cornerstone of a progressive health and care system. ICSs should ensure their governance and decision-making arrangements support close working with the sector as a strategic partner in shaping, improving and delivering services and developing and delivering plans to tackle the wider determinants of health.

This work will be a part of the current Embedding the VCSE in ICS national programme which strengthens system-level VCSE alliance and builds on programme learning.

Within this work there are a number of elements we want to include:

1. Desk research to gather existing information and evidence in this area, to build on existing knowledge (bringing the lens of ICS establishment) to inform the development of the work.
2. Connecting with systems currently undertaking work in this area (6 – 8 systems that NHSE will make introductions to).
3. Co-development of a VCSE Impact Framework (that connects to existing tools and resources, where appropriate, NHSE will share these) to support and enable the VCSE sector to evidence the impact they have on people and communities and NHS services.
4. 3 information sessions over the lifetime of the work for all 42 ICSs taking part in the Embedding the VCSE in ICSs Programme to update them on the work and present the VCSE Impact Framework.

Please see links below for more information and how to apply: CF-10270 – Embedding the VCSE & ICS’s Impact Project

To register as a supplier and find out more information please use this link:  Contract Finder – https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/c40bb8cb-5411-4187-a7b9-67d5f3247ec2

Once registered as a supplier use this link: Atamis – https://atamis-1928.cloudforce.com/a0Y8d000000zCbzEAE

Closing date: Monday 12^th September 2022

Estimated Contract Commencement Date: Monday 26^th September 2022

In order to maintain a fair process for all potential suppliers, please submit questions for the Voluntary Partnerships Team via Atamis.