Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund 2013-14

The Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund (HSCVF) is an innovative capacity and grant funding programme which helps to build capable communities.

The national scheme provides VCS organisations with a grant and capacity building support to:

• Collaborate: deliver a strategic project that plays an effective and integrated role in addressing health, public health and social care needs in conjunction with commissioners.
• Innovate: test out a new area of work delivered by their volunteers.
• Develop: support the Strategic Vision for Volunteering by investing resources in volunteer support and management systems.

The grant and capacity building programme is open to constituted charities and voluntary organisations, as well as social enterprises, co-operatives, mutual and other not-for-profit organisations with social aims.

It is anticipated that approximately 10-15 organisations will receive a package of capacity building support and project funding. A total grant award of between £50,000 and £200,000 is available per year over a maximum of three funding years, subject to annual parliamentary approval. Funding for one and two year projects is also available.

Applicants will be asked to apply under one of the following themes:

• Theme 1: Increasing User Voice to Improve Quality of Care
• Theme 2: Community Based Health and Care Interventions
• Theme 3: Improving Public Health through Prevention and Risk Reduction
• Theme 4: Improving Management of Chronic and Long Term Conditions
• Theme 5: Building Capable Communities

The Fund seeks projects that are strategic and developmental, have something distinctive and different to offer over existing services, and for their potential to develop new and / or streamlined systems in health, public health and social care volunteering. Grants will not be provided to projects that simply aim to supply additional core services, or request funding for existing services or continuation funding.

Projects must have a clear focus on how they would support and drive forward new ideas in delivering services to communities that add value to existing local statutory services and local health and social care provision. The fund will seek projects that have something special to offer over existing services, and for their potential to develop new and / or streamlined systems in health, public health and social care volunteering.

Organisations interested in applying to the HSCVF must first register online at www.volunteeringfund.com. The registration process will open the week beginning 12 August and all guidance and application and application questions will be available form this date. Registration will close noon on 27 September 2013. Eligible organisations will then be able to submit an application through the online application portal, which will open at noon on 1 October 2013 and will close at noon on 8 November 2013.