Your Wellbeing East Midlands network needs you

Could you help steer the relationship between the VCS and the new landscape in health & social care?

The Wellbeing East Midlands network is the primary mechanism for local VCS groups to keep up to date, influence policy and decision making and share best practice in the field of health and social care. In the last year this network has enabled:

• Co-production with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) over key aspects of personalisation;
• Activities to encourage VCS engagement with emerging HealthWatch organisations;
• Tools to support local VCS influence with Clinical Commissioning Groups;
• Information sharing to support influence of Health & Wellbeing Boards; and
• Championing the voice of young people in the new health and social care landscape.

Over the next year we envisage our work with Regional Voices and the Strategic Partner programme will focus on:

• Building stronger relationships between the VCS and Public Health;
• Developing tools that can assist the VCS to use health data and intelligence;
• Working with the VCS strategic partners to improve communication and dialogue with the Department of Health, NHS and Social Care to enable the sector to help shape and deliver policies and programmes;
• Supporting VCS representation and sector influence on Health & Wellbeing Boards;
• Developing the relationship between the VCS and the Care Quality Commission (CQC); and
• Supporting the CQC with their inspections.

To do this well we need active and broad expertise from across this fast growing network to help steer our approach and ensure VCS benefit.

On behalf of the Wellbeing East Midlands network, we are currently inviting nominations for new members to join the network steering group. Nominations are being sought from VCS organisations signed up to the Wellbeing East Midlands network (network is free to join and open to anyone with an interest in health and social care in the East Midlands). 

Members of the Wellbeing East Midlands network steering group lead and coordinate the work of the Wellbeing East Midlands network, to ensure that it functions effectively and to review its progress. As a minimum the nominee should be committed to attending three meetings a year. Venues for the meetings are rotated around the region.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a member of your team for this position, please contact Sandra Casey by email at office@one-em.org.uk or by telephoning 0115 934 8471 for a nomination form and terms of reference.