Tuesday, 22 December 2015

LVSC health update: December 2015

 

December 2015

Dear colleague,

Looking forward, looking back – LVSC's health work 2015-2016

In April this year, LVSC ran a 'Whole Systems Change – co-producing new models of health and care event'. It raised many issues relating to the government's new care models. One concern raised was the lack of funding following the patient or going to the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) managing and / or delivering social prescribing services. Social prescribing activities, including how they are funded or commissioned has helped shape our work this year. It led to a 'think piece' in the summer and was followed by a blog on the role of the VCSE in co-producing new models of health & care both of which will inform the recent VCSE Review (you need to scroll down to see the blog). We also responded to the VCSE Review. Furthermore we have just started mapping and reviewing social prescribing activities in London.

We were also delighted to work with Kensington & Chelsea Social Council and Healthwatch Central West London to produce a learning case study around co-production and commissioning. The case study has been widely distributed and shared with Regional Voices members, National Voices, NHS England, vanguards, etc.

2016 (Jan- April) looks set to be even more eventful as we are keen to progress our work on social prescribing. I am looking forward to working with the Healthy London Partnership to take forward our social prescribing activities at a strategic level to the Healthy London Partnerships Prevention Programme Board.

We hope to work with the Sutton Care Homes vanguard (Sutton CCG) to produce a learning case study around co-production with the VCSE. LVSC looks forward to joining UCLPartners' Patient, Carer and Public Involvement and Engagement Leads Steering group in February.  I will also produce a briefing in March examining the state of the health and care sector and the impact on London's VCSE, linking this to devolution and the potential impacts of the spending cuts on health and care services.

I hope you will have wonderful break and a very happy New Year.

Warm regards

Sandra

Sandra van der Feen

Policy Officer, LVSC

sandra@lvsc.org.uk

Mondays - Wednesdays only

 

LVSC health update

London's Who is Who guide has been updated.

I have just updated the Who is Who guide for London. The guide includes key people working in health, wellbeing and care in each region. It comprises relevant people from clinical commissioning groups, health and wellbeing boards, CQC, NHS England area teams, commissioning support units and local Healthwatch.

It's a detailed guide, time consuming to update and had to rely on organisations' websites being up to date. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate it if you could check the areas you are familiar with and notify me if you come across and omissions or out of date information.

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Social prescribing mapping and review

I have been busy liaising with a number of organisations that deliver social prescribing activities in London. Thanks to everyone who has responded to our survey!  The first edition of the map will be completed early January. This will be regularly updated. A review will follow in February which will also include links to recent national reviews, research, etc. Watch this space….

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London news

Inside Out: The New Geography of wealth and Poverty in London – Centre for London

The report looked at poverty and wealth in London and how inner and outer boroughs have changed since 2001. It examined "changes in demography, income, housing tenure and occupational profile. Their findings suggest that the differences between inner and outer London are becoming less defined"

More information can also be found on the Centre for London website

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London Health Devolution

Plans for a "radical transformation" of the delivery of health and social care in the capital.

A health devolution agreement has been just been signed, marking the start of a major power transition for local healthcare leaders. According to the Government "ground-breaking plans that will set in motion the radical transformation of health and social care services across London were revealed this week by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Outlining the first steps towards reshaping healthcare across London, the Chancellor signed a health devolution agreement with the capital's health and civic leaders which will allow it to begin the process of taking control of its own affairs."

Five devolution pilots have been agreed:

  • Haringey will run a prevention pilot to develop new approaches to public health issues by exploring existing planning and licensing powers.
  • Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge will run a pilot to develop an accountable care organisation, where primary and secondary care are more closely integrated and patient pathways are redesigned with a focus on intervening early and managing the chronically ill.
  • North Central London (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington) will run an estates pilot to test new approaches to collaboration on asset use.
  • Lewisham will run a pilot seeking to integrate physical and mental health services alongside social care.
  • Hackney will run a health and social care integration pilot, aiming for full integration of health and social care budgets and joint provision of services. This will also have a particular focus on prevention.

Hament Patel from Organisation Change Practitioners expressed some reservations how this agreement can work in practice:
"It will be interesting to see how this will all work out without any extra  new funding or resources,  which was highlighted in a recent joint Kings Fund and Health Foundation report by its Chief Health Economists as needed via a new care transformation fund between £1.5bn and £2.1bn per year, to transition into, implement and oversee new care models. Also where are the Health and Well-being Boards in helping drive this as distinct from local authorities, as well as housing care and support RSL and voluntary and community as well as other small non-profit private group bodies, in relation to shaping such agreement?"

LVSC hopes to address some of these issues in our briefing on the state of the Health & Care sector in March next year.

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National news

Empowering patients and communities: new care models update - vanguards. How you can get involved and support available for the vanguards to develop new partnerships

You can now download the new care models directory, which is an initial directory of the national support on offer to help the vanguards and the wider NHS and social care develop new partnerships with patients, the public and communities. The vanguards are taking the lead on the development of new care models, which will act as the blueprints for the NHS moving forward and the inspiration to the rest of health and social care.

More information on the revised vanguard support package

Support the vanguards to empower patients & communities

If your organisation can support the vanguards to empower patients and communities, please email newcaremodels.england@nhs.net for an application form. The deadline for expressions of interest is 4 February 2016. You can also find out more about the vanguards in a new brochure - New Care Models: Vanguards - developing a blueprint for NHS and care.

The Guardian also produced an article how charities big and small can help the new vanguards sites

See also LVSC's briefing on the vanguards in London.

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NHS England Patient and Public Participation Policy

A new policy and Statement of Arrangements has been published which sets out NHS England's plans to ensure patients are at the heart of everything it does, and that they meet the legal duty to involve the public in decisions about commissioning. Over the next year NHS England will review how well the policy and arrangements are working in practice and gather feedback through its website.

More details and downloads can be found at NHS England.

An online survey asks for feedback on how well the policy is working.

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Digital proposals to help people to manage their health

Baroness Martha Lane Fox has made four recommendations for the digital future of the NHS

These are:

  • people with the most health and social care needs should be included first in any new digital tools;
  • free Wi-Fi in every NHS building, allowing patients staying in hospital to self-monitor and stay in contact with family and friends;
  • ensuring the NHS workforce has the digital skills to support people's health needs; and
  • at least 10 per cent of patients in each GP practice should be using a digital service such as online appointment booking, repeat prescriptions or access to records by 2017. Digital health tools can help people to better manage their health and avoid unnecessary GP visits and hospital admissions, reducing the burden on the NHS.

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Co-production in mental health - call for practice examples 

Copied from Race Equality Foundation  bulletin (Better Health 70 December 2015)

The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) have been funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to demonstrably increase understanding of co-production in mental health.

One of the key aims of the work is to develop a practical, evidence-based resource on how co-production can be understood and implemented in mental health. They are currently collecting examples of where co-production has and has not worked from within and outside statutory and mainstream mental health services.

Read more information on the Shaping Our Lives website. NDTI will be collecting information until 15th January.

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Official announcement of the 5 Realising the Value partner sites

Realising the Value has appointed five local partner sites to help increase the impact of person-centred, community-based approaches to health and wellbeing.

The five local partner sites each have a wealth of experience working in one of the five areas of practice  that the programme is focusing on. Local partner sites will use their existing experience to help others learn what works in practice.

More information on the Nesta website

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Hospitals get £1.8 billion for sustainability and transformation

The sustainability and transformation fund will give NHS the resources it needs as part of the Five Year Forward View to sustain services. The money will also help challenged hospitals to achieve financial balance while focusing on changing the way they provide high quality care for patients, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt recently announced.

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Care Quality Commission to involve members of the public on more inspections than ever before

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has awarded contracts to two organisations – Remploy and Choice Support – to run its extended Experts by Experience programme across England from 1 February 2016.

Experts by Experience are people who have experience of using care services and who take part in inspections of health and social care services and visits to monitor the use of the Mental Health Act. During inspections, they spend time talking to people who use the service and observing the environment. CQC currently work with around 500 Experts by Experience. For further information contact CQC at enquiries@cqc.org.uk.

To read more, visit the CQC website

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Vacancy

Project Manager (Operational) Offender Health London – LB Sutton

Are you ready for a new challenge?
London Borough of Sutton is looking for a dynamic, committed individual to join Sutton council's Public Health team as the Project manager (operational) – Offender Health for London.

You will have had relevant knowledge of offender/prison health services for adults, children and young people. This exciting role has lots of opportunity for development and the chance to innovate in a London wide role hosted by the London Borough of Sutton.

Grade PO5 Salary £40,218 - £42,951 per annum
1 Year Fixed Term Contract
Closing date: 4 January 2016
Interview date 1:15th January 2016

More information and link to JD
 

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ABOUT REGIONAL VOICES This e bulletin is published monthly by LVSC as the London region member of Regional Voices.

Regional Voices Logo

Regional Voices champions the work of voluntary and community organisations to improve health, well-being and care, across England. Regional Voices is a partnership of nine regional networks. Together, we directly connect to over 25,000 voluntary and community organisations. Our coverage is broad, deep and well-established. Our vision is for a society where voluntary and community organisations are connected with decision-makers at all levels, able to influence policy and improve community health, care and well-being through better services.

Regional Voices partnership is hosted by Involve Yorkshire and Humber,Registered charity number 1127119   |   Company registration number 6752034

London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC)

Registered charity number 276886   |   Company registration number 1395546

We try to check all the information in this bulletin and the web sites it links to, but we cannot accept responsibility for the contents of the websites and articles or guarantee their validity. Links should not be taken as an endorsement of any kind.

Telephone: 020 7832 5830   |   Email: info@lvsc.org.uk   |    Opt out of all LVSC mailings

Our Vision and Services

Our vision is of a society where no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health.

Mental health problems are extremely common across society, with one in four of us experiencing them in any year. Despite being so common, people from all communities will still experience discriminatory attitudes and behaviours that can prevent people from speaking out, seeking support and playing full and active roles in our communities. The impact of mental health stigma and discrimination will vary between communities as mental health has a cultural context that affects the way communities talk about the subject and engage with people who have mental health problems. In some cultures depression, for example, doesn't exist and in others an experience of a mental health problem can be attached to a sense of shame.

For the African and Caribbean communities a key issue is the overrepresentation of young African and Caribbean men in mental health services. Misconceptions and stereotypes have led to a perception that this group is more likely to pose a risk of violent behaviour and, as a result, they are more likely to be treated as inpatients and sectioned when compared to other groups. It is well documented that this has led to a fear of talking about mental health issues more openly and a fear of using mental health services. Research by the Race Equality Foundation (2011) also highlighted fears that discrimination against Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and migrant service users will increase in the austerity climate and whilst commissioning arrangements change.

Our Services

· Provide information, advice, advocacy

· Represent diversity communities in Health Care services, policies and strategies

· Organise training in health and social care in collaboration with local colleges

· Provide human resources ( including interpreters) who are suitable to the diversity communities especially to break language and cultural barriers

· Provides domiciliary care and support

· Provide services such specialised support for people with mental health needs, including people who suffer from short-term memory problems, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

· Provide visits to elderly people and help them with outings and home services

· Participate in local authority and NHS consultations , research events and programmes to voice the needs of diversity communities.

· Increase access to services and rights for disadvantaged people and the most vulnerable of our society

· Help and support unemployed people to look for work, including training and job preparation

· Provide legal advice in a range of issues from on Immigration and Asylum , welfare benefits, housing, health, education, community care, and training, employment, etc.

· Provide advice and guidance, information and practical help so that our service users can access opportunities they are entitled to

· Organise training and other community learning opportunities that provide new skills, increase confidence and motivation

· Support our service users to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training

· Provide support for young people with their education, training, confidence building, employment and social needs.

Objectives of our Diversity Living Programme:

· To promote the inclusion and participation of diversity communities* in integrated care.

· To inform policy, locally and nationally, and assisting in the formulation of effective policies, strategies and good practices in integrated care in order to contribute to improved health outcomes for the people from the diversity communities (e.g. Black and minority ethnic communities) and to ensure health services are able to meet their specific needs.

· To improve the quality of life for diversity people with disability, mental health problems and their families and carers through integrated care by providing inclusive advocacy and information.

· To provide service that enable diversity groups and individuals with disability /elderly and their carers to make the right choice for themselves and have an influence on decisions made about their future.

· To promote the rights of diversity people with disability, their families and carers and make sure their rights are safe and protected.

· To promoting access to information regarding healthcare issues and to raise awareness of the needs of diversity disabled children, young people, older people and their families.

· To promote the rights of older and disabled diversity people, helping them overcome and enable them to participate in decisions about their future

· To provide support and information to those suffering the isolation and loneliness that can be associated with disability and old age

· To fight against mental health stigma in refugee, black and minority ethnic communities and ensure no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health or disability.

*Diversity communities are older people, disabled people, Black, Asian, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities.