Key themes shared from VCSE Health Creation Workshop

On Thursday 28 March 2024, Cornwall VSF hosted a conference for colleagues in the VCSE, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly and Cornwall Council, The VCSE and the ICS: The journey so far.

During the event, Gill Pipkin provided an interactive workshop for delegates to explore the following:

Thinking about the key preventable health challenges faced in our communities, how can the VCSE sector work most effectively with the statutory bodies to improve people’s health and create better quality lives.

Delegates were asked to work on their tables to imagine the NHS wasn’t in existence and design a Health service including the community, voluntary and statutory bodies as equal partners.

Gill has provided a summary of the output gathered from the workshop.

1. Guidance, knowledge and support is needed to create good health.

2. Collaboration and co-design, equity legislation rewritten, development, culture of inclusion and respect, circles of support, restorative practice, grassroots energy, alliances through VSF, public sector support aligned with VCSE, nature and climate prioritised, nothing about us without us, rights and entitlements, local communities and communities of interest, information and advice, listening and responding, volunteers, extra support, skills and capacity, safe spaces, belonging, experts by experience, specialist equipment (magnifiers), maximising income, navigation support, advocacy, peer support/lived experience, rurality impact. Lack of fuel, lack of funds, need accessible venues.

3. Get rid of all statutory services, out of county food, supermarkets, medications, stop keeping sick old people alive.

Introduce:

• A 3 day week so we have time to live well with each other and a universal basic income
• A magic wand to fix trauma
• Teach children discipline and emotional regulation
• Parenting classes – reduce intergenerational trauma
• Free ‘activities’ e.g. walking groups
• Engaging and letting people know – how do you encourage people to join
• Educating and incentivising people to live well
• Growing spaces for all
• Walking and cycling and music.

4. Private sector micro businesses involved in solutions. Values such as a manifesto for kindness, good health (emotional and physical) equality, inclusion and a shared environment. Inspire through better people and gathering and communication. Artificial intelligence. Equitable voice for all. Shared experiences (food, activities, creativity) reverse the hierarchy of need so start with self actualisation to inspire and create an ambition. Long term opportunities, education. End to hierarchy, mutuality. Increase vaccination update. Improve access to information (online and community) Raise awareness of diseases. Look at different types of information (videos), access to appointments (GP, RCHT etc) Support Q&A. Support the supporters – who, where, how – build relationships. Ask more (patients and supporters). Data creation – qualitative and quantitative.

5. Joined up approach to commissioning is imperative, what matters to me, needs led regular adaptive income. Health prevention – no more short term funding, collaboration of services with the community at heart, equal value and finances for voluntary and statutory sectors, collaboration, environmental wellbeing. Start at the beginning with early education (bring back Sure Start) to grave. Community, spaces and environmental wellbeing.

6. Fully funded services for the long terms with equality across areas of need, consistent delivery, equity across the sector and county. Community groups, connection, support network. Community outreach pharmacists. People Hubs for employment, education and training. Fresh food network with equality of supply across the county. Outdoor spaces, justice, law and policy. Arts and culture – ceramics, knitting, crochet, dance, visual arts – creative health. Education, training from playgroup through school, college, retraining, work, volunteering. Want consistency for customer and provider – mismatch if not on the same page. Momentum to overcome fears, Trustees don’t want to push the boat – peer encouragement – no stigma to using services. Embrace and celebrate cultural diversity. Good responsive humans to individual needs in our communities.

7. Nature – a resource available to us – outdoors and nature – weaves through everything. Trusted relationships and individuals. Knowing our limits and together working to grow community assets. Contextual experts. Town and parish councils. Link to community. Connection to vulnerable communities. Empowerment.

8. Choice, pic n mix. Neighbourhood teams to scale in rural areas – mobile solutions – WI and A4E. Just do it. Connection. How do we reach consensus – different agenda and lenses. Diversity of community. Somewhere people can connect and trust. Building on people’s experience to build services. Tough jobs – poor pay. Quality assurance. Being human. Driven by the heart. People’s commissioning. Opportunities and challenges of coast and countryside. Community hubs. Share vision, time and language and space. We are all members of our communities. Get up and go. Social determinants of health – housing, education, food, work, debt, environment. Management, risk, resources, leadership. Social prescribing – impacts on VCSE organisations and potential. Skilled professionals.

9. Prevent – longer term, repeat, easy access; we remember how others make us feel – VCSE has more time for people; guided conversations Trust builds; quicker access. Future – direct funding to the person, stop bidding for funding – create new bank for projects/activities.

Consortium that doesn’t bid. Include more VCSE organisations, closer working – share customers easily. The future would look like this – during Covid we could get things done – let’s do this again – autonomy; commissioners give up control – flexibility; better joint working across sectors, less red tape, secure long-term funding; treat VCSE equally – greater input and budget.

What sector as to offer – Lots of lived experience to give, proactivity of sector – not long waiting lists. Quicker access and longer term. Connection with people and engagement with communities. Need experts for physical health. Family support – power of relationships. Sector has an open door – I might not remember what you said or did, but I remember how you made me feel.

Secure longer-term funding would offer sustainability and value for money. Flexibility with COMF type level of control which fostered better collaboration. No bidding for funding, one big pot for all.