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/ March 2017
Welcome to NAVCA's (late) February health and social care ebulletin (no-one told us February was so short).
In this edition we invite send examples to the Involvement Hub, share good devolution practice from Greater Manchester and invite you to Personal Health Budget Network events happening across England. To help you further, we've also pulled together a range of relevant news, resourcesand other events.
Involvement Hub
The new NHS England Involvement Hub supports patients, carers, staff and the public who want to find out more about participation - both how to do it and how to get involved.
It is a source of information and resources which will help people to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence to get involved in the design and delivery of health services as well as showcasing good practice from around the country.
The Involvement Hub is going through a period of ongoing development, with new content being added on a regular basis. NAVCA are keen to facilitate the inclusion of great examples from our members working in areas such as social prescribing, patient and public involvement, patient centred approaches, and any other good working practice within health. This is another way that we can demonstrate the important role you are playing. NAVCA have recently supported York CVS in getting their Ways to Wellbeing project referenced on the site - take a look here. If you would like to showcase your project to the Involvement Hub, email NAVCA Membership Officer Anna Gaunt for more information.
Greater Manchester devolution agreement
The voluntary sector's role in designing and delivering services has been formally recognised by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.The body overseeing devolution of health and social care has signed a memorandum of understanding with thousands of the regions voluntary, community and social enterprise groups. It sets out how the statutory and third sectors will work as partners.Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership chief officer Jon Rouse said he was happy the partners could recognise the strength of the region's individual and collective communities to play their part in devolution. The inclusion of the voluntary sector is critical to the success of health and social care devolution, Rouse said.
This is welcome news from Greater Manchester as a new report from NCVO shows that too often voluntaryorganisationsare being left out of the devolution debate.
VCSE Personal Health Budget Support Network events
This is another reminder that
Voluntary Voices (that's us,Volunteering Matters and National Voices) is hosting a range of events across the England which will provide information, advice and guidance on the Personal Health Budget process both nationally and locally and will help develop an engagement plan within your organisation and/or locality. These events will provide an opportunity to meet others wishing to engage with Personal Health Budgets and form potential partnerships and alliances.
NAVCA members involved in building single point of contact models, including social prescribing, should make sure someone attends these events and takes a lead on this work. It is a great opportunity for local infrastructure.
News
Childhood obesity
The National Children's Bureau is seeking examples of programmes and interventions that support children in primary education to be healthy and physically active, particularly those benefiting children who experience health disadvantages and those living in areas of deprivation. They are interested in hearing about how primary schools, local authority public health teams and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations have worked together.
Rise in calls to Childline for mental health issues
Charities are calling for improved mental health provision in schools as new figures reveal more than 50,000 children and young people contacted Childline last year seeking help for serious mental health problems. The helpline has seen a 36% rise over four years in youngsters needing help for depression and other disorders, while there was also a rise in the number of youngsters feeling suicidal.
Charities' vital role in supporting children's mental health
Working with younger children helps you understand how important it is to address wellbeing in primary schools and alleviate pressure on struggling NHS services.
New creative project launched in local residential care homes
Voluntary Action Calderdale has recently launched a new pilot project called Molly and Bill; an acronym of 'making our lives lively and being involved in local life'. The project is working with five Calderdale residential care homes and the Community Place at Calderdale Royal. VAC is partnering with the venues to provide an activity programme for their residents and guests. Creative and meaningful activities will be delivered across the venues by community groups, individuals and volunteers.
Frail, elderly people 'left to struggle alone'
Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable older people struggle to get by with little or no care because of cuts to care in England, a charity says. The Age UK review said some people could not even wash, dress or feed themselves and yet were being left to fend for themselves by councils. And the charity warned that the whole system was close to collapse in some areas with services closing.
Finding a match for people with dementia
The Alzheimer's Society has developed a new matching service to enable volunteers to connect to people with dementia over shared hobbies and interests.
Charity and council join forces to roll out online services
DisabledGo has teamed up with Hillingdon Council to launch a free online service for people with disabilities; offering disability information for more than 1000 venues across the London borough.
Let's talk about cancer
Cancer deaths in Greater Manchester are 10% higher than the UK average. A new volunteer scheme wants to change this. Working with the voluntary sector, the aim is to sign up 5,000 cancer champions by autumn 2017, and to reach 20,000 by 2019. Volunteers will be recruited through formal links between local authorities, plus NAVCA members Action Together and Voluntary Sector North West.
Drug misuse treatment
PHE has published a comprehensive review of the evidence on the drug misuse treatment system in England. In comparison with other countries and the international research, it shows the system is performing well but improvement is needed in some areas.
Charities call for NHS to stop rationing critical care
Theresa May has been urged by charity chiefs to stop the NHS rationing treatment for seriously ill patients and to find more money for their care in the budget next month. About 30 health charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, National AIDS Trust and Motor Neurone Disease Association, have raised the alarm about NHS England "restricting and rationing treatment" because of underfunding.
GPs miss chances to save the lives of victims of domestic abuse
GPs are missing vital opportunities to intervene and potentially save the lives of people experiencing domestic abuse, a leading charity has warned. Two women are murdered every week by a current or former partner. The latest crime statistics show 332 women and 78 men were killed by their partners or ex-partners between 2012 and 2015. Analysis of 24 domestic homicide reviews from murders committed over the same period show in more than half of the cases examined, doctors missed vital opportunities to identify risks and seek help for the victim.
Blood pressure awareness
With only half the adult population knowing their blood pressure, PHE is encouraging all adults over the age of 40 to get it tested as part of the NHS Health Check, a simple measure that could save their life. If found to be at risk, high blood pressure can be managed and reduced by making simple lifestyle changes.
Blogs
- In this blog, NHS England's Director ofPrimary Care, Dr Arvind Madan, explains how STPs have the potential to completely transform the care patients receive through GP services.
- The government is struggling to address the crisis in social care. Charities and volunteers can help, but we must not be the only answer, says Janet Morrison.
- Forcing hospitals to check the immigration status of patients seeking care is palpably absurd, writes IPPR Director Tom Kibasi. He calls it the 'wrong policy for the wrong time for the wrong reasons'
- Jon Rouse, the Chief Officer for the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership looks at a different way of delivering health care
Online course for transforming learning disability services
A massive open online course (MOOC) run by NHS England has commenced for anyone working to transform care and support for people living with a learning disability, autism or both.
Local public intelligence online community
Public Health England (PHE) is piloting an online space on Knowledge Hub to share information about local knowledge and intelligence products and services. Knowledge Hub gives PHE in each geographical PHE Centre location, a way to make it easier for local partners to keep up to date with the relevant health intelligence relating to their area, and to take part in discussions.
Training for NHS volunteers
NHS England is offering three accredited on-line learning courses for NHS volunteers. The training is for patients, carers or public voice representatives who are currently volunteering in the NHS. Patient representatives in roles that receive an honorarium from the NHS are also eligible to apply for these courses. The closing date to apply for the courses is 24 February.
Getting Involved at NHS England
NHS England has released a new short film that was co-produced with people with a learning disability and designed to be as accessible as possible. This film aims to tell people about NHS England and why patients and the public might want to get involved in its work.
Events
VCSE Personal Health Budget Support Network (Day 1)
Various dates and locations
Voluntary Voices (NAVCA, Volunteering Matters and National Voices) is holding a series of three learning and development days. This event is the first in the series. These days will provide information, advice, and guidance on the Personal Health Budget process both nationally and locally, and will support the development of an engagement plan within the organisation and/or locality. They will provide an opportunity to meet others wishing to engage with Personal Health Budgets and form potential partnerships and alliances.
VCSE Personal Health Budget Support Network (Day 2)
Various dates and locations
Dates and locations have been revealed for the second day of the Personal Health Budget support network events hosted by the Voluntary Voices consortium (NAVCA, Volunteering Matters and National Voices).
Please note in order to attend day 2 you need to have attended a day 1 session. See our website for the day 1 dates and locations.
NAVCA is the national voice of local support and development organisations in England. We champion and strengthen voluntary and community action by supporting our members in their work with over 160,000 local charities and community groups. We believe that voluntary and community action is vital for vibrant and caring communities.