The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector plays a crucial role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people across Humber, Coast and Vale, while the VCSE programme aims to connect the health system with this sector.
The programme now has greater capacity to do just that with the appointment of me, Gary Sainty, VCSE Programme Director.
In my previous role as Deputy CEO of Active Humber, a charity which aims to increase activity levels and maximise the wider benefits of leading an active live, I worked with many people and organisations in the VCSE sector, delivering amazing things and having a great impact and this is replicated again and again across the whole VCSE sector.
When I first started at Active Humber, formerly the Humber Sports Partnership, 13 years ago, the role was very much around sport, increasing numbers in sports clubs and creating the sports stars of the future. However, as the years have gone by the focus has shifted to reducing physical inactivity and reducing health inequalities.
This changing agenda meant I have been more engaged in conversations and work with the health system, which has given me a great platform to take on the VCSE Programme Director role and look at connecting the VCSE sector with the health system.
I am sure the role will be both rewarding and challenging due to the complexities of the VCSE sector but I know through experience that when the two work effectively together and people are put at the heart of our work we can provide a tailored and effective service.
Since starting in the role several weeks ago, I have seen a huge amount of positivity from colleagues across the Humber, Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership and I am interested in discussing any opportunities to connect the VCSE into services, pathways and interventions.
The HCV Partnership has committed to collaborative ways of working and the recent white paper on integrated care systems shows the intentions from a national perspective to work collaboratively across the system and at place level and beyond and the VCSE is a key partner in this work.
The VCSE programme has been running for a year and has come a long way in a relatively short space of time.
Now is the time to begin to focus, the VCSE sector has a role to play in almost all aspects of the health system and through the pandemic the response from the VCSE sector has been invaluable. Therefore the focus is to build on this, build even greater connections and ensure the sector is represented and seen as an equal partner around the table.
In the longer term, I see the HCV Partnership VCSE programme and the sector embedded in the work of the new intergrated care system arrangements in the region, involved in conversations from the outset and helping to shape the design of the pathways and interventions put in place.
Across Humber, Coast and Vale the VCSE delivers services in each of the six places and the Leadership Programme focusses on bringing the sector together based on our commonalties. My work with the Leadership group will look to further connect the VCSE sector with the system and at place level.
For further information about the VCSE programme or to discuss opportunities and areas of working together please get in touch: gary.sainty@nhs.net