The 'Art of the Possible': The VCFSE Alliance as commissioner and strategic partner.

A blog by Tracy Hopkins, Chair of the LSC VCFSE Alliance. 

Over the past couple of years, the VCFSE Alliance has taken on a new and influential role within our health and care system. We're encouraging our system partners to no longer see the VCFSE as delivery partners only; we're asking to be increasingly recognised as commissioners of services that genuinely reflect the needs and strengths of our communities. Our work with the ICB on Urgent and Emergency Care over the last two winters has shown just how powerful this can be. By coordinating and commissioning community-based support through partners such as Age UK, Citizens Advice, Groundwork and Red Rose Recovery, we've been able to bring organisations together, align priorities across local areas, and create a more coherent offer for residents during some of the most pressured periods of the year. 

This experience has reinforced something many of us have known for a long time: if we want neighbourhood health to truly meet the needs of local people, the VCFSE sector must be central to its design and delivery. Every day, our organisations reach people who aren't engaging with statutory services. They come to us because we're present in the places the already trust - community centres, libraries, food banks, faith spaces, cafes and high-street hubs. We meet people where they are, and we work with them in ways that feel human, flexible and grounded in real life. 

Across the VCFSE, our frontline teams are supporting people living with frailty, navigating complex lives, or juggling multiple long-term conditions. They're preventing crises, reducing pressure on statutory services, and offering the kind of relational support that helps people stay well for longer. Whether it's a warm conversation that uncovers an emerging issue, a home visit that prevents a fall, or a community group that keeps someone connected and confident, these small moments add up to a huge impact. 

It's becoming increasingly clear that local authorities also need to recognise this reality in the way they plan and invest. When services such as crisis intervention, employment support or welfare advice sit soley within statutory structures, they simply don't reach many of the people who need them most. If we are serious about providing services that are closer to communities and that don't leave anyone behind, then investment must shift. Local authorities need strategies that actively move resources into the VCFSE, working with us as equal partners rather than trying to deliver everything in-house. The truth is, it doesn't work for everyone - but our reach, our relationships and our presence in everyday community spaces mean we can connect with people who would otherwise fall through the gaps. 

Take the WorkWell programme for example:

WorkWell is a government-funded programme designed to help people with health conditions stay in work, return to work, or move closer to employment. It recognises that many people who are out of work, or move closer to employment. It recognises that many people who are out of work - or struggling to remain in work - face a mix of health, social and practical challenges that can't be solved by employment services alone. 

At its core, WorkWell brings together health support, employment advice and personalised guidance. It aims to:

• Provide early, preventative support before someone reaches crisis point
• Offer tailored, one-to-one help rather than generic employment programmes
• Connect people to local services that address the wider factors affecting work (mental health, housing, finances, caring responsibilities, confidence, isolation)
• Reduce the number of people falling out of work due to ill health
• Improve wellbeing, stability and long-term independence. 

It's a programme built on the idea that work and health are deeply connected - and that people need holistic, community-based support to thrive.

Many people who need WorkWell support are not engaging with councils, job centres or the NHS. They may distrust statutory services, feel judged, or have had poor experiences in the past. But they do walk into community centres, food banks, libraries, faith spaces, youth hubs, cafes, advice centres and local charities. 

The VCFSE is often the first door people feel safe opening. 

People struggling with work and health rarely have a single issue. They may be juggling:

• Long-term conditions
• Mental health challenges
• Caring responsibilities
• Housing insecurity
• Debt or welfare benefits issues
• Low confidence or social isolation

VCFSE organisations are experts in working with the whole person, not just the "employment" part. They build trust, take time, and work relationally - something statutory services often struggle to do at scale. 

If we are serious about delivering services that are closer to communities and that leave no one behind, then investment must shift. Local authorities need strategies that move resources into the VCFSE, recognising that our reach, flexibility and community presence are essential to the programme's success.

WorkWell depends on early identification, ongoing support and local connection. The VCFSE is already there - on the ground, in the neighbourhoods, in the places where people naturally gather. This makes us uniquely positioned to spot issues early, intervene before someone loses their job, and provide ongoing support that feels accessible and human. 

Without the VCFSE, WorkWell risks becoming another statutory programme that looks good on paper but doesn't reach the people who need it most.