Resources Close to Communities

By Tracy Hopkins, Chair LSC VCFSE Alliance, Partner Member LSC ICB, CEO Citizens Advice Blackpool and Non-Executive Director Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

We want our system to be known for putting as much resource as close to communities as possible.

As the ICB develops its strategy our shared ambition is to create a health and care system that delivers better outcomes for local people and communities.

At the heart of this ambition is a simple principle: wherever possible, resources should be placed as close to communities as they can be. We know that people achieve better outcomes when they can access the right support, at the right time, in the right place. That means not only ensuring that clinical care is available when needed, but also recognising the vital role that community-based organisations play in helping people stay well, recover more quickly, and live healthier, more independent lives.

The VCFSE sector has long understood that people's lives do not fit neatly into organisational boundaries or service specifications. Someone living with a long-term health condition may also be struggling with debt, isolation, housing issues, unemployment, caring responsibilities or poor mental wellbeing. Clinical interventions are often only one part of the solution. It is the wraparound support provided by charities, community groups, social enterprises and volunteers that helps address the wider factors affecting health and wellbeing.

This is why the VCFSE Alliance is working closely with the ICB to ensure that our future strategy fully recognises and maximises the impact of the VCFSE sector. We have an opportunity to design clinical pathways differently, placing communities at the centre and embedding VCFSE organisations as valued partners rather than optional additions.

Imagine a system where every pathway considers not only what treatment someone needs, but also what community support will help them achieve the best possible outcomes. A system where social prescribing, peer support, community connectors, welfare advice, prevention programmes and local voluntary organisations are viewed as integral components of care. A system that invests in prevention and early intervention just as confidently as it invests in treatment.

The challenge ahead is to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.

How do we design pathways that genuinely harness the strengths of our communities?

How do we ensure that investment reaches the neighbourhoods where it can make the greatest difference?

And how do we create a sustainable model that values the contribution of VCFSE organisations in improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities?

These are questions that the VCFSE Alliance is committed to helping answer. By working together with the ICB and our wider partners, we can help create a system that is not only clinically effective, but also community-powered. One that recognises that better health is built not only in hospitals and clinics, but in community centres, advice services, support groups, neighbourhood organisations and the countless places where people find connection, hope and support every day.

The future of health and care must be one that brings services closer to communities, strengthens prevention, and makes the very best use of the incredible assets that already exist within our VCFSE sector. Through collaboration, shared purpose and a commitment to person-centred care, we can help make that future a reality.