The document discusses the role and impact of the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sector (VCS) in health equity in the North of England. It notes that the VCS in the North includes over 71,000 groups with a combined income of £4.8 billion and employs 175,000 people and millions of volunteers. The VCS plays a significant role in communities by understanding local needs, gathering evidence on health inequalities, and engaging hard to reach groups. It also works in areas like employment, social care delivery, and advocacy. The document calls for strengthening the VCS infrastructure, championing issues like the living wage, and ensuring the VCS has a role in economic development and public service reform discussions in

1. Health Equity North:
The contribution of the Voluntary,
Community, Faith and Social
Enterprise Sector
Warren Escadale
Voluntary Sector North West

2. About VSNW
• Regional Voices NW Partner
• DoH VCS Strategic Partner
• Policy areas: Health, Economy, & VCS levers of
change
• Health Equity North Inquiry
• Membership
• Health & Social Care Network (over 500 contacts)
• Consulting on a strategy to get VCS going

3. Voluntary sector in the North
Significant resource for change:
• 71,000 + VCS groups
• Income of c.£4.8bn (2011/12)
• 175,000 employees
• 4.2m volunteer once a month
• 6.4 volunteer once a year

4. -
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
under £10k £10k-£100k £100k-£1m £1m-£10m £10m+
VCS in the North by income (2011/12)
source NCVO Almanac

5. Engaging communities: understand
what’s working & what’s not
• Engage the engaged to engage
(Community Asset Investigators)
• Gather VCS evidence
(East Cheshire CVS, Comparing Apples with Oranges:
2014)
• Future proof your evidence gathering
(STAR - LSE & Health Foundation)
• Encourage larger VCS agencies to open their databases
to collaborators (Age UK Lancashire)
NB Turn this into see-able action. Get groups on board.

6. Work the world of work
• Engage with the Work Programme – challenge
how it links to health inequality; use H&WBs.
• Talk to your LEP:
– Ask how health and social care groups are engaging in
‘Building Better Opportunities’
– Encourage them to think about wellbeing; offer
support developing measures - A ‘wellbeing
premium’ could be included as part of the funding.
– Ask them what their Community Grants Programme
will look like; can you match?
NB. Make success measure wellbeing not jobs.

7. As providers
• Build in codesign/coproduction
• Key role in prevention work, linked to holistic
delivery / wellbeing.
• Connect silos and funding streams

8. We need to change
• We need to champion Living Wage
• We need to make sure that
volunteering ≠ job substitution.
• We need to start a race to the top –
‘community value’
• We need to transform our VCS infrastructure
levers
• We need an effective workforce strategy:
– run alongside a public sector workforce strategy
– use light-touch co-location and exchange schemes

9. As lobbyers/campaigners
• Use the Social Value Act to lobby for maximum
social value from public sector spend, including
funding of local VCSE organisations and investing
in local services.
• Advocate on behalf of communities and
equalities groups to make sure no-one gets left
behind as economy begins to grow.
• Making the case for health inequality and
wellbeing as part of Devolution discussions
• Unleashing community potential .... as part of
sustainable PSR

10. What is VSNW doing?
• Social Prescribing – why? Change local relationships,
drive +ve sector development
• Exploring future of volunteering
• Revive NW Social Value Foundation?
• Link large VCS providers to communities
• Devolution debates – with emphasis on ‘good
devolution’ and brokering VCS strategic engagement
• Looking to work with NW Healthwatch on devolution
agenda
• Championing communities - Thriving Places campaign
& economic role of VCS.

11. Warren Escadale, VSNW
Warren.escadale@vsnw.org.uk
@VSNWEscadale
Regional Voices
www.regionalvoices.org
@regionalvoice