We use cookies where necessary to allow us to understand how people interact with our website and content, so that we can continue to improve our service.
We only ever receive anonymous information, and cannot track you across other websites.
View our privacy policy
Discover why partnership with the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector is essential to neighbourhood health, with new practical resources to help health and care systems work alongside communities to improve wellbeing and tackle inequalities.
Neighbourhood health is about more than bringing health and care services closer to home. It also means recognising the vital role that communities, local relationships and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations play in keeping people healthy.
Neighbourhood health is about more than bringing health and care services closer to home. It also means recognising the vital role that communities, local relationships and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations play in keeping people healthy.
As health and care systems look at how to strengthen prevention, reduce health inequalities and better meet people’s needs, meaningful partnership with the VCFSE sector must be part of the conversation.
Community organisations understand the places they work in, the challenges people face and the support that can make a difference. They can help people access support earlier, build connections and shape services around what communities actually need.
But making neighbourhood health work requires more than involving the sector in delivering services. It means giving communities a meaningful voice in decisions, building shared leadership across sectors and ensuring that sustainable funding reaches the organisations and places that need it.
NAVCA, Alliance42 and The Partner Ship have developed a new VCSE Handbook for Neighbourhood Health, bringing together practical learning on how the NHS, local authorities and other public sector partners can work effectively with communities and local VCFSE organisations.
The handbook explores how to understand community needs and assets, build relationships and collaborative leadership, ensure communities influence decisions, and align funding around local priorities.
An accompanying briefing note sets out why partnership with the VCFSE sector is essential to effective neighbourhood health.
Together, these resources offer practical guidance for local leaders, commissioners, health and care partners and VCFSE organisations working to turn the ambition for neighbourhood health into meaningful change.
Explore the resources:
