Embedding the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector into Birmingham and Solihull's Integrated Care System

On the 1^st July 2022 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) were launched across the UK. The ICS that covers Birmingham and Solihull is officially entitled Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System.

BVSC are working with Warwickshire & Solihull Community and Voluntary Action (CAVA) and NHS Birmingham and Solihull on the programme of embedding the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector into Birmingham and Solihull’s Integrated Care System (ICS).

As part of this programme a VCFSE Dynamic Network was established from December 2021, with quarterly locality meetings held focused on Integration and the VCFSE sector, as well as establishing the VCFSE Leadership Alliance – the overarching group of senior VCFSE representatives across Birmingham and Solihull.

Elections commencing 15^th December 2024

Birmingham and Solihull VCFSE Leadership Alliance has been established on the basis of invitation to leading VCFSE Organisations. To ensure the legitimacy of its representation, the Leadership Alliance has requested elections to take place. The elections will be to specific seats on the alliance to ensure the breadth of the VCFSE is represented.

Full details of the VCFSE Leadership Alliance and elections can be viewed here. Entry criteria for participation will be for organisational leaders who satisfy both of the following:

· VCFSE organisation.

· Address or activity within BSOL boundary.

Leaders who are interested in nominating themselves for a specified seat are required to complete an online Nominations form. In addition, submitting a quality head shot photo to [email protected] after submission of online form and subject header should contain ‘VCFSE Leadership Alliance Nomination’.

Deadline for Nominations is Noon Thursday 11^th January 2024. The information submitted will be shared with all participating organisations of the Dynamic Network as part of the Locality meetings held online from week commencing 15^th January 2024.

Timeline for elections:

Nominations Open	15th December 2023
Nominations Close	Noon 11^th January 2024
Nominations presented to Dynamic Network (Locality meetings)	w/c 15^th January 2024
Elections Open*	Friday 19^th January 2024
Elections Close	31^st January 2024

*If there is more than one nomination per any of the specified seats, an election will open after the Locality meetings and end at 12 noon on Wednesday 31^st January 2024. If there is less than one nomination per any of the specified seats, the Interim Chair and VCFSE Leadership Alliance members will co-opt members as required.

Birmingham Locality Meetings taking place from 15^th January 2024

We would like to invite you to the next Locality meetings taking place virtually from Monday 15^th January 2024, via Zoom. The sessions are open to all voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations across Birmingham.

AGENDA – key updates will be covered on the following:

VCFSE Leadership Alliance Elections
Fairer Futures Fund
Locality Partnership Working
Birmingham City Council 114 Update
Updates from VCFSE sector (focused on integration)
Any Other Business

To register your place, please follow the links below. All meetings will be held virtually via Zoom for 1.5 hours.

Edgbaston & Northfield Monday 15^th January 10am – 11.30am

Hodge Hill & Yardley Monday 15^th January 2pm – 3.30pm

Ladywood & Perry Barr Wednesday 17^th January 1pm – 2.30pm

Erdington & Sutton Coldfield Thursday 18^th January 10am – 11.30am

Hall Green & Selly Oak Friday 19^th January 1pm – 2.30pm

On Wednesday 5th July, Dr. Justin Varney, Director of Public Health Birmingham, delivered a virtual presentation to the VCFSE sector on the Integrated Care System 10-year Strategy for Birmingham and Solihull (2023-2033). You can view the recording and documents here.

What are Integrated Care Systems:

Integrated care systems (ICSs) are geographically-based partnerships between the organisations that meet health and care needs across an area, to coordinate services and to plan in a way that improves population health and reduces inequalities between different groups.
They are part of a fundamental shift in the way the health and care system is organised, away from competition and organisational autonomy and towards collaboration.

NHS England and NHS Improvement created a helpful video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz4FFE2y8PM). This video, with subtitles, explains more about the aims and ambitions of Integrated Care Systems. One of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that people need support which is joined up across local councils, the NHS and voluntary and community organisations. This video explains how Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) embed this collaboration, helping local services to respond to the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. We want to make ICSs as strong and effective as possible in every part of England, with partnership working with the ambition to tackle health inequalities, help communities thrive and achieve the very best for everyone.

There is a helpful publication on the Kings Fund website: Integrated care systems explained: making sense of systems, places and neighbourhood.

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