Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together: Birmingham City Vision

Birmingham City Partnership is launching an exciting new City Vision: Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together!

Find out more about the City Vision and how Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations, partners and citizens can work together and be involved here.

We will be posting updates regularly to this page.

Birmingham City Council: Care Quality Commission Self-Assessment Briefing, 30 October 2025:

Birmingham City Council’s Adult Social Care Directorate is currently undergoing a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

At this webinar hosted by BVSC, Stuart Lackenby, Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health briefed Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector providers, on the process so far, particularly in relation to the Council’s self-assessment against the CQC criteria. This was intended to particularly support those providers who receive funding from Adult Social and might be interviewed by the CQC as part of the process.

The briefing provided:

key messages from Birmingham City Council’s recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) self-assessment

an overview of findings

highlighted areas of strength

outline of next steps for improvement and collaboration

The webinar also included a Q & A session.

Recording

Presentation

About CQC, the Birmingham City Council Assessment and the VCFSE Sector: 

The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is the independent regulator of Health and Social Care in England. 

The CQC assessment of Adult Social Care and Health provision in Birmingham City is important to the VCFSE sector in Birmingham. The self-assessment and recommendations contribute to: 

Determining priorities

Creating focus on areas of improvement

Influencing investment

As part of the Local Authority Assessment process, CQC work with groups and organisations that represent people who use social care and support and unpaid carers. For example: 

local Healthwatch groups

Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) groups

Along with CQC’s Experts by Experience, these groups and organisations can help CQC to contact people, families and representative groups, and engage with communities whose voices are seldom heard. 

Meet Children, Young People and Families National and Local Leads, 17 October 2025:

This webinar discusses developments and priorities across the Birmingham’s Children’s Young People and Families Sector and Sector Lead thoughts and views on working in partnership with the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector.

The event was chaired by Brian Carr, Chief Executive, BVSC and there we also heard from:

Katie Sajnog, Area Engagement Lead – Families First Partnership Programme, Department for Education

James Thomas, Chief Executive, Birmingham Children’s Trust/ Co-Chair, Birmingham Safeguarding Children’s Partnership

Matt Daniels, Head of Children, Young People & Families, BVSC on VCFSE engagement with Birmingham’s Children, Young People and Families sector

The webinar also included a Q&A session with the speakers and an interactive Mentimeter session with attendees.

Recording

Presentation

Meet Birmingham City Council's Adult Social Care, Public Health and Early Intervention & Prevention Leads, 29 September 2025:

Birmingham City Council has a new Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health, Stuart Lackenby and a new Director of Public Health, Sally Burns. This webinar introduces them to Birmingham’s Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector and gives their thoughts and views on working in partnership with the sector. The event was chaired by Brian Carr, Chief Executive, BVSC and we also heard from:

Kal Kohli, Assistant Director, Early Intervention and Prevention, Birmingham City Council on an Early Intervention & Prevention approach to working with communities
Stephen Raybould, Director of Programmes, BVSC on BVSC engagement on with Adult Social Care, Health and Early Intervention & Prevention, and associated programmes of work

The webinar also included a Q&A session with the speakers.

Recording

Presentation

From Challenge to Change: Understanding the Impact of Section 114 and Building Towards the City Vision, Together, 4 September 2025:

A report on the impact of Birmingham City Council’s financial crisis, focusing on the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector and Birmingham’s most affected communities. This offers high-level insights into research undertaken by BVSC Research and the University of Wolverhampton, funded by Fusion 21 and supported by Birmingham City Council. It offers a path forward linked to Birmingham's City Vision 2035.

Read the article

Read the report

Shaping Birmingham's Future Together: Building a Community, 9 August 2025:

Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together (SBFT) is looking to create a friendly, informal network of people who care about making Birmingham a better place for everyone.

We invite you to help shape the SBFT Community. To support this, we’ll be hosting a series of meetings in early September to explore the idea in more detail — dates to be confirmed soon

SBFT Community is all about working with people - not just for them. We want to co-create ideas and solutions that reflect what people really need and want. By listening, learning, and collaborating, we aim to help shape a more inclusive, responsive, and connected future for our city—one that truly reflects the City Vision.

While the SBFT Community don’t have any official powers or budgets, what really makes this network special is the passion, lived experience, and local knowledge of its members to influence policy and priorities aligned with the City Vision and Birmingham Promise.

If you would like to take part or find out more about the SBFT Community, please click the link below.

Promise in Action: Building Readiness for Birmingham’s City Vision, 15 May 2025

This event led by BVSC Research in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton and Birmingham City Council and funded by Fusion21 was a cross-sector workshop to shape the future of Birmingham.

It included:

Welcome from Brian Carr, Chief Executive, BVSC
Speech from Councillor John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council on the City Vision
Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session – Chaired by Professor James Rees, University of Wolverhampton. Panel Members included Brian Carr, Chief Executive, BVSC; Kalvinder Kohli, Assistant Director Early Intervention and Prevention, Birmingham City Council; Jagwant Johal, Secretary, BRIG (Birmingham Race Impact Group)
Key findings from our recent research on the impact of Section 114 ; how these findings align with the City Vision, 5 Missions and Promises; Sharing of practical recommendations to become ‘Promise Ready’ - from Dr Nicole Adams-Quakenbush and Sophie Wilson, Director, BVSC Research
Opportunities for attendees to share their views - Facilitated by BVSC and Public Participation Team, Birmingham City Council
How to make this real? - Professor Catherine Needham, University of Birmingham

Presentation

Read the report

Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together City Vision Launch, 10 April 2025

The City Partnership is launching the City Vision. Find out more below:

Shaping Birmingham's Future Together

Birmingham City Vision and the Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Event, 7 April 2025

Presentation

Recording

This event introduced Joanne Roney CBE, the new Birmingham City Council Managing Director and heard from Councillor John Cotton, Leader, Birmingham City Council as to how the City Council and the Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector might positively work together to meet the opportunities and needs of the City and its communities according to the City Vision over the coming years.

BVSC Chief Executive Brian Carr, our event Chair, also provided his insights on the City Vision and the VCFSE sector and Sophie Wilson, Director of Research, BVSC provided an update on a future event which will explore this further.

There was also an opportunity for those attending to ask questions of our panel of speakers, chaired by Stephen Raybould, Programmes Director, BVSC.

Shaping the Future Together with Birmingham’s Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector, Colmore Life

BVSC Chief Executive Brian Carr, a member of Birmingham City Partnership Board, highlighted the VCFSE sector’s and BVSC’s contribution to the City Vision in Colmore BID’s Colmore Life magazine

Read the Article

Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together Marketplace Roadshow, 2025

The Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together roadshow showcases powerful community marketplaces hosted by the Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together (SBFT) Partnership!

This dynamic partnership, announced by the Leader of Birmingham City Council in March 2024, brings together Birmingham City Council, partner organisations, citizens, local communities, and colleagues from the voluntary and community sector groups. Together, we are united around a vision for Birmingham that tackles inequality, supports a thriving economy, and ensures all communities can enjoy greater opportunities and the wellbeing that brings.

The partnership launched these marketplaces in January 2025 travelling across the 10 Birmingham constituencies throughout the year. Whether you’re seeking advice, support, or simply want to learn more about what’s available in your community, these marketplaces are the perfect opportunity to get involved and stay informed. We have different organisations attending different events – the details of these will be made available to you after you register.

Check BVSC Events Pages for Details of the Next Marketplace Event

Further Information:

Questions/ Comments: Elizabeth Goodchild, Strategic Communications Lead, BVSC: [email protected]

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