Health and Social Care

Voluntary and community groups provide care and support to local communities. They work to support older people and their carers, people suffering from mental health issues and people with physical disabilities or sensory impairments.

The work of these groups often reduces the pressure on health services. In other cases, voluntary groups are key to helping people to access the existing health services, for instance, by providing transport for older and disabled people.

Pressure on health and social care budgets coupled with new reforms that change the way that local services are bought by the NHS mean that there are clear risks to quality of care provided to vulnerable service users.

What is VAL doing? 

VAL is working to ensure that voluntary groups are able to defend the interests of vulnerable healthcare users:-VAL is working closely with the Leicester Local Involvement Network (LINk) to set up the Local HealthWatch which aims to ensure that seldom heard and easy to ignore service users are able to access the best possible health and social care services.

• VAL's User Led Organisations Network is enabling vulnerable people to have a say in the services that are provided to them.
• VAL is working with voluntary groups to ensure that as changes are made to how healthcare services are purchased, purchasers understand the benefits of the services provided by voluntary groups.
• We are working with commissioners to inform them of VCS groups and service providers within their locality.
• VAL is supporting the work of voluntary groups who are delivering services tailored to users through our Personalisation Forum
• VAL have a seat on the Leicester City Adult Social Care Transformation Board and is able to advocate on behalf of VCS groups to ensure that they can provide services under the personalisation agenda