The Third Sector Representatives and Reference Group recently met to discuss a range of issues affecting the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector’s role within Leeds’ evolving health and care system.
While discussions covered several areas, three themes stood out.
Keeping Community Voice at the Centre of Decision-Making
As Leeds moves towards new partnership and governance arrangements, there was a strong focus on the importance of maintaining clear and meaningful third sector representation.
The group heard updates on the development of the Leeds Provider Partnership and wider health and care governance changes. Members reflected on the importance of ensuring that community insight, lived experience and grassroots knowledge continue to influence decision-making at every level.
The Representatives and Reference Group remains the formal route through which third sector representatives can bring issues, concerns and opportunities into key partnership discussions across the city. Participants emphasised the need to ensure that community voices are not only heard, but actively shape future priorities and decisions.
Health Equity Must Be More Than a Principle
A significant part of the discussion focused on Equality and Health Impact Assessments (EHIAs), which are designed to understand how service changes may affect different communities and population groups.
Members reflected on concerns that these assessments can sometimes take place too late in decision-making processes or fail to fully capture the experiences of communities most affected by change. There was broad agreement that health equity should remain a central consideration across the system and that impact assessments should be used as meaningful tools to improve decisions, rather than simply fulfil requirements.
The group discussed a set of proposed principles which include:
- Earlier collaboration with the third sector
- Greater transparency around planned assessments
- Better use of existing community insight and data
- Consistency across organisations
- Consideration of cumulative and long-term impacts
- Clear opportunities for challenge and accountability
Members welcomed progress in this area and highlighted the opportunity to strengthen how community knowledge informs future commissioning and service design.
Collaboration, Commissioning and Change
The meeting also explored how major changes across health and care systems create both challenges and opportunities for the VCSE sector.
Participants reflected on the importance of commissioning approaches that recognise the unique contribution of community organisations, particularly their ability to reach people and communities that statutory services may struggle to engage.
There was discussion about the need for stronger visibility of third sector data, evidence and impact. Members noted that community organisations already hold valuable intelligence about emerging needs and inequalities, and that this information should play a greater role in shaping future services and investment decisions.
As new structures continue to develop across Leeds and West Yorkshire, the group emphasised the importance of collaboration, shared learning and ensuring that the strengths of the third sector remain visible within the wider health and care system.
Looking Ahead
The Representatives and Reference Group will continue to provide a space for third sector organisations to share intelligence, raise concerns and help shape conversations taking place across Leeds’ health and care partnerships.
Future discussions will include commissioning principles, workforce development, neighbourhood health and ongoing work to improve how health inequalities are understood and addressed across the system.
As we move into the Doing Good Leeds Partnership, we are keen to maintain this group and encourage individuals to contact us if they are interested in taking part. Please email [email protected] for more enquiries.
