Bristol (Adults)
News
In February, the Bristol City Council's Select Committee on Third Sector Commissioning asked the Bristol ChangeUp consortium of which The Care Forum is a member to undertake a survey. The committee required up-to-date, Bristol-based information about the relationship between public sector commissioners and VCSE sector organisations so that it could draw up proposals aimed at helping improve commissioning relationships. This research focused on the VCSE sector's experience of Bristol City Council's commissioning. The findings are also relevant in the VCSE sector's relationships with other public sector bodies, including Avon & Somerset Constabulary, Avon Fire & Rescue Service and Bristol NHS. Click here for the full report.
Representation
In Bristol we provide representation on a variety of groups, including:
- Adult Protection Committee
- BME Mental Health Steering Group
- Bristol Partnership (BP)
- BP health and well being partnership
- Bristol Changeup consortium
- Bristol ChangeUp training group
- Bristol ChangeUp equalities group
- Bristol health services plan communications group
- Bristol health services plan public interest forum
- Bristol public health forum
- Cancer service improvement network
- Care and communities scrutiny commission
- Community engagement steering group
- Compact steering group
- EMI partnership board
- Health and Social Care Partnership
- Joint Commissioning Board (JCB)
- JCB stakeholder forum (support of VCS rep)
- LAA steering group
- LAA officers group
- Learning difficulties partnership board
- Mental health social inclusion forum
- Mental health local implementation team and Mental Health Early Intervention Group
- Older people local implementation team
- Older persons partnership board
- Older persons working party - ‘celebrating age'
- Older persons physical activity group
- Pan Avon public involvement leads group
- PCT steering group on VCSES commissioning strategy
- Physical and sensory impairment group
- Public involvement groups for Bristol PCTS, North Bristol trust and UBHT
- Patient advice and liaison group for Bristol South and West PCT
- Safeguarding adults training group
- Smoke free Bristol communities group
- West of England Partnership (as Social Partner)
- West of England ChangeUp consortium
If you would like more information or are interested in becoming a rep please click here and complete an enquiry form.
Bristol Health & Social Care Network
Is open to all voluntary and community sector organisations working in health and social care in the area and meets quarterly.
Click here for forthcoming meetings
Click here for notes of previous meetings
If you would like to be added to the mailing list or want any further information please complete the enquiry form
Bristol Mental Health Network
Is open to all voluntary and community sector organisations working on mental health in the area. Two voluntary sector reps from this Network attend the Mental Health Local Implementation Team.
Click here for forthcoming meetings
Click here for notes of previous meetings
If you would like to be added to the mailing list or want any further information please complete the enquiry form
Voluntary Sector Older People's Network Meeting
The Older People's Network is open to all voluntary and community sector organisations working on older people's services. It meets quarterly.
Click here for forthcoming meetings
Click here for notes of previous meetings
If you would like to be added to the mailing list or want any further information please complete the enquiry form
Information
We produce In Contact our regular monthly newsletter. We also produce regular ebulletins for people working in Bristol. We are always keen to include voluntary sector information in our publications. If you have any news or views to share please put the details on our enquiry form
Bristol Compact
Introduction
1. What is a Compact?
The Bristol Compact is an agreement made between local public agencies and the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in the city. It is endorsed by Bristol Partnership. It defines and strengthens positive working relationships between the public and voluntary and community sectors by establishing :
* a set of working principles that all partners are signed up to
* a framework for developing better working practices and positive partnership working, particularly within Bristol Partnership and in the delivery of the Local Area Agreement
2. Why have a local Compact?
In 1998 the Government published a national Compact with the VCS. This recognised the value and importance of the sector and made a number of commitments about ways of working together. The Government required local Compacts to be in place by April 2004. The Bristol Compact was adopted in November 2003. This updated version was produced in 2007.
Since then Government has reinforced the need for implementation of local Compacts as a tool for achieving positive working relationships and ultimately positive benefits for local citizens. The final report of the Third Sector Review (July 2007) under the theme of 'supporting a thriving, healthy third sector' states the need for 'a continued focus on the Compact as a means to build the relationship between the third sector and all levels of Government'.
At the heart of the Compact is the need to acknowledge the power imbalance between the public sector and the VCS and implement a Compact way of working at all times to ensure positive partnerships and outcomes.
Implementation of the Compact principles will lead to better partnership working and ultimately better community focussed services that deliver to local people.
3. Consultation
The original Compact document was produced by the Bristol Compact Project Group, convened by Bristol City Council on behalf of Bristol Partnership. The Compact resulted from a process of consultation which demonstrated strong commitment to the Compact principles.
The Project Group included involvement from Black Development Agency, The Care Forum, Voscur, Volunteering Bristol, Bristol City Council, Bristol South and West PCT, Bristol North PCT, West of England Connexions and the Government Office for the South West.
An updated version has been produced by the Compact Steering Group and consulted on with Bristol Partnership.
Ways you can get involved:
You can download a copy of the Compact from:
http://www.voscur.org/bristolcompact
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Compact, the implementation plan or the Steering Group contact:
Ariaf Hussain, Compact Liaison Officer, c/o Voscur (0117 909 9949 / http://www.voscur.org/
ChangeUp
ChangeUp is a government initiative to strengthen the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. The Care Forum is a member of the ChangeUp consortium covering Bristol. Click here for more information on ChangeUp
Contact Us
We want to hear from you. If you have any thoughts about our services, would like to be a rep, have information you would like included in our information service, or would like to meet up to find out more about what we do, contact The Care Forum
Local Links
Bristol City Consultation Finder
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP)
Well Aware, The Care Forum's unique online database of local and national services, groups and organisations that relate to health and well-being.