Complex Needs Consortium
VoiceAbility is a member of the Complex Needs Consortium within the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The Complex Needs Consortium makes sure that the voice of people who need additional support are listened to by government, policy-makers, and within the health and social care system. Through the alliance, we work closely with other VCSE organisations and the UK Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency to tackle health and social care inequality.
VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance
The VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a partnership of voluntary and community organisations with the health and social care system to improve health and social care inequalities for all communities. The Alliance works together to:
- make sure health and social care decision-makers hear the views of communities which experience the greatest health inequalities and that people’s lived experience informs national policy
- find solutions to promote equality and reduce health and social care inequalities
- improve ways of delivering services to make sure that they are accessible to everyone and make it easier for all communities to access services
The Health and Wellbeing Alliance is jointly managed by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency. It is made up of 19 members which are all voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations that represent people who experience health and care inequalities.
VoiceAbility is part of the alliance as a member of the Complex Needs Consortium.
About the Complex Needs Consortium
We are a partnership between:
- VoiceAbility
- National Autistic Society
- Sense
- Embracing Complexity
Who we represent
Together, we represent people of all ages who face some of the most significant health and social care inequalities, including:
- autistic people
- people with learning disabilities
- people with sensory impairments
- people with complex or additional support needs
- people with mental health conditions
- people with neurodevelopmental conditions
We work together to make sure that health and social care services are designed with people who face inequalities in mind. This means we work closely to make sure people’s lived experience shapes the work of commissioners and policy makers in health and social care.
Our focus
Key health and social care priorities for the communities and organisations we represent include:
- health inequality, especially improving access to mental health support, primary care, and annual health checks
- making sure autistic people and people with learning disabilities are able to get the support they need in the community to live full and fulfilling lives
- making sure information is accessible and communication is clear (including implementation of the Accessible Information Standard)
- effective, high-quality and independent advocacy support in health and social care
- reform of social care so that people are able to have more control over their care and to live full and fulfilling lives whatever their situation or support that they may need
- co-production of new services, models of care, and plans to tackle health and social care inequality
You can follow the work of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance on Twitter, by searching the hashtag #hwalliance
About the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance
Find out more on the NHS England website
Contact the Complex Needs Consortium
If you are interested in the work of the consortium and would like to discuss any of the topics further, please do not hesitate to get in touch:
Stephen Hinchley - VoiceAbility
Email: stephen.hinchley@voiceability.org
Tim Nicholls - National Autistic Society
Email: tim.nicholls@nas.org.uk
Sarah White - Sense
Email: sarah.white@sense.org.uk
Agata Ostaszewska - Embracing Complexity
Email: agata.ostaszewska@autistica.org.uk