Formal partnership arrangements between public agencies continue to carry out their statutory remits and strategise at system-level. These partnerships are collaborative, effective and mature.
What’s different is how local partnership working has evolved over the last decade. Health and social care integration is more developed, and we have, through Covid-19 and other crises, established more flexible, adaptable and versatile types of partnerships which are more deeply rooted in neighbourhoods and make best use of the voluntary, community and faith sector’s reach and connections.
This type of partnership working has informed the design and development of the neighbourhood model. In time, Neighbourhood Networks will work with residents, helping them to identify needs, triage issues and make referrals to the right services and support. Adopting a relational approach, community partners will encourage self-service and build agency, resilience and independence.
Where a more specialist professional response is needed, Neighbourhood Networks will connect people with multi-agency and multi-disciplinary teams to meet needs before they escalate. In line with the NHS 10 Year Plan, we are piloting the approach for a neighbourhood health service in relation to adults with chronic conditions, through our participation in the first wave of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme. New and dynamic governance arrangements for each of the four neighbourhoods will enable sharing of data, assets, and in the longer-term budgets.
This will help Neighbourhood Networks and Teams tailor their offer and act in the best interests of the neighbourhood they serve. This approach also acknowledges not all neighbourhoods will require the same services.
This is an exciting time for all public bodies and VCFSE groups in Barking and Dagenham as we embark on developing a new model of neighbourhood working which will become a keystone for whole system responses for priority outcomes and achieving impactful prevention. More broadly, there is a national policy agenda about place-based and neighbourhood working as seen in the Government’s £1.5 billion plan for neighbourhoods and the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future.
Our participation in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme places makes us pioneers in developing community models of health and care. We anticipate this will be a powerful shift towards delivering joined-up, person-centred care tailored to our community and closing health equality gaps.
Similarly in policing there is new emphasis on neighbourhood working and collaboration with communities to build trust and safety. More police capacity and resources are being committed to frontline policing and approaches to safeguarding and domestic abuse responses are being strengthened. The New Met for London Phase 2 will achieve culture change, stronger community engagement, and better involvement with local people to fight crime in their neighbourhoods.
Key to partnership working are the principles upon which it operates. Through the new COMPACT currently being developed with the VCFSE we are developing the culture and values to underpin local partnership working. Open communication, trust and mutual respect are the foundation of this. In short, being equal partners working side-by-side.
