The Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector is a key partner within the County Durham Care Partnership and the wider health and care system, delivering services, addressing health inequalities and working alongside partners to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in County Durham.
Often working with vulnerable individuals and engaging with communities that are seldom heard, VCSE organisations provide social connections and the interventions that address the social determinants of health as well as offering more direct health and care services.
Durham Community Action champions the voice of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector on Health and Wellbeing Forums and Networks locally, regionally and nationally.
You can find further information on the activities of Durham Community Action on their website.
Detials of some of the VCSE organisations can be found below:
Durham County Carers Support (DCCS) is a local charity and voluntary organisation supporting unpaid family Carers aged 18 or over. This could be, for example, a husband supporting his wife living with dementia or parent carer supporting a child born with Downs Syndrome. They might be delivering personal care, emotional support, guidance, supervision or vital to their communication. It could be as little as a few hours a week or as much as 24/7 care.
Their mission is to improve their lives with a vision to create a community where unpaid Carers are recognised, valued and respected. DCCS offer a range of information, advice and practical support to improve their health and wellbeing. Unpaid Carers are vital partners in the health and social care system and recognised in documents such as NHS Commitment to Carers which lists 37 commitments necessary to recognise and support them. You can read more in the Commitment to carers section of the NHS England website.
DCCS core service includes face to face, phone and digital one to one advice tailored to the individual needs of Carers. It ensures that incomes from benefits and grants are maximised and includes support to fill in the complex forms and understand entitlements. Direct referrals into health, social care and voluntary sector support appropriate to the needs of the Carer and the person being supported. Groups, events, training both face to face locally and online to ensure accessibility. A large counselling service is available face to face and by phone at times and places to ensure everyone can access it. Specialist support around Hospital Discharge, Parent Carer, Mental Health and Money Matters/ Fuel Poverty. Newsletters, Instant messaging, website, closed Facebook groups, Discount card, Emergency Card and a virtual Carer Centre launched earlier this year.
All of the support provided by Durham County Carers Support aims to redress disadvantages experienced due to a caring role and reduce the impact on health and wellbeing that currently exists. For more information can be found on the Durham County Carers Support website or call 0300 005 1213 or email admin
Age UK County Durham supports the needs of people aged 50 or more across County Durham. An independent charity established in 1974, Age UK County Durham is a brand partner of Age UK, with all funds and legacies directly benefiting people aged 50 plus living in County Durham.
Working in partnership with many local organisations such as the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV,) Age UK County Durham aims to address the key priorities including improved health and wellbeing, equal access to joined up services, living and ageing well.
Age UK County Durham offers a free, person-driven counselling and psychotherapy to people aged 50+ living with poor mental health, delivered in partnership with TEWV,. Additional integrated support to people experiencing isolation and loneliness includes welfare calls, physio and occupational therapies. Bereavement support sessions offer an active peer support service to those for whom grief limits their life choices.
For people living with mild to moderate Dementia, Age UK County Durham is working with County Durham Carers and Alzheimer’s Society in offering Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (MCST) carer support sessions across the county. This also includes a pre-frailty programme of strength and balance sessions. An on-site woodworking and crafting shed offers a safe place for those seeking companionship to gather, talk and create beautiful objects.
A newly launched programme 'Chapter 50 – Future You', addresses health inequalities and positive choices amongst those aged between 50 and 69 years, offering a range of sports, activities and social opportunities to encourage people to age well, to live longer healthier later lives. Issues of isolation and financial insecurities post-retirement and in later life are unpicked through professional workshops and briefings.
Learning to be Digitally included is essential for all, and one to one and groups sessions equip people with the skills and confidences to access online services including NHS appointments and banking securely and safely.
The Information and Advice services offers not only information and advice on a wide range of topic pertinent to those aged 50+ but access to benefits, Power of Attorney, Court of Protection, financial advocacy and capability.
Keeping moving and socially active is essential in maintaining good physical and emotional wellbeing and Age UK County Durham offer activities including, dance, water sports, exercise Yoga, crafts and arts. Cultural experiences, walks and sports bring those living alone or isolated together.
There's more information available on the Age UK website and they can be contacted on 0191 386 3856 or by email at info
Investing in Children (IiC) is a children’s rights organisation. Its purpose is to promote the rights of children and young people, and to ensure that their voices are heard in decisions that are made about them within public and voluntary sector services. We work across Co. Durham and have links into with a variety of partnership arrangements. We are commissioned by and work closely with the Local Authority and Integrated Care Board in County Durham, The Paediatric Diabetes Network (PDN) across the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board region and work alongside many other voluntary and community sector organisations.
Young people take the lead in IiC projects, they are involved in the governance, as well as supporting service development and service improvement internally and externally with service providers. They work alongside IiC staff who staff support them in the process of facilitating dialogue with decision makers as well as providing a space to facilitate training sharing key messages from young people.
Aims/Objectives
The aims of the services commissioned from Investing in Children are:
- To ensure that children and young people have a voice in the way that services are delivered
- To constantly improve the services used by children and young people by involving them in their design and review.
The objectives of the service provided by IiC are:
- To support staff and young people who wish to enter into dialogue to prepare, develop and present their case;
- To ensure that there are regular opportunities for active dialogue between young people and staff/managers;
- To provide assurance, based upon evidence provided by children and young people that the dialogue is genuine and has resulted in change.
Participation and reference groups
IiC facilitates a range of participation and reference groups locally and regionally ensuring that young people can inform service delivery as experts by experience. IiC creates safe spaces for young people to come together to share their views and connect with decision makers from a range of different organisations and services. Some of the regular groups include young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (the eXtreme Group), young people with care lived experience (Children in Care Council/ CICC) Type 1 diabetes (T1KZ) mental health (CAMHS Participation Groups) to name a few.
Research, Practice Support and Agenda Days
IiC works with Universities and a multitude of organisations to provide research and practice support in a range of different subject areas. IiC supports young people to inform research and practices by finding innovative ways of bringing young people together to inform the work of others. An examples of a method of engagement developed by IiC as a starting point of dialogue is through the Agenda Day™ model, bringing young people together in adult free spaces enabling young people to facilitate meetings without the influence of adults to have themed discussions that inform practice changes.
CPD certified training
IiC has a CPD certified staff development programme which was co-created and is co-delivered with young people. This is a great way for organisations to reflect on their own practice and consider new ways of working to ensure the voice of young people is captured within their day to day work. Different packages are available and can be tailored based on the needs of an organisation.
Investing in Children Membership Award™
The IiC Membership Award™ celebrates organisations and services that meaningfully involve children and young people in dialogue and change. There are hundreds of organisations and services across the UK that hold the Award where we can evidence innovative ways of involving young people in dialogue and change.
For more information please visit the Investing in children website or email info
