How the sector is different
The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector is diverse in their organisation and independence from all other sectors including the health and social care system. For example, VCSE organisations are not driven by financial profitability as private sector companies are, instead they prioritise the creation of social, cultural, or environmental value. They also tackle the inequalities and issues which are not met by the mainstream offerings of the statutory systems of health and social care which have been unrecognised or ignored within government policies. In addition, the sector does not have a centralised infrastructure that the statutory partners have access to, impacting capacity and budgets.
Each organisation within the VCSE sector is unique to the next, defined by their own specific or multiple goals in addressing social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues that impact communities and individuals. In the main the sector has been undervalued or misunderstood in terms of the value and impact they brings to society. The VCSE sector’s ability to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic was recognised by the health and care system and positioned them as a key partner in the support and delivery of the
NHS future plans to:
- tackle health inequalities
- improve population health
- enhance productivity within workforce and services
- create value for money
The sector also offers a wide range of support to individuals and communities within many aspects of their lives, some of the core areas are listed below:
Health
Mental health-related issues and/or support for people with health-related conditions (including mental health, physical health, physical disability, neurodiversity and learning difficulties), including the wider determinants of health.
Financial security
Provision of support in addressing social and financial inclusion, for example, through paid work, housing, access to services and benefits, addressing aspects of poverty, including the wider determinants of financial security.
Wellbeing
Strengthening community ties and cohesion by addressing the quality of: the physical and cultural environment, social inclusion, community empowerment, education, training, including the wider determinants of wellbeing.
Whilst VCSE organisation’s are unique in their focus, capability, capacity and infrastructure, all share a common drive to create a better and fairer society. Organisations are run by unpaid volunteers, and others rely on public sector commissions for paid workers who are on shorter contracts and lesser salaries than other sectors yet the social and economic value of the sector is estimated to create billions of savings for the health and social system each year.