Following our Chief Officers’ Meeting last week and after feeding back to yesterday’s meeting, I have had quite a detailed further submission from a local charity who were not able to attend our Chief Officers’ and Chairs Meeting, which I include below.  It is slightly different in its approach as it is not focussed around the three questions posed, but provides useful insight that it is important to share too:

A re-emphasis on Place-Based Commissioning for Health and Social Care in Harrogate and Rural District

• Enhances collaboration between the third sector and statutory organisations.
• Leverages the third sector's community reach and statutory organisations' insights.
• Provides a stronger steer from commissioners to guide service delivery.
• Fosters co-design and innovation in addressing local needs but based on evidence and stronger steer.
• Streamlines commissioning processes and saves time for stakeholders.

Key Recommendations

• Re-emphasise place-based commissioning, similar to the Harrogate and Rural Alliance model.
• Enhance insight sharing and relationship building between statutory partners, including increased housing sector involvement.
• Focus on two key areas: "Aging Well" and "Growing Up."

· Aging Well in Harrogate and Rural District                      

• Annually identify top priorities specific to the region, backed by local insights at the Primary Care Network (PCN) level.
• Encourage third sector organisations to leverage funding based on these priorities.
• Encourage 3rd sector to co-design solutions around evidence-backed approaches set out by the local authority and health partners. Do not allow the third sector to co-design without a strong steer, evidence and insight/data.
• Commissioners to lead with the involvement from public health, housing, Yorkshire Health Network (YHN), Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), and Health and Adult Services (HAS) and Stronger Communiites
• Community anchor organisations to identify organisations capable of leveraging funding and co-designing solutions (don’t engage every organisation, just the ones capable of leveraging funding and willing to collaborate.

Growing Up (Health Focus) in Harrogate and Rural District

• Annually define top priorities for each age cohort (e.g., 0-5, teenagers, parents), supported by local insights not national ones.
• Share priorities with a select group of well-established and trusted third sector providers. Do not involve groups that cannot leverage funding or have little partnership experience, this can happen later.
• Provide clear direction on the type of provision needed, backed by evidence, including preferred delivery partners and geographic focus.
• Secure buy-in from select schools for partnerships with the third sector (select schools based on need and willingness).
• Engage commissioners, public health, housing, YHN, TEWV, HDFT, Children and Young People (CYP) services, and select primary/secondary schools.

Overall Approach

• Emphasise strong leadership and direction from statutory partners with much more focus.
• Provide third sector organisations with valuable insights and data.
• Focus the third sector on co-designing solutions that build on local strengths but only with a strong steer from statutory partners on the type of provision they support.
• Encourage 3rd Sector partners to find smaller, more niche organisations to collaborate with.
• Avoid duplicating existing structures or reorganisation.