Health Policy Statement

The voluntary and community sector has a long history in a wide range of health issues as both an advocate and service provider. The services provided have covered the whole range from cancer services and respite care to mental health and hospice care. The sector believes that anti-poverty measures and education at a community level are the most effective ways of preventing illness and increasing the general health and wellbeing of society. Investment in the health development message through community and peer education and development programmes, and support for user-led self management programmes is a necessity if health is to be improved and spiralling health costs in acute services are to be reduced in the future.

The voluntary and community sector through the ethos of community development is a principal actor in ensuring the fair and equitable targeting of people, groups and areas in greatest health and social need. The sector through its grassroots involvement is in a prime position to listen to the views of users, carers, the public and stakeholder organisations. The sector has had a long tradition of stimulating and supporting innovative partnerships designed to assist those groups and individuals who find themselves on the margins of society and empowering them to consider their own health needs.

Political parties must commit to changes in health provision and priorities which would begin to achieve this. Those changes are:

Service provision

• There should be diversification of funding to recognise the input the sector has in tackling need directly.
• Services which are delivered by the voluntary and community sector should be mainstreamed to avoid exposure to uncertainties of traditional funding cycles.
• There should be recognition at all levels that the sector’s core work is a major factor in addressing the needs of the poorest and socially excluded members of society through its delivery of preventative care and generally improving the health – physical and psychological – and quality of life of such individuals.
• Government should increase funds to promote walking and cycling, for example, Safe Routes to School and more cycle lanes.
• Government should commission an independent research study to ascertain the number of adults and children who have been sexually abused and who may require counseling in Northern Ireland, and promote and fund the provision of services for victims of abuse.

Developing the equality agenda

• The voluntary and community sector should have a greater role in targeting resources to those in greatest social need.
• A health development strategy to be delivered at community level should be developed. Departments, Boards and Trusts need to work with the voluntary and community sector in developing innovative solutions to implementing Investing for Health’s strategic objective on addressing inequalities.

User and community involvement

• Although the development of Local Health and Social Care Groups is to be welcomed, there is still limited connection between community development and user and community involvement within the Department of Health. Political parties should make a commitment to promoting user involvement and to enabling a much greater range of opportunities for user participation in the development of services at a local level.
• The role of the voluntary and community sector in developing self-management programmes for people with long-term medical conditions needs to be recognised and those organisations involved as full partners in any new expert patient programme.