RSPH

‘A planning guide: health inequalities and the voluntary and community sector’

This guide has been primarily developed for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations to share ownership and responsibility for addressing inequalities in health. It can be used by organisations working with people on low incomes, ethnic minorities, homeless people, and those working on the healthcare of asylum seekers. It is for anyone who is working with people who suffer disadvantages, which can be economic, educational, and social.

It is not only for organisations that are starting up projects, the guide can also be used for projects that organisations might want to expand, change direction, to improve their evaluation systems or simply find out about other projects. A key theme throughout the guide is the importance networking and working with strategic partners.

Please click here to download the guide.

Launch Event Review

The NGO Forum, which is hosted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), brings together public health experts from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government policy makers, to help improve public health and reduce health inequalities across the UK.

The launch of the new publication was held at the House of Commons and was well attended, providing great socialising and networking opportunities. Professor Robert Pickard, Chair of the NGO Forum, opened the meeting. He started off by saying how vital the NGO Forum is, as it establishes an interface between NGO Forum member organisations and Department of Health (DH) heads in the work of public health improvement.

He went on to explain, that when the Forum was established, the agreement was that the DH would prioritise any key action points the Forum found working in the third sector. Over the ten years or so since the Forum was established more and more NGOs have joined, and some significant names in the voluntary sector are members.

Prof Pickard made the thought provoking point that life is unaware of justice, social compassion or environmental responsibility; but humans can give meaning to these aspects and frequently, it is those working in public health, trying to reduce suffering, who go without the recognition they deserve.

Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO (National Council of Voluntary Organisations), spoke next and began by comparing the words used to characterise the groups who belong to the NGO Forum; ‘third sector’, ‘voluntary’, ‘charity’. He suggested the latter to be most appropriate, as the word has its origins in meaning love. He discussed the meaning of ‘civil society’ and the interpretation of it meaning ‘all voices’; a theme, of course, of the NGO Forum.

He commented that civil society is in debate on public health, articulating the need for change in public health and health policy. The private sector does not articulate the need for social change based on experience; but the public sector does. The public sector lobbies and influences; the argument and engagement in the sector leads to better outcomes, an increase in social capital.

Mr Etherington argued that we need a balance of bonding and bridging of social capital. An example of extreme bonding is Nazism and an example of bridging from the same period is the unexpected positive effects of rationing on the health of the poor. The NGO Forum and the new report encourage social bridging. The vision is for social capital to have space and opportunity to have an increasingly positive effect on public health.

Professor Richard Parish, Chief Executive at RSPH, spoke to close the meeting. He thanked Karen Bollan, who manages the NGO Forum, and Nelly Araujo, who assists Karen, for all their hard work.

Professor Parish explained that the new publication is a toolkit, developed by NGOs for NGOs. It focuses on practical expertise and provides evidence of what works in improving public health and policies. Blessing, who took the time to write the publication, was also thanked.

Professor Parish finished the evening with a call for action. He pointed out that the Forum is now ten years old and Karen has set up a system which allows for rapid communication and discussion – but he argued that the DH could utilise this system more frequently and to better use. He pointed out, that in times of financial constraint, it is a tragedy to see some organisations, many who have contributed to the new publication, disappearing as funding is being withdrawn. The Healthy Living Alliance is one of those groups affected and No Smoking Day, which is one of the most cost effective public health campaigns, has had its central funding withdrawn and is now being funded by regional health colleagues. More organisations are likely to go.

Professor Parish summarised; ‘The third sector is being sacrificed on the altar of banking recovery’.

He urged the DH that in this period of required funding cut backs to work with the third sector on how to make savings and to use the communication lines of the NGO Forum. Often, those who are commissioned, not those who are commissioning, are those with the experience to know what needs to be commissioned.

He concluded; ‘Health isn’t everything, but everything is nothing without health’.

The guide has been developed to help voluntary and community sector organisations address health inequalities and to encourage them to place tackling health inequalities at the top of their agenda.

If you would like more information on the NGO Forum, please contact Karen Bollan, 020 3177 1699, kbollan@rsph.org.uk

Membership of the Forum is free and open to all national non-profit organisations working in England on public health topics.

For more information on RSPH, please contact Nelly Araujo, 020 3177 1622, naraujo@rsph.org.uk