Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE).

The voluntary and community sector (VCSE) sector play a crucial role in supporting people to stay safe and well in their local communities.

We work in partnership with a range of VCSE organisations to help us make decisions that improve services and outcomes for people and communities.

Below are some organisations and groups that we are currently working with.

The Devon, Plymouth and Torbay VCSE Assembly

VCSE organisations across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay have been developing the concept of a new more inclusive, collaborative, transparent and joined up way of working across a large and diverse sector.

The Assembly will provide the infrastructure support necessary to create a fluid pool of people and organisations, with a broad range of skills, expertise, innovative solutions and lived experience that can fully engage in, inform and influence strategic partnership discussions, co-design of services, policy development, co-commissioning and joint leadership and decision making.

The Assembly will connect geographic groups and structures to share, draw in and join up intelligence and insight, through an inclusive Assembly approach and grow VCSE and public sector collaboration to improve local community outcomes.

The Assembly is in development and will be fully launched in April 2023.

The Local Networks

All areas of the County are covered by VCSE Infrastructure organisations that support Voluntary and Community sector organisations big and small in their local area. Their details are here:

Devon Mental Health Alliance

The Devon Mental Health Alliance (DMHA) is a partnership between six organisations dedicated to providing support for people experiencing challenges with their mental health.

The goal of the Alliance is to improve access to services and identify new opportunities to support people across all of Devon’s communities, using a collaborative approach that reaches across and brings together partners from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

Visit their website: https://www.mentalhealthdevon.co.uk/

Healthwatch

Healthwatch Devon is the independent consumer champion for health and social care.

Local Healthwatch organisations were established as fully independent bodies run by local people, for local people.

We are part of a national network of Local Healthwatch that was set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Healthwatch England is the national body for Healthwatch, working with the network of 152 local Healthwatch (such as Healthwatch Devon) and other partners to address national issues with access to and quality of health and social care services.

Visit their website: https://healthwatchdevon.co.uk/