Events

Upcoming events

Creating Collaborations: Sharing learning from research, policy, and practice to strengthen VCSE and health and care commissioning

Monday 30 October 2023 10:30-15:30
Where: Bayes Business School

The National Health Service (NHS) and local governments regularly commission voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to deliver health and care services. Whilst this offers considerable opportunities, it can often be challenging for VCSE organisations and commissioners alike.

The aim of this one-day conference is to strength collaborative relationships between VCSE and health and care commissioners through sharing insights and learning from research, policy and practice. Together, we hope to help shape the future of VCSE and health and care commissioning relationships.

This event is free to attend but places must be booked in advance.

This event is being delivered in conjunction with Bayes Business School, NHS England, National Voices, NAVCA, University of Birmingham, and University of Plymouth.

About the event

The National Health Service (NHS) and local governments regularly commission voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to deliver health and care services. Whilst this offers considerable opportunities, it can often be challenging for VCSE organisations and commissioners alike. Changes during the pandemic, along with the development of Integrated Care Systems, a push towards prevention, and a desire to tackle health inequalities, all offer the potential to reset relationships, realising much wider roles for the VCSE and more collaborative ways of working. There is much to learn from current research, policy and practice developments to help strengthen VCSE and health and care commissioning relationships.

This one-day conference will bring together health and care commissioners, VCSE leaders, policy makers, academics, and wider stakeholders. It will mark the launch of findings from a three-year National Institute for Health Research-funded study into the VCSE and health and care commissioning relationships (NIHR Health Services Delivery Research programme, grant NIHR 128107). The aim of the workshop is to strength collaborative relationships between VCSE and health and care commissioners through sharing insights and learning from research, policy and practice. Together, we hope to help shape the future of VCSE and health and care commissioning relationships.

Event programme

Please note that the below is a draft programme, and is subject to change.

  • 10:30 Arrival with refreshments
  • 10:50 Welcome and introductions

    Angela Ellis Paine, Bayes Business School, and Rod Sheaff, University of Plymouth

  • 11:00 What's the expectation? Insights from policy

    Plenary discussion, with Pauline Allen, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  • 11:30 What's the experience? Insights from practice

    Jo-Anne Baker, West Yorkshire Integrated Care System, and Pip Goff, Forum Central (Others to be confirmed)

  • 12:00 Break
  • 12:15 What's the evidence? Insights from research

    Option to attend one of three workshops

    Workshop 1: From commodified to collaborative? How and why VCSE and health and care commissioning relationships vary
    Angela Ellis Paine, Bayes Business School, and Mark Exworthy, University of Birmingham

    Workshop 2: Community-led social prescribing
    Ellie Munro, Sheffield Hallam University, and Olivia Engle, National Academy of Social Prescribing

    Workshop 3: Mobilising community assets to tackle health inequalities
    Professor Angela Harden, City, University of London and Dr Katie Rose Sanfilippo, City, University of London

  • 13:15 Lunch
  • 14:15 So what's next? From insights to actions

    Panel discussion with Alex Boys, NAVCA, Jacob Lent, National Voices, Carrie McKenzie, NHS England

  • 15:30 Conclusion

A brief description of the three simultaneous workshops can be found below:

Workshop one: From commodified to collaborative? How and why VCSE and health and care commissioning relationship vary
Drawing on findings from a three-year research study exploring the voluntary sector and health and care commissioning relationships, this workshop will highlight two different modes of commissioning – commodified and collaborative – that co-exist, interacting in complex and often confusing ways. Participants will be invited to share their experiences, whilst also reflecting on what our research found to be some of the core building blocks for more collaborative approaches within commissioning.

Workshop two: Community-Led Social Prescribing: Creating a Working Definition
In this workshop we will explore the concept of ‘community-led’ social prescribing. There is currently no shared understanding or definition of what this is, and little research on its role or value to the health system. Our proposed starting point is that community-led social prescribing is a social prescribing intervention initiated by the local community, often involving other local partners, but based on community-identified needs and solutions. We want to work with you to help us critique, develop and refine the definition during the workshop, to help us inform and direct future research projects.

Workshop three: Mobilising community assets to tackle health inequalities: a blueprint for change
In this workshop we will share some of the work we have done to develop the Well Communities Research Consortium, invite views on our blueprint for change, and illustrate some of the methods and tools we have used including stakeholder and community engagement and participatory system mapping.


Recent Charity Talks and Webinars

Webinar: Changes to Social Investment (29th September 2023)

Changes to Social Investment: Charity Commission Guidance CC14 and the changes to Social Investment

Thursday 28 September 2023 09:30-10:30
Where: online

Following the publication of the Charity Commission’s revised CC14 guidance, Bayes CCE hosted a webinar to give our views of the revision, and particularly on the updates regarding Social Investment.

The webinar was chaired by CCE’s Associate Dean, Professor Paul Palmer, and presented by Honorary Visiting Fellow David Rowe.

Watch a recording  of the event.

Presentation slides.

CCE was delighted to be involved in the Charity Commission’s work to update the CC14 guidance on investments.

Professor Paul Palmer and Honorary Visiting Fellow David Rowe led a research project which explored the charity sector’s understanding of the Charity Commission’s guidance on social investment. This research was done at the invitation of the Charity Commission and was taken into consideration when the Commission updated its guidance with regard to social investment.

More about the research project can be found here.

Charity Talk: The power of sport and volunteering (17th May 2023)

The power of sport and volunteering

Tanni Grey-ThompsonWednesday 17 May 2023 18:30-19:45
Where: Bayes Business School

We were delighted to listen to one of the greatest athletes Britain has produced, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, discussing the pivotal role of volunteering in sport, both in relation to her own career and the very future of grassroots and elite participation.

Following Tanni's presentation a response was given by Dr Justin Davis Smith CBE, director of the charity master's programme at Bayes and author of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic volunteering strategy.

Watch a recording of the event.

Charity Talk: Breathing new life into your organisation's communications: The creative use of social media by charities (1st February 2023)

Breathing new life into your organisation's communications: The creative use of social media by charities
Derek Holder Memorial Lecture

Wednesday 1 February 2023 18:30-19:45
Where: Online

Nana CrawfordWe were delighted to welcome Nana Crawford, award winning Social Media Marketing Manager and current Talent Brand Manager with the British Red Cross, as our speaker at this event.

With over a decade of experience in comms, marketing and social media, Nana has led seamless and effective social media strategies, pushed creative boundaries, and challenged perceptions throughout her career. Nana currently manages a multi-award-winning, innovative, and creative social media team, that has brought new life into the channels of the British Red Cross.

Nana talked about the British Red Cross’s work with refugees and the part that social media, specifically TikTok, has played in raising awareness and fundraising.

Following Nana’s presentation, CCE Consultant Stephen Thorn delivered a response. Stephen specialises in strategic marketing, fundraising and communications and he spoke to the wider charity sector’s use of social media, both in the UK and internationally, as well as highlighting digital opportunities for your organisation.

Watch a recording of this event.

View Nana Crawford's presentation slides

View Stephen Thorn's presentation slides


About CCE Charity Talks

Hear charity leaders share their expertise on the challenges facing the sector. This evening lecture series has welcomed over 10,000 attendees since it was founded 25 years ago.

Format of Charity Talks

Our Charity Talks are split into the following three sections:

  • Presentation – by a leading figure in the sector of a current key issue facing people in nonprofit organisations
  • Response – from a top academic or consultant broadening out the topic to develop the issues and offering guidance for action
  • Discussion – an opportunity for the audience to question, debate and share their ideas.

Charity Talk Archive

In this video you may still see us referred to as Cass Business School or The Business School (formerly Cass). Find out more about our name change.

COVID-19 response

All of our part-time charities master’s degreesprofessional development programmes and events are being delivered online during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We will be using different platforms and programme formats in order to ensure that all our programmes offer a high-quality, varied and engaging learning experience.

The latest information about City, University of London’s response to the pandemic can be found on the students and visitors page.

Our staff, consultants and faculty remain dedicated to supporting our clients during this challenging time; please feel free to reach out with any questions or requests to [email protected]