Macc provides, via the Community Explorers partnership, an opportunity for the voluntary and community sector to work in partnership with Manchester Health & Care Commissioning (MHCC) in health and care service development. The Health and Wellbeing Leaders Forum also provides another route to influence health and wellbeing strategy in Manchester.
Community Explorers
Community Explorers is a network that meets on a regular basis in north, central and south Manchester. It is a partnership between MHCC and Macc, and aims to bring together anyone with an interest in health and wellbeing from across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to influence, connect, share knowledge and build relationships.
It is an informal and valued opportunity to collaborate with others whilst sharing information about services and activities and directly influencing some of the key strategies across the city. The 2020 meeting dates are now available.
North Manchester Community Explorers meet monthly. South and Central Manchester Community Explorers meet bi-monthly as the meetings are alternated with the four bi-monthly Neighbourhood Partnerships supported by the GP Federations. This creates a useful balance between sharing, connecting and influencing at a locality level at Community Explorers, and working practically at a neighbourhood level at the Neighbourhood Partnerships. The Neighbourhood Partnerships also provide a great opportunity to connect with primary care and other statutory health and social care providers at a neighbourhood level. These meetings are facilitated by a neighbourhood GP Transformation Lead.
Community Explorers also have quarterly city-wide events to discuss common themes across Manchester. Recent city-wide events have covered the Manchester Locality Plan, the Population Health Plan and Manchester Local Care Organisation.
Community Explorers creates a space to build relationships between VCSE and public sector staff and work across the usual organisational boundaries to look everything that has a positive impact on health and wellbeing beyond access to healthcare services.
If you would like further information about Community Explorers, please email val.bayliss-brideaux@nhs.net or danielle@macc.org.uk
