Our local health and care services are designed and delivered for the benefit of the people who live (and work) within the Black Country.
Therefore, it is critical, that the views and ideas of our local population are considered when new ways of delivering services are being proposed. Our plans and projects will only be successful if they are informed by the needs, wants and desires of the local people they seek to serve.
We want to hear your views and ideas about how we should tackle the challenges our health and care system faces. As we develop our plans and ideas there will be different opportunities for you to help shape the future of local services by asking questions, making suggestions and sharing your ideas.
Current and upcoming opportunities
The Black Country ICP is a statutory committee jointly formed between the NHS Integrated Care Board, the four councils in the Black Country, the Police, fire, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector and education.
In 2023, the ICP published an initial integrated care strategy on how to meet the health and wellbeing needs of the population in the Black Country. The initial strategy, which is available to download, builds on and complements the work of the Health and Wellbeing Boards in each area, and also looks at the benefits that can be brought through system level working.
Refreshed national Guidance for ICP’s on updating their Integrated Care Strategies was published on 1 February 2024. It places a spotlight on:
- Engagement with Healthwatch and VCFSE organisations in the development of strategies and consideration of:
- Inclusion health groups
- Seldom heard voices
- Groups that may be routinely missed in needs assessments
- Important life phases and transition points (such as childhood to adulthood).
- The inclusion of measures to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and experiences across the whole population, including addressing the wider determinants of health and wellbeing.
With the support of partners, we have started collating existing insights which have been used to gather a greater collective understanding of our populations’ needs and expectations.
The insights gathered highlight the relevance of the four priorities from our current strategy along with gaps in our knowledge. In the coming months, we’ll be checking in with local people and specific groups and communities to inform the ongoing development of the strategy.
The ‘What makes you well’ campaign will launch on 26 August and run for six weeks. There’ll be a range of ways you can get involved and tell us #WhatMakesYouWell
- By sharing existing engagement insights and reports with us, relating to the four population groups above, to improve our collective knowledge and understanding of what helps keep them well. Email your reports and insight records to involve.
blackcountry @nhs.net - By sharing and posting details of the campaign via your communications and social media channels – a communications toolkit will be available here as we approach the launch
- By completing a set of wellbeing related questions, available online from 26 August (also available in alternative formats upon request)
- Attend a local launch event to learn more about the ICP, strategy priorities and how to support this work through your own networks – details will be available here in early August
- Host your own Community Conversation and share with us what helps keep you, and your community, well. A guide to support these conversations will be available here in early August.
To keep in touch and be first to hear more about how you can support this work through your own networks, sign up to our Get Involved database or you can email the ICB involvement team on involve.
