Overview
Our Keep it Local for Better Health guidance combines the learnings of three years on the government’s VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance with 10 years of growing the Keep it Local campaign.
It presents a clear and effective approach for Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to achieve their priorities by unlocking the power of communities through the six Keep it Local principles:
- Think about the whole system not individual service silo
- Co-ordinate services at a neighbourhood level
- Increase local spend to invest in the local economy
- Focus on prevention now to save costs tomorrow
- Commit to your community and proactively support local organisations
- Commission services simply and collaboratively so they are “local by default"
The guidance explores:
- How the Keep it Local approach can support the shift to prevention, tackle health inequalities, create social and economic development, and embed the VCSE within health systems.
- How the six Keep it Local principles can be adopted in practice by all tiers of ICSs.
- How health systems and their VCSE partners are already working in this way across the country.
Alongside this guidance for the health system, we have produced sister guidance – Understanding health system funding – to help local VCSE organisations prepare for a Keep it Local for Better Health approach in their areas.
If you missed the launch event, you can watch the recording here.
Related reports
Space to thrive
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Creating health and wealth by stealth
New research from Locality recommends changes to the way the health system involves community anchor organisations in illness prevention services.
Our latest report – Creating health and wealth by stealth – explores the role of large, well established community organisations in promoting good health and preventing disease in their neighbourhoods.