Third Sector Provider Collaborative: Session Summary

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Overview

On Tuesday 5 August, 12:30–14:00, third sector health and care organisations met to test emerging themes, explore opportunities and risks, and define the sector’s role in the future Leeds Provider Partnership. The two-hour facilitated session captured practical recommendations for collaboration across the VCSE, NHS and Leeds City Council.

Opportunities for value and strategic alignment

Participants identified clear benefits from deeper collaboration. Highlights included:

• Using the passion, reach and relationships of the third sector to strengthen place-based care.

• Creating economies of scale through shared infrastructure and back-office functions.

• Coordinating joint funding bids and considering a formal partnership vehicle where helpful.

• Mobilising collective expertise to tackle priorities such as health inequalities and community care.

• Increasing visibility for smaller organisations through pooled resources and shared governance.

• Aligning pay, policies and workforce development to support integration.

• Using PROMs to evidence value and impact across the system.

Risks, barriers and threats

Participants also raised important cautions:

• Large structures could marginalise smaller providers or reduce diversity of approach.

• Risk of representation without real influence.

• Resource constraints for grassroots groups engaging in time-intensive forums.

• Fragmented commissioning and short-term contracts.

• Limited understanding among statutory partners of the VCSE’s governance and role.

• Insufficient early involvement of VCSE organisations in system design and decisions.

• Partnerships that become transactional and fail to embed community knowledge or health equity.

Leadership commitment and governance support

Delivering change requires strong, values-led leadership. The partnership should:

• Be clear on purpose and involve third sector voices from the outset.

• Respect organisational sovereignty while enabling collective governance.

• Recognise the need for direct funding so smaller partners can participate sustainably.

• Support changes to governance and data sharing that improve access and outcomes.

• Build on existing good practice, enable staff wellbeing and focus on long-term outcomes.

• Streamline engagement structures with fewer boards and clearer roles.

• Invest time and preparation so every contribution is meaningful.

Priorities and intended impact

There was a shared commitment to shape a provider partnership that is:

• Bottom-up, inclusive and rooted in community voice.

• Commissioned for long-term outcomes that prioritise prevention, equity and sustainability.

• Strategic in ambition to unlock real system change.

The West Yorkshire ICB’s Seven Principles for VCSE investment

Participants endorsed the seven principles adopted by the West Yorkshire ICB. In brief, these are to:

1. Build a clear place-level picture of VCSE investment.

2. Move from short-term contracts to longer-term, sustainable investment with social value at the centre.

3. Mitigate risks to diverse grassroots organisations affected by financial pressures and ensure funding reaches communities tackling health inequalities.

4. Shift investment closer to communities, including community-led early help and prevention.

5. Increase flexibility in existing VCSE funding and consider grant/contract renegotiation where there are no uplifts.

6. Minimise re-tendering where possible so staff can focus on delivery.

7. Plan and communicate around re-commissioning, and explore contract extensions where appropriate.

Session objectives

The discussion explored:

• What greater benefits collaboration could bring beyond the status quo.

• Where opportunities for greatest impact sit.

• Perceived challenges or risks to partnership working.

• Each organisation’s view of the opportunities.

• Implications for Forum Central, the wider third sector and individual Boards.

• What participants would like a Provider Partnership to achieve.

Stages for the review

Phase 1: June–July

• Understand current work to build upon and avoid duplication.

• Stakeholder mapping.

• Design and agree programme plan, engagement and milestones.

• System engagement.

Phase 2: July–August

• Identify opportunities and risks.

• Produce an output report with a case for change.

• Continue system engagement.

Phase 3: September

• Develop a detailed understanding of the mechanics and dynamics needed for collaborative success.

• Develop an implementation roadmap.

Attribution and disclaimer

This summary draws on a document prepared by thevaluecircle LLP for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The document was prepared solely for the use of Forum Central. © 2025 thevaluecircle LLP.