Our approach
Sussex Health and Care is an Integrated Care System (ICS) which serves a population of more than 1.7 million people and works in partnership across Sussex, as well as within and across our populations of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. Our ambition is to bring more integrated and joined-up services to our populations to ensure people are receiving the best possible experience and are better supported to maintain their health throughout their lives. The people and communities across Sussex are at the heart of the NHS; we want to hear from and involve as many people as possible to help us plan and shape health and care services.
How we involve people and communities
Our Working with People and Communities Strategy explains our approach to making sure that the voices of people and communities are heard and influences how we plan and deliver health and care services in Sussex. Our Working with People and Communities Strategy has been shaped by the views of a number of key stakeholders, including:
- Healthwatch in Sussex;
- our community ambassadors;
- voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) leaders;
- local authority and district and borough council colleagues, including community engagement and public health teams;
- NHS Sussex,
- our communications and public involvement team, our Quality Team and Board lay members for public involvement.
Insight from working with people and communities over a long time period has informed our approach and will continue to shape our ways of working.
Our approach to public involvement
Three approaches drive our approach to working with people and communities: 1. Driving a system shaped by insight from our people and communities. 2. Asset-based working and removing barriers to empowerment. 3. Using effective insight capture and involvement to address health inequalities