Review

The way health and social care is delivered has changed and is continuing to change, with increasing numbers of acute NHS trusts providing social care, more GP federations, and technology playing a greater role in the way services are delivered – coupled with the challenge of a growing elderly population with multiple service needs.

The CQC’s consultation document covers six themes, responding to these challenges. You can watch the six themes in an animated presentation here.

Proposals for new structures for ACE funding from 2018 are on the table for consultation at Arts Council England.

Read the proposals and share your opinion by 20 March 2016.

Read more in Arts Professional.

The Care Quality Commission is conducting a survey into significant proposed changes to the way it inspects and monitors the provision of health and social care.

The changes are set out in a new strategy called ‘Shaping the Future’ is a response to changes in care provision and cuts to CQC’s budget. A key element of the plans is called ‘implementing a single shared view of quality’, which builds on a single framework for measuring quality – another is increased scrutiny of hospitals’ measures to improve efficiency.

America’s National Endowment for the Arts has published a literature review of children’s early engagement with the arts which shows the strong relationship between this engagement and mental wellbeing through childhood. The review shows particular benefits for toddlers from families with low socioeconomic status, and children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

The review also highlights areas where additional research would be beneficial and shortcomings in the existing body of evidence.

The Kings Fund has undertaken a longitudinal study of responses to the NHS’s annual inpatient survey over the past 13 years. The study notes improvements in some areas but finds London hospitals consistently performing worse than hospitals in other parts of the country.

A new report from the Office of National Statistics shows significant inequalities in health outcomes across the country. People living in some parts of the country can expect an additional 16 years of good health than people living in poorer areas.

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement included a standstill in arts funding and an increase of £3.8bn in health funds for 2016. However, the Department for Culture received an overall 5% cut and local authorities warned of severe challenges in funding social care and culture.

London Voluntary Service Council is compiling a map of social prescribing in London. Examples of social prescribing are invited for inclusion.

The London map will include links to individual social prescribers with a page on each and links to key website pages.

For more information contact: sandra@lvsc.org.uk

Creative and Credible is a new resource to support evaluation activity across the arts and health sector, guiding people through arts and health evaluation, answering questions such as: ‘What is evaluation?’ and ‘How will evaluation benefit me?’

The Department of Health has produced new guidance for people working in the care sector to help people achieve control over their own care. The report, called ‘Voice, choice and control’ calls for the provision of “opportunities to take part in community life, including engaging in activities which match their interests, skills and abilities.”