2. Co-design with communities and the VCSE sector as equal partners

Successful neighbourhood working is not simply about NHS services working more closely together, but also requires a stronger partnership between statutory services, communities and VCSE partners.

Trusted local organisations and familiar community assets play a vital role in reaching residents, building trust and embedding neighbourhood teams successfully in local communities.

To truly embed this shift, systems must build on what communities already trust and use. This is particularly important if a neighbourhood health service is to tackle deep-rooted health inequalities.

Places that adopted community-based approaches built deeper relationships through meaningful engagement. Leaders emphasised that co-production with residents is fundamental in designing solutions that are sustainable and reflective of how residents use services in practice.

Where these relationships are strong, neighbourhood teams move quickly beyond consultation into genuine co-design. Residents and local groups help shape priorities, test ideas and refine approaches based on lived experience rather than assumptions.

By building on community strengths rather than duplicating them, teams are co-producing support that feels relevant and sustainable. Activities developed jointly with residents – from wellbeing groups to targeted outreach – gain momentum because they are championed by trusted local voices.

The result is a more resilient neighbourhood, a stronger sense of ownership, and services that feel rooted in the community rather than ‘done to’.

Invest in system-wide relationships with VCSE, local government and community partners, including:

• establishing regular structured collaboration mechanisms and ensuring these are embedded in forthcoming neighbourhood plans
• appropriate resourcing for meaningful participation from VCSE and community partners.

Create shared development opportunities across sectors, including:

• development pathways that reflect the diverse skills and assets of community and VCSE partners, not only NHS structures
• spaces for collaboration where residents, clinicians, VCSE partners and local government can agree priorities and design solutions together.

Use a consistent, population-focused approach to understanding community needs, including:

• a shared framework that enables neighbourhood teams to assess the health and wellbeing needs of their communities (including clinical factors and wider determinants of health)
• co-production with local residents, VCSE partners and frontline professionals who know the community best
• adopt a pragmatic approach to data and technology.