Introduction

The One Eastern Devon Partnership Forum provides a collaborative safe space in which key stakeholders/anchor institutions from across Eastern Devon can work together to sustainably to improve the lives of people in communities, address inequalities and build community resilience. The forum enables partners to come together to align their strengths and assets to address those issues that impact population wellbeing including – early years support, housing, leisure, transport, skills, antisocial behaviour, education, employment support and the environment.

The forum brings together senior level representation from a range of different organisations who see the value who both to them, and their organisations, of
working together cooperatively. The aim is to accelerate joint efforts in area where there is a genuine “sweet spot” where the objectives of partner organisations
align. This means that, while the forum has selected one specific focus for its work over the next period, this will not constrain the development of other partnership working within the auspices of the common purpose. In fact, it supports and encourages that to happen.

The organisations represented in One Eastern Devon recognise that partnerships take time and energy to create and are based on trust, relationship building and sharing a similar mindset so we have deliberately given ourselves time to get to know each other. Over time – to ensure sustainability – the relationships we develop based on individual trust will need to be spread across a range of people.

Partners are also cognisant that real partnerships evolve out of doing real work together so to focus initial efforts, partners have committed themselves to generating new solutions to addressing the issues faced by people with mental health issues at all ages. The partners are committed to developing new approaches to this issue over the coming months that add value to other existing initiatives

Our shared common purpose

Partners have agreed a common purpose to align efforts and are committed to using the forum as a place where bilateral or multi-partner agreements can be
brokered to tackle pressing issues, unblock obstacles, and to have different conversations to bring new and innovative solutions to long term challenges.

What do we want to do? We want to work collaboratively, learning as we go along, so that we co-create the conditions for a better quality of life for the people who live in Eastern Devon. This will mean connecting, listening and acting on what we learn. The upshot will be a solid foundation of strong relationships, individuals feeling more empowered, more resilient communities, more and sustained change for good.

Why do we want to do it? Because we want to:

break the cycle of deprivation and get upstream, so that we can prevent poor health, promote wellbeing and support a better quality of life for all.

  • Reduce harm and inequity
  • See less duplication and to make more of the resources we have collectively

What will the benefits include?

  • For individuals – to make more of their potential and have the chance of a better quality of life from the start
  • For organisations – achieving better outcomes and better use of their
    resources and for services to be delivered at the right time and the right way
  • For ourselves – to act as a platform for collaboration And more partnerships
    and as an exemplar for others

As it evolves, the partnership will agree a set out short, medium, and longer term outcomes on areas that it wants to address linked to the common purpose and
contributing to NHS Devon’s Joint Forward Plan.

Anchor Institutions Key Stakeholders for OEDPF (Link downloads as an Excel spreadsheet)

Our Principles

The One Eastern Devon Partnership Forum agreed that it would work in accordance with the principles and shared values devised by Collaborate CIC
namely:

The Forum has recognised the need for diverse voices and viewpoints and to ensure that these are amplified and listened to. The Forum will seek to ensure that lived experience and community insights are central to its purpose.

Next Steps

The Forum will continue to meet on a regular basis as well as working on its key priorities collaboratively between meetings. The Forum will seek to proactively
develop the partnership so that, over time, it becomes the strategic driver for the Eastern Local Care Partnership.

The meetings are a means to an end: a dedicated space for the partners (who may change over time) to come together, build relationships and mutual understanding, have open discussions on complex issues and oversee progress on the work. For One Eastern Devon to have meaning and fulfil its shared purpose, there needs to be work on achieving practical outcomes, especially outcomes that are built on new ways of working. Our underlying theory of change in the Forum is partly based on Myron Rogers’ maxims: Real change takes place in real work; and Start anywhere, follow it everywhere*. It also draws on NHS England’s Shared Outcomes Toolkit form Integrated Care Systems**, notably on the evidence that joined-up approachessupport delivery, and the importance of shared outcomes based on common purpose: “Shared outcomes have proved to be a powerful means of bringing organisations together across the health and social care system to deliver on a common purpose.”

We have applied the principles for joined-up approaches as set out in the Toolkit by focusing on building relationships and developing an agreed common purpose, while understanding that this is an iterative process. Given our principle of shared learning, we will want to collate insights and data, so that our learning can have wider application across and beyond Eastern Devon.

In building the partnerships, it is likely we will use a variety of approaches. For example, we might use Future Basing: working back from where we want to be by a future date, and the practical milestones we will need to achieve to get there; or we might look to adapt and extend existing initiatives that are already working. Much of the work will therefore, of necessity, happen outside of the Partnership Forum meetings. But the Forum will have a central role in bolstering and promoting the work, exploring how it might be extended, and identifying what we might do next. Over time, we would like more of our complex issues to be addressed in this way.

Partners include: Devon County Council; NHS Devon; Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS FT Trust; Devon Partnership Trust; primary care; Devon & Cornwall Police; VCSE sector; Devon Association of Local Councils; University of Exeter; Exeter College; District Councils; Exeter City Council; Healthwatch; Care home representatives; Exeter City Football Club; Public Health; Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, South West Ambulance Service, Faith Groups, GPs/Devon PCNs, Devon Federation of Young Farmers, Bicton College, University of Exeter, Devon Mental Health Alliance, Exeter Chiefs, Petroc College.

*   See: Myron Rogers on ‘Living Systems’ in The Art of Change-Making, Leadership Centre 2015
** See: Shared outcomes toolkit for integrated care systems – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) DHSC Oct 2023