Indroducing ‘Beyond Innovation’
Here at the VS6 Partnership we believe that the best services are led by people, for people and in Liverpool City Region we have a long and proud history of philanthropy, giving, and commitment to social justice. Our voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector is well established, and we have been playing an active and leading role in the City Region dating almost 200 years. In that time, our sector has adapted to address varying societal challenges, wars, pandemics, austerity, new governments, new public sector structures. Yet despite all of this, we are still here. However, more recently in history we have been gradually hindered by the growing focus on and prioritisation of innovation.
Whilst innovation is a natural process – we learn, we grow, we adapt – the cycle of perpetual innovation that our sector has often been confined in can be disruptive. Prioritising innovation, often for innovation’s sake, has meant that we have steered away from investing in established services that we know work for our communities towards a VCFSE sector limited by short-termism, over saturation of pilot projects and weakened resilience. In a period of time where sustainability is a real concern for the VCFSE sector, the ask for us to constantly innovate is putting our stability and longevity at risk, which ultimately impairs our ability to provide safe, proven and impactful services to communities.
This is not to say that change is not good. Here at the VS6 Partnership we firmly believe in the critical role of the VCFSE sector in creating change, in particular lasting, durable change. Innovation where and when adaptation is needed and appropriate. Creative organisations and services that think differently about how to support people and address need are essential for our communities. However, this is also the sector’s bread and butter. The majority of our LCR VCFSE organisations operate locally at place and within smaller neighbourhoods - small and grassroots organisations naturally develop to address certain needs and gaps in communities. We reflect the need to provide diverse services to different communities – both geographic and cultural – but we don’t need to constantly develop and innovate new ideas to do this. We must embed what we know works and take this with us. The fact of the matter is, if we constantly innovate we cannot achieve lasting change. Therefore, in order to provide sustained improvement in life chances, sustained positive changes in health outcomes and a stronger social and economic fabric we must go Beyond Innovation. This is what the VS6 Partnership intends to do. We will ensure that the critical voice and role of the VCFSE sector in creating lasting change in the Liverpool City Region is heard and understood.
So how do we reclaim this space? How do we reframe conversations on innovation? And how do we balance the need for developing new solutions to our region’s problems with established organisations and services that have been and are supporting communities successfully for decades?
Following on from the publication of the new LCR VCFSE Manifesto and the Cheshire & Merseyside State of the Sector Report, the VS6 Partnership will be developing a series of actions to campaign for Beyond Innovation. Utilising our strategic relationships with the Combined Authority and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, we will work closely with our public sector partners to strive for cultural change in ways of working with and investing in the VCFSE sector. We are Beyond Innovation.
We will soon share ways to get involved in this journey on this website, and provide news updates, stories and research reports. We are also planning a series of engagement conversations with the VCFSE sector. You can also find key updates shared on our Beyond Innovation webpage, along with our X profile.
Please join us on this exciting journey to go Beyond Innovation and emerge as a stronger, resilient and prosperous VCFSE sector in Liverpool City Region.
Dr Ellen Loudon
Independent Chair of VS6 Partnership