Versus Arthritis – putting partnership working and community involvement at the centre of project development

Versus Arthritis are working with communities and other organisations to provide a stronger service and support more people with arthritis.

Versus Arthritis are championing two of the key principles of health and social care integration by putting partnership working and community involvement at the centre of their project development. Their aim is to empower people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions to take control of their condition through self-management courses and support in local communities.

They know not to jump in, thinking they know best. They have spent time building relationships, listening to and learning from people with lived experience across Scotland. They know that the reality of working with people and communities is that something that works in one area might not work somewhere else, “but that doesn’t mean it is a failure, it just means that the community doesn’t respond in the same way and you need to have the flexibility to adapt in that particular area.” They tailor their services based on feedback. In Grampian for example, people respond to self-management through physical activities such as Tai Chi. In Glasgow the self-management courses and information sessions have had a great response. And in Stranraer, the walking football groups have been fully booked. But this is reliant on support and trust from funders and their understanding that although “we may intend to do X, Y and Z, the community might need A, B and C.”

In answer to the current funding challenges faced by the sector, Versus Arthritis recognise that partnerships are more crucial than ever for sustainability of their services and to build the impact of their self-management in the community approach. “Funding might exist, across four or five different organisations and we can all work together and take responsibility for a different aspect of a project delivery.” They are concentrating on reaching groups of people who would normally be missed by services and, rather than working in silo, they are promoting more closely connected communities by pulling together different groups to provide “a positive outcome for both organisations and most importantly, to benefit the people accessing the services.”

This doesn’t come without challenges however, and Versus Arthritis share the same concerns as other third sector organisations. Their model is based on building strong relationships with the communities they work with, and this takes time. This is another reason why collaborative working is the way forward for the organisation. They believe that “working smarter and sharing what you have” is key to success. If they can link in with an existing group and work with them, they can reinvest the funds they have saved into facilitating the group to run for longer, helping more people, or investing in training opportunities for members. Charities and service providers can have a tendency to compete with each other as they are often vying for the same funding but in terms of supporting people and being in the community, if you have that mindset “then it’s the people that are going to suffer. If you are going to put obstacles in your own path, then that will have a knock on effect for the people that could be benefiting from your services.” 

The hopes for Versus Arthritis going forward are to continue to be open to change and collaboration, and to lead by example. “We’re not perfect, and there are things that we aren’t getting quite right, but we are moving in to new areas all the time, we are reaching new communities and ultimately our aim is to provide a stronger service, supporting people with arthritis.”

Learn more about the work Versus Arthritis are doing.

You can read all Connected Communities case studies here: https://www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/blog/case_studies/?projects=connected-communities