Governance Update and Next Steps for HIVCA 

A message from Our Chair, Natalie Webb, 

Governance Update and Next Steps for HIVCA 

As we approach the end of the year, I want to share an important update about HIVCA’s governance and the steps we are taking to ensure strong, stable leadership for the Alliance. Transparency is incredibly important to us, and we want the HIVCA network to feel confident in both how decisions are made and how we plan for the future.  

When the Leadership Committee was formed, members committed to a two-year term. That initial term comes to an end in December 2025. While this is a natural milestone, it also presents a challenge, the entire committee reaching the end of their term at the same time. A full turnover simply wouldn’t be in HIVCA’s best interests. We risk losing continuity, expertise and momentum, particularly at a time when the wider system is facing significant turbulence.  

Our colleagues at the ICB have also emphasised the importance of stability during the months ahead. With HIVCA recently securing three years of ICB support from 2026/27 onwards, we are entering a period where long-term thinking and steady leadership are essential.  

To ensure continuity, the Leadership Committee is proposing a six-month extension of our current tenure. This short extension will give us the time and space to explore different governance structures and, crucially, to involve the wider HIVCA network in shaping what the future model of HIVCA should look like.  

Alongside this, we will be inviting the voluntary sector representatives from the Health and Wellbeing Boards across Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight to temporarily join the Leadership Committee for this six-month period. VCSE colleagues have consistently told us that stronger links to place are vital, and bringing Health and Wellbeing Board VCSE leads into the committee will help ensure that local priorities are represented where system-level decisions are made.  

This invitation is not part of a wider reshaping of HIVCA at this stage. Instead, it is a practical and values driven step to strengthen the connection between place and system, enhance our collective thinking, and involve those leads directly in the next stage of HIVCA’s development. We believe this will help us plug in to what’s working well locally while continuing to influence at system level. 

At the same time, we are continuing to deliver the HIVCA Strategy, co-produced with the network, which you can view by following this link This work is underpinned by our commitment to strengthening the system leadership across the VCSE. The Systems Leadership training, offered in partnership with EnergiseMe, currently underway is helping to build a cohort of VCSE system leader ambassadors and advocates who can champion voluntary and community sector perspectives more confidently across the wider system. All members of the Leadership Committee are also taking part in this training and will be working alongside the wider cohort to think more broadly about what effective system leadership for the VCSE looks like.  

If you have specific ideas for HIVCA’s future, please let us know by emailing: joy.martin@hivca.org 

We will continue to keep you updated as plans progress, thank you for your support, your commitment and everything you do to strengthen the voice, and impact of the VCSE across health and care.