The Better Way behaviours: what are the behaviours all about, and how can they make a difference to our practice?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

A Better Way Members, Sharon Collins and Patrick Fowler have been commissioned by NHS England to deliver a review of the housing pathway from prison across the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight footprint (including Portsmouth and Southampton) in response to growing system concerns about the housing outcomes for people leaving custody into homelessness and no fixed abode (NFA), particularly those with needs relating to mental ill health/substance use.

As part of A Better Way’s aims to facilitate greater relationships and support joining forces within and across sectors, in March 2025, we held a vibrant discussion with Sharon and Pat where they shared the aims of the project and Better Way members contributed their experience and knowledge of best practice to inform their project and how we can take action to influence local and national policy. Building on the key themes of the first meeting, on Wednesday 14 May 2025 between 10am-11.30am we are hosting a second meeting with Sharon and Pat to specifically explore:

1. Holistic risk assessments

2. Better information sharing (including data) - tell story once, consent, what is relevant info - may be focus this initially on immediate releases?

3. Co-commissioning (including shared metrics/indicators/outcomes)

Following the energy of the first meeting, we will also spend time exploring ways in which we can work together more collectively and contribute to “A Bigger We”

With a background in social housing, supported housing and homelessness, Sharon and Pat joined forces 10 years ago as independent systems convenors, bringing together public and third sector resources using the home as a lens to shared and common problems. Working in the muddy middle between organisations and sectors they are skilled at working independently of systems yet position themselves as an integral part of it rebuilding interagency trust by weaving new ways of working into the fabric of strategic and day-to-day operations, creating advocacy and agency for change at all levels of leadership with the overriding aim of keeping people safe and well at home.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

A Natural Health Service? Joining forces for place-based health and wellbeing – A Better Way in partnership with Wildlife Trusts

In the second of our series exploring how we can Join Forces for Place Based Health and Wellbeing, on Thursday 13 May between 10.00-11.30am we are excited to be holding a joint meeting with A Better Way member Dom Higgins, who is Head of Health and Education at The Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts is a grassroots movement that brings together people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, who believe that we need nature and nature needs us. There are 46 Wildlife Trusts across the UK with more than 900,000 members, over 39,000 volunteers, 3,600 staff and 600 trustees.

The meeting will build on our work with NHS England over the last 5 years, in particular our most recent learning partner report, which emphasised the need to build place-based, cross-sector health and wellbeing collaborations and develop greater relationship building and joining of forces between Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local place-based anchor organisations.

We will introduce the concept of “A Natural Health Service” and how nature has a fundamental role to play in tackling health, access and societal inequalities, and achieve one of Michael Marmot’s key strategic objectives: to "create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities".  

Following this introduction, we would like to explore together what policies and interventions we need to prioritise, including those that reduce health inequalities, mitigate climate change, as well as supporting people to adapt, and to improve access to good quality., open green and blue spaces. We will also learn more about the role that Wildlife Trusts can play as a bridging organisation between ICB’s, place-based philanthropists, local voluntary and community sector groups and local people.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way principles: what are the principles all about, and how can they make a difference to ‘business as usual’?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Through A Better Way member Bethany Golding, we have been working with NHS England’s People and Communities Division in various guises to support greater relationship building and joining of forces between Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local place-based partners to improve their community engagement and enhance health and wellbeing.

Following our learning partner report from recent work with 16 ICB’s who were taking action to improve their community engagement, on Tuesday 1 April between 10.00-11.30am we are excited to be holding a joint meeting with NHS England, Place Matters and the UK Community Foundations Network to discuss place-based health and wellbeing collaborations and to learn more about the role that UK Community Foundations can play as a bridging organisation between ICB’s, place-based philanthropists, local voluntary and community sector groups and local people.

UK Community Foundations are charitable grant-making organisations that develop socially focused funds from place-based philanthropy that support individuals, voluntary groups and local organisations to make a difference in their local community. There are 47 Community Foundations across the UK, distributing over £170m of funding annually of which c60% is related to health and wellbeing.

Place Matters works in partnership with organisations and communities to accelerate the conditions and capabilities for effective community-centred place-based change. The place-based work that they support tackles the wider causes of inequality and social injustice in communities, addressing multiple barriers faced by those dealing with poverty, exclusion and disadvantage.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

The Better Way behaviours: what are the behaviours all about, and how can they make a difference to our practice?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

A Better Way Members, Sharon Collins and Patrick Fowler have recently been commissioned by NHS England to deliver a review of the housing pathway from prison across the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight footprint (including Portsmouth and Southampton) in response to growing system concerns about the housing outcomes for people leaving custody into homelessness and no fixed abode (NFA), particularly those with needs relating to mental ill health/substance use.

As part of A Better Way’s aims to facilitate greater relationships and support joining forces within and across sectors, on Thursday 13 March 2025 between 10am-12noon we are hosting a joint meeting with Sharon and Pat to share the aims of the project, learn from existing best practice to inform its delivery and to understand how this project can contribute to other people’s work and to “A Bigger We”

With a background in social housing, supported housing and homelessness, Sharon and Pat joined forces 10 years ago as independent systems convenors, bringing together public and third sector resources using the home as a lens to shared and common problems. Working in the muddy middle between organisations and sectors they are skilled at working independently of systems yet position themselves as an integral part of it rebuilding interagency trust by weaving new ways of working into the fabric of strategic and day-to-day operations, creating advocacy and agency for change at all levels of leadership with the overriding aim of keeping people safe and well at home.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way principles: what are the principles all about, and how can they make a difference to ‘business as usual’?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

A Better Way is very passionate about joining forces and finding ways to build relationships with like-minded others and has signed up to the #DoWith Call to Action. #DoWith is a growing network of people and organisations calling for a radical shift in the public sector from ‘doing to’ to ‘doing with’. Current members include  Better Way Network; Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN); Community Led Support (NDTi); DemocracyNext;  Florence Nightingale Foundation; Health Creation Alliance; Healthwatch; The King’s Fund; Local Trust; Locality; NAVCA; National Voices; New Local; NHS Horizons; OUTpatients; Patients Association; Platform Places; Power to Change; Sickle Cell Society; Social Care Futures; Social Enterprise UK; TransActual; We’re Right Here

We are holding an event in partnership with #DoWith on Wednesday 26th February between 10.00-11.30am to share why we are taking part in the initiative, learn from other networks and organisations who are taking part and to discuss ideas for how the #DoWith Call to action can support you and the work you are involved in.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can register or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way behaviours: what are the behaviours all about, and how can they make a difference to our practice?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way principles: what are the principles all about, and how can they make a difference to ‘business as usual’?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way behaviours: what are the behaviours all about, and how can they make a difference to our practice?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

A Better Way has been presented with an exciting opportunity to hold an online roundtable discussion on "Deepening the relationship between Civil Society and Government" with Stephanie Peacock MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on Monday 2nd December 1.00-2.30pm. 

 The discussion is a good opportunity for Better Way Members to collectively input into the new Government's thinking behind developing a more progressive relationship between Government and Civil Society as well as input into the process it is undertaking to develop a new 'Civil Society Covenant' between the sectors.  

During the session we will explore in depth two key questions:

• To be more progressive, what shift is needed in mindset and behaviour, on both sides?

• What practical steps can be taken to build a more positive, reciprocal and enduring relationship?

To aid the discussion and to feed Better Way thinking into this agenda, in advance of the session we have prepared a draft collective response to the Civil Society Covenant Framework from the Better Way network . If you have any comments on the document, please contact Will Nicholson (willnicholson@betterway.network). We are particularly keen to hear about case studies and examples of best practice that support our thinking in these areas.

To sign up to the event, please register via the form below. NB - Due to the logistics of managing the session online, the session will be limited to 100 Better Way members and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

The Better Way principles: what are the principles all about, and how can they make a difference to ‘business as usual’?

This is an event for those who are new to the network and who want to explore how they can be part of a bigger movement for change.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

In October 2023, NHS England commissioned the Better Way to act as a learning partner for 16 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England who were taking action to improve their community engagement.

This work has now concluded, and A Better Way has produced a learning report outlining what the ICB’s did, what they learned, and sets out ideas for what can be done to achieve more. The report is accompanied by videos and blogs, which provide a taste of the insights and energy that emerged from the ICB engagement leads and their partners during this project.

We will be holding an online roundtable on 5th November from 10.00-11.30am with Bethany Golding, the commissioner of this work from NHS England, and a number of the NHS community engagement leads, to discuss the learnings from the report and the ideas for what we might do next.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place for this online meeting you can either fill out our booking form or contact us at info@betterway.network.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.

Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer. All meetings are Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am.

Reserve your place

If you would like to reserve a place you can either fill out this booking form or use our contact page.

By submitting this form, you consent to your data being saved by A Better Way according to GDPR standards. We will only use your data for A Better Way purposes. You can opt out at any time, please just let us know.