The Department is launching a consultation today on proposals for five essential elements of a long-term strategy to support volunteering in health and social care. The consultation document has been placed in the Library and copies are available for hon. Members in the Vote Office.

A volunteering strategy will articulate the key actions needed to address the perceived obstacles to making a refreshed vision for volunteering in health and social care a reality. Informed by the consultation process, the proposed strategy will provide a framework through which to pursue long-term organisational and culture change across the whole system to support volunteering more effectively, in relation to:

individual volunteers;

effective management within organisations;

commissioning environment and infrastructure; and

promoting partnership and leadership across the public and third sectors.

The strategy will build on existing best practice and build partnerships for sustained involvement of volunteers through an increasingly diverse range of services in statutory and non-statutory settings. It will provide the basis for more coherent national investment by the Department, to improve the strategic impact of volunteering, for the benefit of patients, carers and service users.

The consultation will run until 30 September 2008, with a view to my Department setting out a final strategy and implementation plan early in 2009.