Care Councils

What is a Care Board?

A care council is the structure created by the primary care decree that works within its area of operation (the primary care zone) to organize primary care and support primary care providers.

A care council has the legal form of a private-law association with legal personality that may not directly or indirectly distribute or provide any financial benefit, except for the disinterested purpose stipulated in the articles of association. In practice, therefore, care councils are non-profit organisations with a governing body and a general meeting.

Download the list of contact details for care councils here.

The care councils were established on 1 July 2020. In a very short time, they took up their role and place in the Primary Care. This is done by responding flexibly to the needs of their zone. During the Covid-19 crisis, they received a lot of additional assignments. Thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the care council, they manage to quickly bring people together and make appointments.

They are supported by VIVEL with training courses and activities based on their needs and requirements.

The care councils have a wide range of basic tasks. In addition, optional assignments can be assigned to them, responding to the local knowledge and contacts in the first-line zone.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also carrying out a number of important assignments: click here for more  information.

The care councils work in 4 sub-domains:

1. At the level of the person in need of care and support and their care team

• Offering support in the coordination of complex and chronic care
• Ensuring interdisciplinary collaboration
• Involve people with care and support needs and informal care providers (= informal caregivers and volunteers) as full partners in care

2. At the level of the neighbourhoods and districts in the primary care zone: providing informal and neighbourhood-based care by

• Support for local social policy (coordination of local social assistance and services)
• Supporting the Integrated Broad Reception
• Fostering collaboration between formal and informal care providers

3. At the level of the primary care area:

• Ensuring a good analysis of supply and demand and developing proposals for better coordination (= 'population management')
• Helping healthcare providers to organise themselves better
• Offering training
• Supporting the complaints policy
• Boosting digital data processing and an up-to-date social map
• Picking up signals and proposing solutions

4. At regional and Flemish level

• Consult with the regional care platforms about the care on offer
• Contributing to the Flemish quality policy
• Contribute to the achievement of health and well-being objectives

Healthcare Council plays a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19

The care councils, with their network of care, welfare actors and local authorities, play an important role in managing COVID-19. Prevention, support, contact tracing and source tracing are crucial in this regard. The Agency for Care and Health. wrote a guideline 'Managing COVID-19 resurgence' for the care councils.

Citizens' vaccination strategy

The care councils will also play an important role in the vaccination strategy, in close consultation with the local authorities. Together, they are faced with the task of setting up vaccination centres, taking into account the local possibilities. Where local authorities are given an important logistical task, care councils provide the necessary medical and pharmaceutical support through their network. To do this, they call on primary care providers. In addition, the care council has the important task, together with the logos, to focus on raising awareness among the population about vaccination. In doing so, they continue to pay specific attention to hard-to-reach groups and unite expertise and knowledge to address these groups and provide tailor-made information about vaccination

Assignments 2 and 3 are at least as important as assignment 1, precisely because thecare councils take into account the local context of certain populationgroups, districts, neighbourhoods, etc. and can continue to raise awareness and motivate them. 

3 priority tasks for the care councils 

1. Controlling outbreaks 
2. Supply solidarisation and outbreak prevention 
3. Raising awareness among the population and healthcare providers – support for contact tracing