Introduction to Healthwatch Cheshire West Jonathan Taylor – Service Manager

Healthwatch – What is it? Healthwatch is the new consumer champion for both health and social care services Healthwatch exists in two distinct forms - Local Healthwatch - Healthwatch England

Healthwatch – how did it come about? Healthwatch was created by the Health and Social Care Act The Act stipulates the creation of: A national body, Healthwatch England (instituted in September 2012), which is a statutory committee of the Care Quality Commission The establishment of a local Healthwatch organisation for each local council in England with social care responsibilities by 1 st April Healthwatch has similar, but increased, powers and responsibilities to Local Involvement Networks (LINks) – its predecessor set up in Healthwatch is intended to strengthen the collective voice of users of health and social care services and members of the public, both nationally and locally.

Healthwatch Cheshire West Healthwatch Cheshire West CIC is an independent corporate body commissioned by Cheshire West & Chester Council. Contract awarded to a consortium of six local voluntary sector organisations committed to ensuring that there is the best possible Healthwatch established in Cheshire West. These organisations are;

Vision “ To be an independent voice for the citizens of Cheshire West, helping to shape and improve local health and social care services”.

Healthwatch Cheshire West Building on LINk functions…. Community involvement and engagement Local intelligence on commissioned services Scrutinising local services and monitoring quality with the power to ‘Enter & View’ Working with hard to reach communities Access to existing networks and partnerships Reporting on local issues and collective views

Healthwatch Cheshire West New functions Consumer Champion - supporting people to complain and know their rights Providing information, advice and signposting Stronger focus on engaging Children and Young People Equality and diversity monitoring Seat on local Health and Wellbeing Board Escalating issues nationally via Healthwatch England

Summary - Key Functions 1.Advice & information 2.Involvement & engagement 3.Gather & convey views & experiences 4.Monitor quality and patient experience 5.Report evidence and concerns 6.Act as a ‘Consumer Champion’

Services covered All NHS services, including those commissioned through local Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS trusts serving the residents of the area; and primary care Social care services for adults, children and young people commissioned or delivered by the Local Authority Excluded from this is the monitoring and scrutiny of services for children and young people and complaints advocacy for all social care services)

Structure of Healthwatch Cheshire West

The Staff Team Senior Administrator – Emma Mckenzie Community Engagement Workers –Jackie Lewis, Matthew Hyndman and Neil Garbett Service Manager – Jonathan Taylor

Work to date Healthwatch Cheshire West opened for business on 1 st April 2013 New organisation launched via promotional activity & media publicity Interactive website developed Brendan Doyle appointed as Chair Statutory seat on the Health & Wellbeing Board taken up 10 Members recruited to Operational Committee Ongoing programme of Community Engagement and outreach work across the borough Women’s Health day hosted in Winsford 24 Volunteers recruited & trained to deliver Enter & View programme Enter & View programme commenced in December 2013 To date 18 Enter & View visits have been completed with reports published on Website 28 visits to be completed by 1 st April (Countess of Chester Hospital, Residential and Nursing homes and Day Care Services)

Emerging Priorities for 2014/15 Experience of Accident and Emergency services Access to GP services (including appointment systems) Ambulance services Cancer Care Older People’s services including dementia care Access to mental health services Obesity and unhealthy weight Alcohol and illegal drugs

Working with PPGs in 2014/15 Network with PPGs Raise the profile of the work of PPGs and promote involvement Publicise the work of PPGs through Healthwatch networks Share good practice (involvement and engagement) Share intelligence on the quality and experience of primary care services Collaborative approach to engaging patients to provide feedback Outreach work at GP surgeries Harnessing the expertise and interests of PPG members in wider health and healthcare issues Focussed work around access to GP services Bringing together findings and good practice examples from PPGs to inform the work of CCGs and the Health and Wellbeing Board Develop a memorandum of understanding to support our work?

What next? Telephone – Website –