Annual Report 2014-15

What is Healthwatch?We are the consumer watchdog for health and social care services.

We were created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Healthwatch is the ONLYINDEPENDENT statutory body for health AND social care.

We’re here to ensure adults, children andyoung people have a say in how servicesare designed, commissioned and run.

 

Our Statutory Activities

● Obtaining the views of local people

● Promoting, supporting and enabling local people:●  in the commissioning, scrutiny and provision of services●  to monitor the standard of provision

● Formulating views on the standard of provision.

● Making recommendation and reports on how services

could be improved.

● Making recommendations and providing evidence to Healthwatch England and the Care Quality Commission

● Providing advice and information.

 

How we work

Getting People’s Views

2,289 peoplehave spoken with us at community events during

2014/15.

51 events attendedincluding fayres and festivals.

300 peopleattended Healthwatch events.

124 organisationson our Virtual Advisory Network.

 

How do we do it?

@

Healthwatch Sheffield receives your comments about health and social care.1

2 We might refer you to one of our partner organisations for advice or for help to make a complaint.

3

All of your comments are added to our database.

4

We check the database regularly to identify service areas where people are experiencing problems.

We will take immediate action if your comments raise serious concerns.This could include informing Healthwatch England, NHS England and the Care Quality Commission.

5We write reports with recommendations on how services could be improved.

We also work with the organisations who design and run services to help change things for the better.

Reaching Hidden VoicesChildren & Young PeopleWorking with Chilypep (to deliver our Young

Healthwatch),Sheffield Young Carers and Sheffield Parent Carer Forum.

BME CommunitiesAttending community events and working with BME support groups.

Older PeopleRaising awareness through Sheffield 50+ and visits to residential and nursing homes.

Disabled PeopleWorking in partnership with Disability Sheffield and Partners for Inclusion.

Vulnerable PeopleWorking with organisations including: The Big Issue, The Archer Project, St Wilfrids, Mental Sheffield and

Sun:Rise.

Young HealthwatchGiving children and young people a voiceWe’re working with Chilypep to provide activities and

engagement opportunities for under 25s.

● Monthly members meetings

● Young Healthwatch Priority Work:

● Mental Health ● Health Inequalities ● Substance Misuse

● Specialist training courses in:

● Enter and View ● Creative consultation methods

 

 

Young HealthwatchChildren and young people making a

difference● Created “Get It Right With Your GP: A guide for young people” leaflet and video

● Report into Substance Misuse

● Making Sheffield’s Dignity Code more young person friendly

● Having a question raised at a Parliamentary Debate about CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)

 

 

Information & Advice

551 peoplehave received information and/or advice. 

The information and advice service is provided by Sheffield Citizens Advice.

So what?

What do we do with all the information we receive?

We use it to influence and improve services in the following ways...

 

 

Influencing & Improving ServicesRepresentatives on Boards and Partnerships

We have representatives on key boards and partnerships in the city including:

● Sheffield Health and Wellbeing Board

● Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group

● Sheffield City Council’s Scrutiny Board

● Mental Health Partnership Board

● Carers and Young Carers Partnership Board

● Learning Disabilities Partnership Board etc.

 

 

Influencing In ActionMeet Tony. He’s one of our volunteer Meeting Reps.

 

Application

Interview

Training

Choices

Volunteer role

Being a Meeting RepresentativeHow does Healthwatch support Meeting Reps?

 

Before On the day After

We provide:

- info from citizens’ view point

- work updates and progress reports

Ask the Rep:

- if they need any additional info or

support

We provide:

- briefing docs & meeting papers

(if needed)

- feedback form

Rep attends meeting

Rep completes feedback form

We check for actions and

implications for core Healthwatch

work

Influencing & Improving Services Influencing Strategies

We have been involved in developing and influencing:

●  Sheffield Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat●  Sheffield Mental Health Strategy refresh●  Health and Wellbeing Board Health Inequalities Plan

Improving Services

We monitor the quality of services and push for change through:

●  Representation on local and regional Quality Assurance and Patient Experience Groups●  Observer role on the Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board●  Contributing to the Quality Accounts process

 

Influencing & Improving Services Enter and View VisitsWe have a statutory power to be able to visit any publicly-

funded service. We visited 3 providers during 2014/15.

The visits are not inspections but are to:●  observe the nature and quality of services●  see and hear how the consumer experiences the service●  collect the views of patients, their relatives and carers.

PLACE VisitsWe undertook 6 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care

Environment.

These visits focus on the care environment rather than clinical care provision (i.e. building maintenance, cleanliness, food etc).

 

Reports and Recommendations We have made recommendations to Healthwatch England, the Care Quality Commission and NHS England about:

●  Access to dental care for people with Learning Disabilities

●  Unsafe discharge of patients from hospital

●  Concerns about a care home

●  Mental health services

●  Access to eye care services for homeless people

 

Case Study

Non-Emergency Patient Transport Report

Our recommendations include:

●  Text/phone call backs (10 minute notification)

●  A central assessment system

●  More easily available info for patients about their transport

●  Staff to introduce themselves and to wear name badges

 

Impact

Crisis Care ConcordatWe ensured Service User and Carer Voice was embedded

in the plan as a stand alone priority.

Feedback from national CCC was Sheffield’s plan showed good governance and was strong in a number of areas including an additional focus on users and carers.

Patient TransportOur recommendations were incorporated into contract

review meetings with providers and SMS messaging is in the providers’ service development and improvement plans for 2015/16.

 

 

Healthwatch Sheffield’s priority work areas are:

●  Mental Health

●  Access to Primary Care for Excluded Groups

●  Social Care – with a focus on Care at Home, and dignity and respect in care homes

●  Quality Assurance Framework for engagement

We will also respond as and when appropriate to issues raised by the people of Sheffield.

 

Priorities for 2015/16

CapacityWe are asked to be involved in many more projects than we are able to contribute to effectively.

Resources We estimate our resources make up around 0.02% of the total health and social care economy in Sheffield.

Reputational risk Need to ensure independence and maintain confidence of local people.

DiscussionSo...... as the only 2 bodies in the city with a remit covering Health and Social Care, how can we work better together in the future?

 

Challenges

To let us know your views on Health and Social Care services or join, contact the Healthwatch team!

Tel: (0114) 253 6688 Text: 07415 249657 Email: info@healthwatchsheffield.co.ukEmail: yhw@healthwatchsheffield.co.uk (Young HW)

www.healthwatchsheffield.co.uk

Twitter: @hwsheffield & @YHWSheffield Facebook: HealthwatchSheffield & SheffieldYoungHealthwatch

Annual Report 2014-15