Operational Report for Healthwatch Cornwall Board Meeting Wednesday, February 15, 2017

 Research (SG)

Patient Flow: The 12hrs in the Emergency Department report was published on November 25, 2016 after receiving and along with the full coordinated response (including from Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust). Healthwatch Cornwall picked up some local press with an interview for Pirate FM and a line on BBC Radio Cornwall.

New Database/Data Management System: Establishing this system has been the primary focus of SG since the last Board meeting. The software went live at the end of November, 2016 before staff training at the beginning of December. There has been limited progress and use of the software since then although incoming feedback is being entered; there has been no loss of ‘service’. Progress was hindered by having to clear a backlog of data and enter it onto the old database so a fresh start could take place from the new year. Since the beginning of January, SG has focused on establishing a process for entering information into the new database from the phoneline (including both enquiries and feedback). Once finished, this should be easily adaptable for website submitted and physically submitted feedback/enquiries. There has also been tentative work on adapting the software for recording information from outreach events and tracking volunteer enquiries but these areas are less of a priority.

New work: Healthwatch Cornwall has received feedback about Mental Health which is more frequent than any other area apart from about Treliske. In order to narrow down and prioritise a theme within this area on which there could be some focused work, SG presented a short analysis to the team. There was a general agreement to focus on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services as an area of particular concern to the public. SG has developed a plan for a short piece of investigative work that would qualify the small amount of information received so far and could provide the basis for more work in the future. The initial stages of this plan will have commenced by the Board meeting.

 Marketing and Communications (JP)

Since the November, 12 online external news bulletins have been shared; three newsletters have been sent out; our 12-hours in ED story was covered by BBC Spotlight and Pirate FM; we updated our details on the Family Information website; and our article appeared in the last Speaking Up magazine.

Numerous health and social care-related social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and our new Instagram page, have been shared. These have attracted interaction, shares, comments, retweets etc. As an example, from November through to January 1,221 people visited our profile on Twitter and we received 230 likes on information shared on Facebook.

In December we ran our light-touch social media campaign to raise funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance. Participants were encouraged to take part in a social media selfie competition: #SantaSelfieHC. We received 55 entries shared across our and individual social media. As an example of impact, from 14 Tweets over 10 days the hashtag gained 4,160 impressions. The outreach team assisted on a few days by directly encouraging participation at events they attended and in Truro.

The Health and Wellbeing Show monthly HC podcast on Pirate 2 continues. The cost remains the same as last year but includes an advert promoting our podcast on Pirate FM. The show goes out live on Tuesday evenings. You can hear more at: http://www.healthwatchcornwall.co.uk/pirate-2/

The three-month marketing campaign on TV screens on Park and Ride buses on the routes into Truro has now ended. Rebooking is under review.

As previously, an advert has been placed in the Smile/CHBN bedside magazine placed in RCHT hospitals, Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust has received HC literature and will be distributing to its health and care settings for promotion and Addaction Chy has also been sent literature for its clients/staff, with a request for more received. A Google Adword campaign continues to run.

Ongoing updating to the website has been taking place, including the monitoring of information supplied via the Review a Service option. The LHM is now due for renewal (February) and will be forwarded to the Board asap.

Coming up: A web page for the three partnership boards is on hold while contract discussions continue.

It is anticipated that if HC’s involvement at the STP Transformation Board goes ahead, HC will publicise via media outlets. HC has an STP specific web page: http://www.healthwatchcornwall.co.uk/cornwalls-sustainability-and-transformation-plan/

Purdah will take effect in Cornwall from March 20 to May 5: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/24172809/guidance-on-publicity-for-elections-to-cornwall- council-purdah.pdf A separate info sheet will be provided for staff and volunteers regarding HC comms during this period.

The proposed film for St Austell Healthcare (SAH) has been scrapped. A storyboard and outline script was provided to SAH but its manager only wanted HC to produce a promotional video, which wasn’t in line with the HC view.

The marketing for HC is now being reviewed. Consideration is being given to the creation of a TV advert and bus stop advertising as a generic means of reaching a large and varied audience, as well as the reinstating of HC’s annual major awareness raising ‘fun day’ event.

 Outreach activity (DS and JS)

The main events attended in Oct, Nov and Dec were: STP  St.Austell & Mevagissey Community Network Panel (STP)  STP Consultations (Bude, Liskeard, St.Austell, Bude, Bodmin, Falmouth, Truro, Penzance, Heartlands)

Raising Awareness/ Networking  Staying Healthy Fair  2 x Inter-agency Meetings  Brighthour Talk  MSA Support Group  SW Seniors Network Meeting  Localism Summit  International Day for Disabled People  Christmas Campaign Day

Focus/ Specific Meetings  Spectrum Engagement (CAMHS Focus)  St.Austell Healthcare PPG (follow up from specific research work)

The main outreach focus for Oct, Nov and Dec were:

 Specific STP Engagement  Creating an ‘Outreach’ presentation  Developing a Hospital Drop In Programme  Spectrum Engagement and CAMHS focus  Older Persons Partnership Board  Networking  Planning

Specific STP Engagment We have been scaling up events around STP engagement, attending and presenting at a number of localised talks including community Network Panel meetings and Inter-agency meetings. JS and DS also attended a number of the organised STP events to garner info and feedback. A specific question sheet for hospital drop-ins is being developed to help us give a focus to this at regular sessions.

Hospital Drop-In Programme We have supported more hospital drop-ins and developed a working plan to increase these starting from February. Launceston and Bude are starting on Monday 6th Feb and St.Austell and Bodmin on 13th as well as the regular sessions already running. We will then look to start a further 4 in March and all hopefully from April. We will be presenting at HCAF to try and entice more volunteer support for these.

Outreach Presentation We have created an ‘Outreach’ Presentation which can be used at local talks and presentations and for use by volunteers to present whilst representing us and any events/ talks they attend. It is also really useful as a tool for explaining who we are and what we do. We will be presenting this at the next HCAF meeting for feedback and dissemination.

Spectrum Engagement We were invited to a meeting with Spectrum about their concern hearing from CAMHS service users. They have been working in collaboration with us to record feedback and promoting ‘Have Your Say’ forms and we are currently working on a project around this. We will continue to work with them to gather intelligence and give a focus to this work. Further info should be available by the next board meeting.

OPPB In support of the Older Persons Partnership board I also attended the South West Seniors Network with over 60 attendees and some of these have now joined the board.

Networking We have attended two inter-agency meetings and a localism event. All of these have been great for networking and promotion of HC. The localism event organised by the council at Royal Cornwall also helped to keep us abreast of new developments in the county. I sent a separate report about this at the time.

Planning We will be looking to review last year’s outreach achievements, highlighting any gaps and prioritising ideas and events for the next financial year. With the potential for some focused sessions around the STP, a CAMHS specific focused project, a summer road-show and ensuring inclusivity across county with the hospital drop-ins, including an element around the STP.

 HCAF and volunteers (JW)

HCAF haven’t met since October 2016, the next meeting is on 7th February.

Proactive volunteer recruitment is slow and volunteer involvement has been curtailed due to the lack of capacity in the team. That said, we have recruited two new volunteers and have three other enquiries to follow up. The two new volunteers have had an induction and references are being taken up, both are keen to be involved in community outreach and also research.

It is anticipated that the increase in hospital drop-ins, together with the recruitment of a third Outreach and Engagement Officer, will mean that there will be a steady increase in volunteer involvement, as well as being a potential source of spotting new volunteers.

 Partnership Boards (JW and CN)

There is now a dedicated page on the HC website which details the basic remit of the three Partnership Boards, with links for the Learning Disability and Autism boards going through the Cornwall Council pages that are currently hosting the papers. This will be reviewed alongside the general review of the Partnership Boards. There have been two meetings of the newly formed Older People’s Partnership Board and there is a positive attitude towards it’s formation. The next few meetings will see a work plan develop and membership strengthened.

Membership and attendance at the Cornwall Autism Partnership continues to be strong, although there is still a lack of clarity about the issue of HC finding two Co Chairs – we have been told to pause this but this means that the Commissioner is still Chairing which does present with some challenges. There has been some positive progress being made with the work plan.

The Learning Disability Partnership Board will be having a review meeting on 8 February to discuss the on-going role of the board and what the membership and chairing arrangements should be. Again, there is a lack of clarity regarding the mechanism, including funding, for self advocates to attend – but the situation should hopefully be somewhat improved by the reinstatement of Cornwall People First’s funding.

Capacity to support these three boards effectively is still a major concern for the Operational team and careful consideration needs to be made of the on-going demand and funding for this area of work.

 Staff Recruitment for a third Outreach and Engagement Officer is underway. This will be for an initial 6 month period, 21 hours per week, to boost the outreach capacity going into the busier Spring and Summer months. This will allow for the new CEO to be able to review staffing structure.

Staff have been involved in various elements of the CRM implementation - this has needed to widen to looking at internal processes across the organisation.

Staff have also taken time to review the Strategic plan and thinking about the operational work plan. There is a full planning day to look at the work plan from April 2017 on 2 February.

 Office (SK and CN)

Damp proofing repairs in the ground floor meeting room of the office have been confirmed to take place from February 20 until March 3. The clearing of the gutters has become absolutely necessary as water is, as at February 3rd entering the first floor of the building and maintenance will begin today.

Security systems have been installed with a new intercom and door ‘peep-hole and new fire safety equipment has been supplied and fitted.

The new Healthwatch Cornwall plaque has been added to the exterior of the property.

Data entry to the old database has been completed and the new CRM is being implemented. The Administrators have developed a plan of work for the next three months with targets and completion timescales. This includes developing procedure logs, reviewing representation meetings and reports, new finance procedures and the development of signposting and relevant resources.