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“We are aware that Healthwatch work is respected, recognised and used at very senior level - for instance the Health and Wellbeing Board - and is contributing to both strategic and operational planning of health and social care services across the district.” “The content of discussions at key meetings such as Mental Health Strategy Group and Connecting Care are richer because of contributions by Healthwatch.” “Healthwatch enables asylum seekers and new refugees to understand how things work.” “Strong participation and constructive challenge from Healthwatch in key strategic discussions.” “We have the upmost confidence in sign posting individuals and promoting Healthwatch knowing that their response will be thorough and led by the individuals involved.” “Contract management meetings evidence that seldom heard groups are regularly in touch with Healthwatch and demonstrates that local people participate in commissioning, delivery and scrutiny through the regular volunteering opportunities.” “Broad reach - strong evidence of genuine engagement.” “Deliver a good service and approachable.” “Strong engagement of young people and older people in the design and delivery of local evaluation.” “Evaluation work especially valuable” “Healthwatch have helped support complainants resolve their concerns by acting with them and guiding them through a more constructive process. The lessons from this has been for the Trust to understand more about how it can be more inclusive in its care planning and understand more about the difficulties faced by patients.” 360° Quality Statements Review Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 2 Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 3 Healthwatch Wakefield’s transition to an Besides me, other trustees especially Andrew and independent charity limited by guarantee has Lee have had a most significant influence been a great success thanks to the hard work of regarding this. both staff and trustees. There was an active It is worth reminding readers of this report what transition team of Nichola Esmond, Chief governance is. Executive Officer, Andrew Kent, Treasurer, and “Governance is the systems and processes Lee Wood, Vice Chair, which worked very hard on this massive change for which I am very grateful as concerned with ensuring the overall is our organisation. This team has now been direction, effectiveness, supervision and disbanded and we now have Human Resources accountability of an organisation. and Finance sub-committees in place. Good governance ensures: In the last year I have tried to meet more compliance with law and regulation volunteers, for example at the Safeguarding Adults that an organisation is well run and training. I have slowly realised two things. Firstly, efficient that problems are identified early and that the volunteers I have met have some amazing dealt with appropriately skills that truly enrich our organisation. Secondly, the preservation of the reputation and my fellow trustees are all volunteers and they too integrity of the sector are an enriching influence. It is an honour for me that charities make a difference and the to be Chair of Healthwatch Wakefield which has objects of the charity are advanced.” such fantastic volunteers. Becoming a charity has meant that our Chief The National Council of Voluntary Organisations Executive Officer, Nichola Esmond, has led the I hope 2017-18 will be as successful for us as Board of Trustees such that our organisation has a last year. governance approach of the highest order. I have also attended a number of development sessions in the last year on governance and I hope this has contributed to the way we run our organisation. Richard Sloan, Chair Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 4 Our first year of independence has been a engagement work across our patch, again successful and extraordinarily busy one. While underpinning major service change proposals. we have been writing this report and looking In addition to the bigger picture work, we have back over the year, I have been enormously maintained a focus on other aspects of the proud of what we have achieved. Although health and care system in Wakefield, taking a we’ve had our challenges and have taken on particular interest this year in the mental health significant additional pieces of work, our staff of children and young people, the impact of the and volunteers have stepped up and produced Care Act on social care assessments, and what is nothing less than our best at all times. happening in our local care homes. One of the challenges of a local Healthwatch is The American surgeon and writer Atul Gawande to make a difference and have an impact. We stated in the annual Reith lectures in 2014 that measure this in a number of ways, but I feel that we are living in the ‘century of the system’; over the last year our good relationships with problems in health and care are too complex providers and commissioners have led to work now to be solved with simple solutions. Chris that has really put people’s voices at the heart of Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund has also decision making. Two Vanguards in Wakefield argued ‘there is much more potential to involve District and a Pioneer integrated care patients – and their carers where appropriate – programme have had patient and service user as partners in care.’ Local Healthwatch are key experience embedded throughout. We have enablers to supporting patient and carer polled, surveyed, run focus groups, interviewed involvement in health and care and we will and researched people’s views alongside new continue to offer constructive challenge and services being shaped. insight where we can. Our working relationships with other local Healthwatch in our West Yorkshire and Harrogate STP footprint have also been strong. We have delivered some good integrated Nichola Esmond, Chief Executive Officer Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 5 Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 6 We know that you want services that Independent work for you, your family and friends. We act on behalf of local people independent of That’s why we want you to share your political parties, commissioners and providers. experiences of using health and care We have no vested interests in the outcome of our work apart from improving local health and services with us – both good and bad. social care services for the people of Wakefield. We use your voice to encourage those who buy and run services to act on what matters to you. Engage Listen to and engage effectively with people who use local health and social care services. We will put the public voice at the heart of decision making around health and social care. Inform and advise We will do this by growing and strengthening Offer a variety of ways for people to access the organisation so that we can challenge and information, advice and support. improve provision of health and social care services on behalf of local people, particularly Involve those whose voices are often under represented. Involve local people in our work. We will be a credible and influential organisation Influence that has good relationships with local people, Influence positive change in service provision commissioners and providers of health and and commissioning. social care. Governance and Finance Govern ourselves effectively and in line with our values and statutory functions. Inclusive and collaborative We put people first, particularly those who are Sustain our core funding and develop other less able to represent themselves. We aim to income streams to support our sustainability. involve all communities in Wakefield District. We work in partnership with all key stakeholders. Proactively attract, support and develop a high quality team of staff, board and volunteers. Credible and effective We aim to be respected for our rigour and high standards of information, intelligence and reporting. We want to make a difference. Open and accountable We hold meetings in public and carry out decisions and publish our findings according to our governance processes, which are available on our website. Healthwatch Wakefield 2016-17 7 Group (CCG) to deliver evaluation from a resident perspective. Primary care: impact on patients of the change Some of our work streams from the previous year in GP contracts locally, including access to continued into 2016/17 because they were prescriptions, changes in triage and ‘out of designed as ongoing projects or were still areas we hours’ provision. felt needed follow up to make sure the impact of the work had been as significant as it could be. Hospital transformation: impact on patients of changes to Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust The work streams described are the major provision of services across three hospitals projects that Healthwatch Wakefield took forward this year. but don’t reflect the ongoing day to day pieces of work supporting individuals or smaller issues that Focus on information, advice and advocacy: we dealt with. for people trying to navigate the health and care system. Continued from 2015-16 Future in Mind: work streams ‘Voice of children and young people’; ‘Effectively target and engage Young people’s mental health: Young vulnerable groups’; and case studies. Healthwatch investigation into young people’s mental health issues, including access to MCP Vanguard Evaluation: providing the immediate help and support, and an independent, patient and carer perspective on seven primary young person led evaluation of CAMHS. care and integrated care initiatives. Access to social care: a ‘reality check’ on the implications of the Care Act on people being able to access care support, measuring impact on those people who are unable to access support, what other services do they then use, how is their health and wellbeing affected. Connecting Care: an evaluation of integrated care services across the District. Home care: survey in partnership with Wakefield and District Housing and Carers Wakefield. Public Voice report to the Health and Wellbeing Board: report drawn from public experience and intelligence from a wide range of health, care, council and voluntary sector partners.

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