Volunteering
Healthwatch wants real change within Health and Social Care services and to achieve this we need someone like you!
By volunteering with us you are supporting your local community and local services. You are ensuring the views and experiences,of those within the community, your family and friends are heard.
What is a Healthwatch volunteer?
Healthwatch volunteers are involved in the delivery of Healthwatch activities across North Lincolnshire and focus on speaking to local people about their experiences of health and social care services.
Through these activities, Healthwatch volunteers enable us to understand local need. With this information, we highlight best practice and areas of improvement and work with those who run and commission local services to deliver real change.
We are passionate about supporting people to volunteer with us however and as often as they would like. Although you may apply for a single role with Healthwatch, we welcome for volunteers to try new and various activities with us, full training and support is provided to ensure no matter where they are starting from, each of our volunteers have the skills and confidence needed to champion their role.
How can you get involved?
We are currently recruiting for volunteers in the following areas:
From time to time, the staff team need support with admin tasks and data input for research projects. This is a good volunteering opportunity to learn new skills and enhance your CV.
What will you be doing:
- Inputting data from surveys and questionnaires
- Dealing with enquiries from the public
- Sorting and filing post
- Support with the HWNL newsletter
- Social media posts
- Assisting the staff team with administration duties as appropriate
Where:
Healthwatch offices at Normanby Gateway, Scunthorpe.
Duration/ time commitment:
As & when required.
What do you need to be able to do:
- Good level of verbal and written communication skills
- Work by yourself with support from Healthwatch North Lincolnshire staff
- Be able to type and use a computer
- Be able to input information accurately
- Keep all information confidential
Full training and induction will be provided for this role.
One of the key roles of Healthwatch North Lincolnshire is to engage with the people of North Lincolnshire and gather their views of local health and care services; what is working well and where improvements can be made. Volunteers are key to our engagement and we are always looking for volunteers to join our team.
What will you be doing:
- Talking to people about their experiences of health and social care services
- Recording brief notes about what people say
- Completing surveys or help run groups to get people’s views
- Raising awareness of Healthwatch North Lincolnshire
Where:
- Various community locations across North Lincolnshire e.g. community hubs, local events.
- Health and care settings across North Lincolnshire
Duration/ time commitment:
- Average of a couple of 2-3 hour sessions a month.
What do you need to be able to do:
- Have good listening and communication skills
- Basic literacy skills – be able to make clear notes when talking to people
- Ability to act professionally and maintain confidentiality
- Ability to separate your own experiences and views from those of others
Full training and induction will be provided for this role.
Enter and View is the one of the tools available to Healthwatch to find out people’s experiences of health and social care. Enter and view is not an inspection but instead involves authorised representatives entering settings where health and social care services are conducted, talking to patients, their families/carers and also staff in order to find out their views and experiences and to observe how well services are being delivered.
Enter and View visits will be determined by the Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire staff team who will set out the purpose of the visit and the outcomes desired. Enter and View Ambassadors can be involved in the preparation of the visit and reporting on the outcomes, working under the direction of the staff team. Visits will always be undertaken as part of a team comprising at least two members and all information collected is strictly confidential.
What you will be doing:
- Undertaking training relevant to the role.
- To work with the staff team and other visitors to ensure purpose of the visit and the desired outcomes are understood.
- To study relevant information that forms the basis for individual visits.
- To conduct Enter and View visits appropriately, representing Healthwatch in a professional manner and following relevant policies, procedures and regulations.
- To gather information and evidence during the visit, speaking to patients, carers and staff as appropriate.
- To report back to the staff team the findings of the visit, and to feed back on information detailed in subsequent reports, ensuring it is a true reflection of what was observed in the visit.
Where:
Visits can take place across North Lincolnshire.
Duration / Time Commitment:
The total time commitment required depends on the nature of the current Healthwatch work-plan plan and the number of Enter & View Ambassadors appointed.
Enter and View Ambassadors are required to take part in 3 visits a year. Visits themselves should last between 2 to 4 hours.
Training:
All Enter & View Ambassadors will receive initial compulsory induction and training, in addition to on-going training as identified. Refresher courses will also be provided. Enter and View representatives will be required to have an enhanced disclosure and barring clearance which Healthwatch will arrange.
The Read & Review Group has been set up so local organisations who are updating their documents can submit them to our group to get a lay opinion. This is to ensure they are fit for purpose, use simple language and are easy to understand. Feedback will be summarised and sent to the organisations who submitted the documents.
What you will be doing:
- Reading different documents, this might be reports, leaflets, booklets, posters, online material etc. · Commenting on the written materials and whether you think they are fit for purpose and use language that you understand.
Where:
Can be done from home, occasional group meet ups
Duration / Time Commitment:
- As & when required
- Ideally, you will need access to a computer/ internet so the role can be done virtually
What you need to be able to do:
- Read & critique written documents
- Ability to summarise & critique documents using the Healthwatch North Lincs reporting form either hand written or using a computer
No previous experience needed, full training will be provided
How do you apply to become a Healthwatch Volunteer?
You can apply to become a Healthwatch volunteer through our online application form.
If you have any further queries, or need any assistance in completing an application form, please contact us.