Leeds Becket University Review of Healthwatch Warwickshire

Key Findings and Recommendations

Healthwatch Warwickshire is generally considered to be an effective local Healthwatch by most local stakeholders across all sectors in the County.

Areas where it is considered to be particularly effective include:

• Establishing and managing trusted strategic relationships at county and organisation level.

• Advocating effectively and appropriately for public voice and engagement in relevant committees and boards.

• Producing influential and credible reports based on the experience of the public.

There are a number of areas where further development and improvement may be possible. It is important to preface this by recognising that local services are working in a time of government austerity. This means that all recommendations for improvement need to be considered within a context of diminishing public sector resources.

Question Healthwatch Warwickshire might consider include:

• does it have a balanced approach with regard to relationships across the County both with regard to the voluntary and community sector and district councils?

• could its current communication strategy be strengthened in order to ensure that it has a greater profile with the public?

• does it have a sufficient focus on seldom heard or easily ignored groups of people and is its current work in this area is sufficiently understood within the health and care system?

• how might it engage with key strategic bodies to ensure that they understand the rationale for Healthwatch Warwickshire forward priorities and how these fit with their own? Warwickshire County Council may wish to consider:

• whether it has a consistently collaborative relationship with Healthwatch Warwickshire across all of its health and care functions.

• how the Health Overview and Scrutiny function and the Cabinet responsibility for Health and Care could together help Healthwatch Warwickshire be more effective in its role.

Health and Wellbeing Board

The Health and Wellbeing Board may wish to consider reviewing the current provision of health and care advice and information in the county and the specific responsibility of Healthwatch Warwickshire within this context.