According to the Healthwatch England website, the Healthwatch network "has a common purpose – to ensure the voices of people who use services are listened to and responded to."
So, how did Healthwatch Wandsworth measure up last year? Below are some key facts and figures related to the work we do here, and the value that work has in real terms.
KEY FIGURES
Spoke to over 1250 local patients, service users and carers during 106 community outreach sessions.
Provided 57 information and signposting sessions to local patients, service users and carers and community groups.
Benefited from 850 hours of office-based voluntary work.
Ran4public meetings attended by over 200 people in total.
Published 7consultation reports and 5 Enter and View reports.
The Healthwatch Wandsworth website showed 3625 new visitors and 2146 returning visitors throughout the year.
Reached 2500Twitter followers across two different accounts (main/youth)
Represented by 21volunteers on over 40local health and social care boards, groups and committees.
THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK
We ran a consultation on theHealth Visitingservices, planned in partnership with the local authorities and the CCG. We visited 13 children centres and spoke to 142local parents and carers. The Health Visiting Commissioning Group has used the feedback included in our health visiting report to help shaping the new specification for the service.
We visited the3Extra-care schemes in Wandsworth. The recommendation included in our Extra care reports have been presented and discussed with the team commissioning the new contract for two Extra-care schemes in Wandsworth.
We took part in NCS – The Challenge and had a group of 11 young people helping us run a consultation on healthy alternative to junk food. We spoke to 135 people and published a report which was sent to Public Health and used to inform healthy eating projects
We took part in the conference Youth Momentum 2 and discussed with 58young people plans to launch a school-based counselling service. We published a report which was discussed at the children’s commissioning board and at the meetings of the CAMHS commissioning group.
We highlighted the need to develop a localconsultation protocolfor service change and are working with the local authorities to develop it. The protocol is likely to be adopted by other local authorities in South West London.
Our report onsuicide prevention has been used by Public Health to help build the new strategy for the borough.
We visited 10ShelteredHousing Schemes, spoke to 68 residents about their experience of health and social care and published or report. Recommendations to encourage better communication between sheltered housing officers and health professionals have been taken on board by commissioners and providers.
At a South West London level, our service user representatives are helping to shape the new care models on the clinical work streams of the South West London Collaborative Commissioning Group.
Our representatives regularlycontribute to discussions on over 40health and social care boardsand committees in Wandsworth, including the Health and Wellbeing Board, the St. George’s Council of Governors, the CCG Board, and both Adult and Children Safeguarding Boards.
We ran a consultation on the Health Visiting services, planned in partnership with the local authorities and the CCG. We visited 
Our report on suicide prevention has been used by Public Health to help build the new strategy for the borough.