Welcome to our latest E-Newsletter!

Welcome to  the latest Engaging Communities South West (ECSW) newsletter, updating you about the various activities and projects we’ve been involved in and helped get under way in our community.

Just to remind you, we offer Engagement, Evaluation, Communications and Digital support, running different projects in the community while also managing the contract for award-winning independent health and social care consumer champion Healthwatch Torbay.

Our engagement team is routed in local communities, offering our skills and expertise to support and highlight the impact, outcomes and successes that funders may require when evaluating any projects.

Meet our new BAME Network Officer

How do we make BAME lives matter at Torbay Council?
How do we make BAME lives matter at Torbay’s public organisations?
How do we make BAME lives matter in Torbay’s community and voluntary sector?

To help us  answer these and other vital questions, Emila Smith has joined the Engaging Communities South West team in a brand new role.

She’s our BAME Engagement Network Officer and her aim is to develop that Network, supporting the BAME community in Torbay’s public, private and community sector, working alongside the newly formed Torbay Racism Review Panel.

The initial funding for this new role has been provided by Torbay Council and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, and Emilia’s work will now include working to co-produce an engagement plan while acting as a main point of contact for all Torbay’s public, private and community organisations looking to engage with the BAME community

It’s an exciting and challenging role, empowering communities by ensuring that their voices are heard and, importantly, that action is taken when it clearly needs to be.

We spoke to Emilia about her work and she told us, "It's a privilege to be part of the team! I am very excited to work with our local communities. Through  listening, understanding and working together, I believe very positive changes can be made."

Healthwatch - your independent healthcare champion

This month Healthwatch Torbay – the independent healthcare consumer champion service we run – is working with NHS in Devon, asking people aged 18-40 to share their views about and attitudes toward COVID vaccination. 

Aleksandra, our Project Support Officer, says the more we understand people’s views the more equipped the NHS will be to deliver the vaccine programme in ways that will work for everyone. 

'The aim,' Aleksandra says, 'was to speak with people who did NOT received a vaccine and explore theirs views on having a vaccine' and with that in mind she ran 2 focus groups (via ZOOM) in order to collect detailed feedback in May and June.

Unfortunately, not many people attended those focus groups, so Aleksandra called individuals aged 18-40 and collected the feedback via phone. In total, she was able to manage to collect 30 responses (15 for people aged 30-40 and 15 for people aged 18-29) and the feedback was shared with CCG Devon - who were, she adds, 'very pleased with feedback collected.'

'As you may be aware,' she reminds us,' Healthwatch will  be hosting 3 Network Meetings during July 21 (each one for each area – Torbay, Plymouth and Devon).'
 

Wednesday 14th July 2021, 13:00-15:00 (TORBAY)
Tuesday 20th July 2021, 11:30-13:30 (PLYMOUTH)
Wednesday 21st July 2021, 13:00-15:00 (DEVON)

These meetings are an opportunity to inform the public, service users etc. about our current work plan, priorities for this year, and to share what we have done over the last 12 months; they also give and a chance for people to express their views and ask us questions. To register attendance, a registration form needs to be filled in by clicking at this link  https://forms.office.com/r/AXzKJEqNMZ

If some have any questions, queries or would like to receive the invitation in other formats or languages, they need to contact us by emailing: aburckett@hwdevon-plymouth-torbay.org

Healthwatch - your independent healthcare champion

This month Healthwatch have also released their first ever joint Annual Report for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, covering their activities from April 2020 to March 2021.
 
Read about
•    how they adapted during the pandemic
•    how they work alongside statutory organisations
•    their reports and case studies to see
•    how the public voice has made a difference to local healthcare services!

Our Digital Work - New Modules Available!

Don't forget to visit our Digital Health Devon project, supported by the NHS and offering free guidance to show people how to use online healthcare resources.

As a reminder, all our e-learning resource pages are open and free to use without the need to register, with a unique search feature option which allows people to filter by location or by category. You can view our selection of e-learning resources via https://digitalhealthdevon.co.uk/my-courses/.

This includes new modules useful to the COVID lockdown such as how to download your COVID passport. 

If you’re interested in getting involved or helping support the Digital Health Devon Project, please email info@digitalhealthdevon.co.uk or visit the project e-learning website for free at www.digitalhealthdevon.co.uk.

Give us a call free on 08000 520 029

To find out more about Healthwatch Torbay and Engaging Communities South West you can call us free 08000 520 029. 

You'll likely be put through to Jack, who has recently been dealing with all sorts of queries,  mostly, he tells us, to do with people's problems getting dental appointments, especially for those new to our area. 
 
'We're  currently slowly getting back into the office,' he adds, ' but not offering face to face appointments yet, and when we do people will need to book them in advance.'

He and the team have  been busy with catching up on paperwork at the office and, importantly, he says,  'getting ready for opening up by in getting in such as hand sanitisers, and making sure there is equipment to clean the desks with etc…'

He has also been supporting carers in Torbay, as well as being the lead contact on the Healthwatch in Devon Plymouth and Torbay contact centre (including the Live Webchat service offered on all the Healthwatch and Digital Health Devon websites) for people wanting to raise a concern or share their feedback .

Why not join our Board of Trustees?

We are looking to recruit high calibre, dynamic new Board of Trustees to continue our work and play a pivotal role in improving local communities. We are very excited at the prospect of welcoming passionate new members to our team, so if you are keen to be involved and make a difference, we would be delighted to hear from you.

We are particularly keen to hear from local people that have either business or finance knowledge or a general interest in the health and wellbeing of our local communities. If you would like to take part in this great opportunity and think you could help then please get in touch.

If you would like a confidential informal discussion about the voluntary role, please contact info@engagingcommunitiessouthwest.org.uk or freephone on 08000 520 029 to arrange a suitable time. For a copy of the application pack please click here to download.