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 a range of services, including community voice, facilitation of engagement events, data capture and analysis, report writing, communications support, training and service/project evaluation and review. 

We provide these services to advance three key areas: Community Voice, Access & Empowerment, and Strategic Support.

Torbay Multicultural Network Newsletter Out Now

Our Engagement Network Officer Emilia Smith and has been developing a network to support the BAME community in Torbay’s public, private and community sector, working alongside the Torbay Racism Review Panel.

Emilia’s work has included 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.

The first multicultural group meeting went well and the group have agreed to meet quarterly. There are eight representatives on the core group and they have agreed their terms of reference and how they will report into the racism review panel. 25 organisations have come forward who want to work with people from a range of ethnic backgrounds.  

Emilia has now produced the first newsletter for the newly named Torbay Multicultural Network, which can be viewed by clicking the button below. 

If any organisations would like to join the group or sign up to the mailing list for the monthly newsletter, please email: torbaymulticulturalgroup@gmail.com

Healthwatch - your independent healthcare champion

Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay – the independent healthcare consumer champion service we run in partnership with neighbouring local Healthwatch - have recently launched the latest edition of their digital ‘Healthwatch Voices’ magazine. In the Autumn issue you can…

• Read about how we’ve been engaging in-person with you 
• See how our Champions have been helping people across Devon
• Find out how your experiences in busy Devon emergency departments are being used
• See plans from the NHS on improving access to GP appointments for patients
• Find information about the Integrated Care System for Devon  
• Could you be the right volunteer for our Devon Steering Group? Find out more from our new Lay Involvement Coordinator for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, Gail Mattocks. 

and so much more! Please click the button below to read the latest edition. 

Healthwatch - our latest open consultation

This month Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are working with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Dartmouth Town Council to explore whether the community can buy the former Dartmouth Hospital site, and whether its redevelopment could include uses specifically to benefit people in and around Dartmouth.

They now want to hear about what new facilities local people would like to see on the site and both the Trust and the Council are asking local people to share their views in a survey being run for them independently by Healthwatch. The survey is live now and runs until 8th December 2021.

People can access the online survey via the following link: https://surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DartmouthHospital, and can read more information about the consultation by clicking the button below.

Our Digital Work - New Drop In Sessions Available Soon!

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 modules such as how to download your COVID passport. 

This month we welcome two new members of staff to the Digital Health Devon project Team, Max Burrell and Sarah Kell. Both will be working on specific areas of the project, including embedding the use of smart technology into local care homes and also the restarting of our popular digital  'drop-in' sessions, showing patients how to access video consultations, e-referrals and live waiting times, amongst other things. We are very excited to begin these sessions again so please visit our website below and keep an eye on the events calendar for upcoming sessions!

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.

We finally meet face-to-face!

In the past month the ECSW team were finally able to meet face-to-face again at our Paignton Library Offices after a long and challenging time spent working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although our offices are currently still closed to the public, some members of the team are slowly returning under strict COVID guidelines - now that we have equipment such as hand sanitisers on site. 

To find out more about Engaging Communities South West you can still call us free on 08000 520 029 or email us at the following address: info@engagingcommunitiessouthwest.org.uk. 

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.