Annual Report 2016/17

Healthwatch Wandsworth report on their key achievements in 2016/17:

• Engaged extensively with local residents, speaking to over 1,120 people about their health and care experiences, attending 90 community events, and holding four public Assemblies attended by around 175 people. 
• Influenced improvements in social care services through Enter and View visits to supported living and extra care schemes. Wandsworth Council incorporated Healthwatch recommendations into service design and commissioning, including better person-centred care and staff-resident matching. 
• Improved local services through scrutiny and feedback, including:
  • Influencing quality monitoring changes in the Council's KITE reablement service.
  • Securing action plans from South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust following ward visits.
  • Raising issues and recommendations relating to renal and dialysis services at St George's Hospital.
• Ensured local people shaped major service changes, with consultation findings helping to inform:
  • The redesign of the Health Visiting Service.
  • The new Wandsworth Carers Strategy.
  • NHS engagement around outpatient transformation and wider Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) changes. 
• Amplified the voices of seldom-heard groups, undertaking research into the mental health needs of LGBT+ residents, deaf and disabled people, and young people. Findings contributed to wider London Assembly work and influenced local needs assessments. 
• Supported residents to access services and advice, handling 50 information and signposting enquiries and providing guidance to 528 residents through outreach sessions at 55 events. 
• Strengthened community involvement, supported by 42 volunteers contributing more than 3,000 hours, with Healthwatch representatives attending over 60 boards, committees and working groups to represent residents' views.