Annual Report 2025/26

Healthwatch Barnsley report on its key achievements for 2025/26.  It:

• Influenced improvements in women’s health, adult safeguarding, dementia support, dental care and access to healthcare, using residents’ experiences to shape local services and raise concerns with providers and commissioners. 
• Led a major women’s health engagement programme, gathering insight from women across Barnsley and producing HerWatch magazine to tackle misinformation, raise awareness and amplify women’s experiences of care. 
• Increased awareness of adult safeguarding, recruiting 20 Community Safeguarding Champions, signposting around 500 people for support, and helping identify concerns earlier so services could intervene more quickly. 
• Amplified the voices of seldom-heard communities, including deaf and hard of hearing residents, young people, people experiencing mental ill health, carers, and residents in deprived communities, ensuring their experiences informed local decision-making. 
• Supported service improvement through Enter and View visits to care homes, direct casework, and partnership working, helping residents access dental care, mental health support, financial assistance and other essential services.