‘The whole me’ Conference 2017

Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead held their first joint conference on 5 April 2017 following the two organisations coming under the management of Tell Us North CIC. The conference theme,“The Whole Me,” highlighted the importance of health and social care services treating people as individuals by considering their wider circumstances, responsibilities and personal needs, rather than focusing only on immediate health issues. More than 80 delegates from the public, voluntary sector, public services and commercial organisations attended the event.

A major focus of the conference was research into services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Healthwatch surveyed over 200 parents and carers and more than 50 young people. While most respondents were satisfied with the support they received and viewed the new Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans positively, concerns were raised about poor communication, confusion over who was responsible for providing support, and insufficient preparation for adulthood. Healthwatch recommended introducing a single point of contact, providing clearer information about services and reforms, prioritising preparation for adulthood, and investing in life-skills training. Newcastle City Council had already begun acting on several of these recommendations. 

The conference also reviewed Healthwatch Gateshead’s work during the previous year. This included an Enter and View project at Teams Medical Practice that identified examples of good patient engagement, an annual event that brought residents together with health and care decision-makers, and a mystery shopping exercise examining awareness of the Accessible Information Standard. The mystery shopping work found that many frontline staff were unaware of their legal duties to identify and meet the communication needs of people with disabilities or sensory impairments. The findings were shared with local commissioners to support service improvements.

Delegates contributed to setting priorities for 2017–18. For Healthwatch Newcastle, the chosen priorities were health and social care services for care leavers and young homeless people, continuing healthcare, cervical and breast cancer screening and vaccination services, and mental health services. For Healthwatch Gateshead, the priorities were carers, continuing healthcare and mental health services. These priorities were selected through a combination of public voting, conference discussions and committee decision-making.

The conference also presented findings from the“My Home, My Say” research project, which examined how care homes involve residents and relatives in decisions about care and the running of services. Based on the views of more than 150 residents, relatives and managers, the study found generally high levels of satisfaction and involvement. However, a significant minority wanted greater involvement. Healthwatch recommended fostering a culture that values involvement, embedding involvement into policies and procedures, and ensuring staff have the skills and time needed to support meaningful participation. 

The keynote speaker shared his experiences of caring for his mother, who had vascular dementia. He emphasised the importance of listening to carers and understanding what matters to individuals. His presentation reinforced the conference theme by highlighting how small acts of compassion and attention to a person’s broader needs can have a significant impact on wellbeing. 

Overall, feedback on the conference was very positive. Attendees described the event as well organised, informative and inspiring, particularly praising the presentations and the opportunity to influence future Healthwatch priorities. Healthwatch stated that feedback from the event would be used to improve future conferences and engagement activities.