Healthwatch Sefton Achieves the Quality Mark in recognition for high professional standards

The Quality Mark is only awarded to local Healthwatch who meet the criteria needed to run a successful Healthwatch.

Healthwatch Sefton has been awarded the Quality Mark, in recognition for going above and beyond to meet the high standards needed to pass the quality framework audit standards, set by Healthwatch England.

Healthwatch England launched the Quality Framework in 2018, which sets out the key ingredients to running a successful Healthwatch. The mark is not given to all local Healthwatch and is only awarded to those local Healthwatch who meet and attain the very high standards, set out in the Quality Framework.

Six key areas make up the Quality Framework:

1. Leadership and Decision Making: This looks at the importance of having clear goals and a rationale for work. It also looks at the strength of leadership and governance, both of which are key to successfully navigating a complex environment whilst maintaining independence and accountability.
2. People:  This recognises the importance of staff and volunteers. It can help understand whether the board, staff and volunteers have the right knowledge, skills and support to deliver an effective, consistent service.
3. Sustainability and Resilience: This focuses on a business model that enables to plan and operate effectively, as well as adapting to the changing needs of communities.
4. Collaboration: This recognises the value of working in partnership, and of learning from other Healthwatch.
5. Engagement, Involvement and Reach: This focuses on the main statutory activities. It looks at how to go about reaching out to all sections of  the community, gathering people’s views, providing advice and information, and involving people
6. Influence and Impact: This focuses on looking at the difference Healthwatch makes by ensuring those in charge of health and care services hear and act on people’s views.

John Turner, Chairman of Healthwatch Sefton said: “The quality mark is a tribute to the values of the staff and volunteers at Healthwatch Sefton and emphasises the vital importance of striving to achieve high standards of professionalism across all our operations. The award reflects that Healthwatch is good at listening, reaching out to Sefton residents and assessing feedback. We will continue to forge and develop relationships with health leaders to express these views and to influence and shape service improvements across many areas of health and social care.”

Diane Blair, Manager of Healthwatch Sefton said: “Working through this process with our board and Healthwatch England has helped our organisation and has supported us to understand our effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. From working through this assessment, we have already made changes to how we consider equality, diversity and inclusion information and as a result are collecting more demographic information from our residents to support us to understand what health and care issues are impacting them.”