About this course

Suppose you are new to projects and would like to get an overview of project management principles, are more experienced in project management and looking for fresh ideas, or just want an insight into project planning in a Healthwatch environment. In that case, this online course is for you.

What will I learn?

You will pick up tips and techniques that will provide you with the clarity and confidence to get the project outcomes you deserve.

This e-learning course shows you project planning techniques adapted to reflect feedback from local Healthwatch teams. The result is a practical approach focussing on what is important to you. It provides tools to create your project plan and aims to help you understand:

• Why planning your outcomes before you start is essential.
• Good decision making and where it fits into project planning.
• How to keep the focus on your objectives.
• How all the aspects of planning flow together in a project plan: a clear structure.
• The smooth transition from planning to project delivery.
• Be confident in your communications - the right people at the right time.
• The importance of evaluating your project.

How long will it take, and what does it involve?

This e-learning course will take you under 60 minutes to complete. We have tried to keep this course short enough to complete in one sitting, to help you on get the best learning experience possible. However, you can save your progress if you need to. 

Don't forget to download your certificate of completion at the end of the course. 

The e-learning is divided into the four stages of project planning, based on our Project Checklist, which you can access and download within the introduction to this course.

Project checklist

We have also developed a excel spreadsheet template for you to use to plan your own projects. 

Download the template

About this course

Collecting demographic data about the people we support is key to helping you understand if you are reaching every section of your community and the specific issues they may face. But asking people about their characteristics can be challenging.  

What will I learn?

This course, developed by Healthwatch Tower Hamlets, aims to help you understand: 

• Why it’s essential to collect demographic data
• When to ask for demographic data 
• How to introduce demographic questions in surveys, telephone calls and when speaking to people face-to-face
• How to collect demographic data in conversations with people 
• How to collect demographic data from telephone conversations with people  
• How you can prioritise which demographic questions to ask  
• How to deal with situations where people feel uncomfortable or offended when you ask demographic questions 
• How to handle sensitive conversations 
• How to explain to the public why you collect demographic information 
• How to support your colleagues who might feel reluctant to collect demographic data 
• How to use demographic data for impactful reports and recommendations 

How long will it take, and what does it involve?

This e-learning course will take you under 60 minutes to complete. We have tried to keep this course short enough to complete in one sitting, to help you on get the best learning experience possible. However, you can save your progress if you need to. 

Don't forget to download your certificate of completion at the end of the course. 

The course involves three learning sessions and comes with a workbook to reflect on your current approach and consider what you might want to change.  You can find and download the workbook in the “about this course section”. 

Welcome to Healthwatch

Take a look at our online induction course to learn more about Healthwatch, your role and responsibilities and the support on offer from Healthwatch England. It will also be a useful refresher for existing board members who want to make the most of their role.

What does the course include? 

The course includes the following five sections, as well as contributions from existing board members on the difference they make: 

1. Welcome to Healthwatch – our role and values 
   Including a welcome from Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch, who explains our values and the priorities of Healthwatch  
2. Running an effective Healthwatch 
   A closer look at the legislation and the key things all local Healthwatch leaders should know and do 
3. Your role, responsibilities and Healthwatch decision making  
   Explains the two different models of Healthwatch, standalone and hosted, and the importance of independent and transparent decision making and governing arrangements 
4. Your role in representing Healthwatch  
   Introduces you to the different situations where you may be representing your Healthwatch, including if you are a media spokesperson  
5. Support from Healthwatch England 
   This section covers ways that Healthwatch England supports local Healthwatch, from contact with your regional lead to engaging with other local Healthwatch on our Facebook Workplace community 

Thank you to Healthwatch Islington, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove and the Consultation Institute who worked to produce this training on how to engage people who are not online.

What do we mean by people who are not online?

Speaking to people in your communities about their experiences of health and social care is at the heart of the work you do. One of the key ways that we are able to do this is through online engagement.

While the large majority of people do use the internet, there are pockets within our communities who do not, many of whom may be higher uses of health and social care services.  

From the 2018 Office for National Statistics report, we know that these people are more likely to be:

• Over 75
• Have a disability
• Female

Why take this e-learning course?

This training will take you through different offline engagement techniques and how to choose the right ones to achieve your purpose and reach your audience. 

It covers how to plan your contact, understand practical ways of trying to reach audiences who are not online and how to utilise your volunteers or existing networks. 

Welcome to Healthwatch

Take a look at our online induction course for new local Healthwatch lead officers to help you understand more about Healthwatch and the support on offer. 

What does the course include?

The course includes the following five sections:

1. Welcome to Healthwatch
   Including a welcome from the Chair of Healthwatch, Sir Robert Francis QC
2. Running a Healthwatch
   A closer look at the legislation and some useful information for those of you new to health and social care
3. The Quality Framework
   Provides a shared understanding between Healthwatch providers, local authority commissioners and Healthwatch England about the ingredients of an effective Healthwatch
4. Key relationships
   It's essential to invest time in building relationships with your staff, board and potential partners and interested stakeholders. This induction talks about how you can start to map your key stakeholders against your work plan priorities.
5. Support from Healthwatch England
   This section covers ways that Healthwatch England supports local Healthwatch. From contact with your regional lead to engaging with other local Healthwatch on our  Facebook Workplace community.

Working with Healthwatch Cumbria, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire, Healthwatch Peterborough and the Consultation Institute we've put together an e-learning course on online engagement techniques.

What does the course include?

• Principles of planning and managing online content

• Social media
• Online meetings and focus groups
• Accessibility

Go to course

About this resource

As part of our role to support you we have designed a short online induction course for anyone who joins the Healthwatch network to help them gain a shared understanding of who we are and what we do.

This resource is for Healthwatch staff, volunteers and board members who are new to the Healthwatch network.

The course covers:

• Information about the Healthwatch network,
• The role of local Healthwatch and Healthwatch England,
• Examples of how we make a difference
• How we support you and how you can stay up-to-date with the latest news and resources