Our shared values - how we developed them and next steps

 I want to thank each of you for your contribution over the last few months in helping us shape our shared values. It was a moment of pride for me to announce them at our inspiring National Awards event – a celebration that vividly showcased these values.

In case you missed it, I am delighted to announce our five shared values:

1. Equity: Embracing inclusivity and compassion, establishing profound connections with the communities we serve, and empowering them. 
2. Collaboration: Nurturing both internal and external relationships, fostering transparent communication, and partnering to amplify our impact. 
3. Independence: Championing the public's agenda, serving as purposeful and critical allies to decision-makers. 
4. Truth: Operating with unyielding integrity and honesty, fearlessly advocating truth to those in power. 
5. Impact: Pursuing ambitious endeavours to effect meaningful change for individuals and communities while remaining accountable and holding others accountable.

The journey so far

The journey toward defining these values has been collaborative, with input from 37 Healthwatch and discussions among Healthwatch England staff and our National Committee. Given the emerging consensus, choosing the words for each of our values was relatively straightforward. While there may have been differences in the exact wording, we've encapsulated the diverse range of perspectives through the accompanying descriptors for each value.

Take, for instance, the emphasis on inclusion, which resonated deeply with many of us. This sentiment is reflected in the descriptor for equity, reminding us of the importance of equitable access to health and care services for all and our commitment to empowering individuals to shape the services they receive. It also means our commitment to our staff, volunteers, and board members to support a culture where they can fulfil their potential, thrive and contribute meaningfully, regardless of background or circumstance.

During recent discussions on our future sustainability with over 200 local Healthwatch, local authority commissioners, and Integrated Care Board representatives, a consistent message emerged: our strength lies in our deep connection to local communities with a national footprint, which enables us to effect change locally, regionally and nationally. Underlying this strength, and our role as a critical friend holding health and care bodies to account, are the values of equity, collaboration, truth, independence, and impact. These values drive meaningful change and address health inequalities, forming the foundation of our purpose.

Putting our values into action

When we embarked on this journey in September, we committed to ensuring that our values don't become mere words on paper. It's about embodying these values in our everyday work and interactions.

At Healthwatch England, we will:

• Add a personal objective for each staff member to reflect on and demonstrate how they apply our values, including as part of staff appraisals. 
• Factor in our values when reviewing our policies, procedures and intranet. 
• Focus on exploring the behaviours associated with each of the values at our staff away day in May. 
• Develop a charter for our National Committee setting out expected behaviours and standards of conduct. 

These are just some of the actions we’ll be taking to foster a culture where our shared values guide our actions and decisions, and we invite you to consider similar actions.

We hope that you will:

• Share these values with your staff, board members, volunteers, and commissioners. 
• Discuss internally how you can adopt these values for your Healthwatch or align them to your existing values. We are confident there will be clear alignment from feedback in the workshops. 
• Take part in discussions about the behaviours that we can all sign up to that will underpin these values. Watch out for opportunities on Workplace and in the newsletter.  
• Share examples of when your staff and volunteers exemplified these values in the annual Healthwatch survey in September.