How do we articulate the outcomes we achieve?

From listening to Healthwatch, we’re keen to make sure we help the network capture and describe all the outcomes that are achieved, and where and how this happens. Sometimes the focus can be mainly on the ‘service change’ outcomes, which can be easier to describe, but we know this doesn’t reflect the breadth of statutory activity. 

This document has been produced to help take forward these discussions. It summarises our combined thinking so far, based on initial conversations with fifteen lead officers and reflection on the types of outcomes and impact found in annual reports and elsewhere.

Our thinking is that this work will be used to: 

• Make sure we’re all telling the best story about each domain and enhance our overall narrative about the value of listening and of what Healthwatch offers. 

• Help ensure that funders and other stakeholders recognise the breadth of Healthwatch impact. 

• Ensure what Healthwatch achieve through ‘holding to account’ is better understood, considering the responsibilities covered in the Holding to Account Toolkit. 

• Help us all consider any relationship between the particular domains where outcomes are achieved, the approaches to influencing needed to do that, and the level of resources it takes. 

• Strengthen our overall picture of Healthwatch impact to inform our support offer. 

But this is by no means a finished product. It doesn’t claim to be comprehensive or conclusive. We’ve held some great insightful conversations with colleagues from a range of Healthwatch and are now working up the next version of this model to share with you soon.