Running an effective Healthwatch

Progress has been made to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals (who make up approximately 1.8 million people) in the UK. Yet we know that growing up LGBTQ+ in an intolerant society, experiencing prejudice and rejection, can exacerbate health inequalities and have a negative impact on health outcomes compared to the general population.

This session will help you understand health inequalities impacting the LGBTQ+ community and help you with inclusive language and understanding to support your engagement activities with LGBTQ+ communities.

Neurodiversity is a word used to describe the different thinking styles that affect how people communicate with the world around them. Around 15-20% of all the people living in the world are thought to have a neuro-difference and no two people will be affected by their condition in the same way.

Education, healthcare, and workplace settings can present significant challenges for neurodivergent people, primarily due to a lack of understanding of their needs. But what does good practice look like and what do we need to consider when engaging and supporting neurodiverse people?

Inclusive language is a way of communicating that aims to avoid expressions or words that might exclude or marginalise certain groups of people. It focuses on using terms that are respectful and considerate of all individuals, regardless of their gender, race, disability, age, or other characteristics. It is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging and respect among diverse groups of people. 

This session will help you think about inclusive language in the context of your own work. 

Members of the public contact Healthwatch for advice and information about health and social care services. You might receive calls from people in distress, who could be at risk to themselves or others, or where there might be a safeguarding concern. We have a duty of care to keep the person safe, while getting them the help they need.

Note: this course will discuss suicide.

This session led by Healthwatch Bucks will help you to manage these types of calls

Type of event

Interactive learning session to small audience

Members of the public contact Healthwatch for advice and information about health and social care services. These calls can be complex and at times you may find some or all parts of a call challenging. Find out how to best manage difficult calls in this session led by Healthwatch Bucks.

Type of event

Interactive learning session to small audience. Please come prepared to share examples from your own experience and support your colleagues. Joining in with your camera on will be appreciated.

This session will take you through our visual brand, the key ingredients of using visual design to engage your audiences and how to apply this in your work.

Type of event

Interactive learning session to large audience with time to ask questions.

Who is this event for?

This event is for Healthwatch staff and volunteers involved in communications.

What you will learn?

This session will help you know how to write engaging and accessible content for your website.

Type of event

Interactive learning session where you will be asked to participate in some exercises to help boost your knowledge and understanding. Joining in will be appreciated.

Who is this event for?

This event is for Healthwatch staff or volunteers who write content for their website or are involving in maintaining their website.

This session will help you to better support your personal wellbeing and resilience and will be useful to Healthwatch staff who provide information and signposting to the public. It will be helpful to anyone who gathers views from the public and hears experiences of health and social care services.

Type of event

Small group workshop with active participation.

Having your camera on and joining in with the discussions will be appreciated by the trainer and help you and the rest of the group get the most benefit from the session.

Listening skills are essential for Healthwatch staff and volunteers. They are also important for engagement staff and volunteers who speak to members of the public to gather experiences of using health and care services.

This session will show you new approaches on how to better listen to people, which will build your confidence and skills and support your information and signposting, and engagement activities.

Type of event

Small group workshop with active participation.

Listening skills are essential for Healthwatch staff and volunteers. They are also important for engagement staff and volunteers who speak to members of the public to gather experiences of using health and care services.

This session will show you new approaches on how to better listen to people, which will build your confidence and skills and support your information and signposting, and engagement activities.

Type of event

Small group workshop with active participation.