About Healthwatch Wiltshire
We are the independent local champion for people who use health and social care services.
We’re here to make sure that the organisations that plan and run services, including the NHS and Wiltshire County Council, put local people at the heart of care.
We aim to improve local health and social care services for people who use them today, and to shape them for anyone who might need them in the future.
What does the role involve?
This is a varied role, and dependent on how involved you would like to be, the type of work you could be involved in may include:
- Promoting Healthwatch Wiltshire (HWW) and its role within your local community
- Joining us on our stand as part of our Listening Tours visiting local Hospitals/GPs and Community based services
- Encouraging people to give feedback and share their experiences (good or bad) of local health and social care services
- Attending meetings on behalf of HWW, to present views or findings gathered by the HWW Team and local people
- Carrying out ‘Mystery Shopper’ surveys by telephone, or face to face
- Becoming an Office volunteer supporting with admin and data entry
- Help us to review HWW documents and those from outside agencies to ensure that they are accessible to everyone
- Responding to online surveys, consultations and feedback requests
- Carrying out research tasks on specific projects (such as maternity services, or mental health) to assist our Projects Lead.
Who would suit this role?
The role is open to anyone who is a resident in Wiltshire with the following qualities and abilities:
- Have good listening and communication skills
- Be able to encourage people to speak up about their views and experiences in a constructive way
- Be non-judgemental and respectful of others
- Be impartial, empathetic and show an ability to consider everyone’s perspective
- Be tactful and diplomatic in sensitive situations
- Be reliable and flexible with your approach
- Have an understanding of the role of Healthwatch Wiltshire
- Be committed and enthusiastic
What can Healthwatch Wiltshire offer?
- Free training
- Buddying system with opportunities to shadow for new volunteers
- A dedicated member of staff as a main point of contact
- Volunteer meetings, workshops and development sessions
- Reimbursement of all agreed expenses (mileage paid at 45p per mile)
- Free Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check – if relevant to the role
Additional information
- Whilst there is no minimum requirement of hours, each role and task will require a level of commitment and reliability which will be discussed and agreed before volunteering commences
- In addition to generic induction information, training is ongoing and designed to be task and role specific – sometimes delivered in-house by members of our team, and sometimes by external partners
- Each role is subject to a 3-month probationary period, and Ambassadors are instated for a duration of 12 months at a time.