Issue - meetings

(4.45pm – 4.50pm)

To receive a Progress Report from Mike O’Regan, Healthwatch representative.

Mike O’Regan presented a report which provided the Board with an update on progress on the first nine months of Healthwatch Cheshire East. The “Local Healthwatch Outcome and Impact Development Tool”, published jointly by the Local Government Association and Healthwatch England, had been used as a framework for the report. This tool was designed to support local Health Watches to identify outcomes and impacts and ultimately demonstrate that they were meeting their objectives and were fit for purpose.

It was reported that Healthwatch Cheshire East had advertised and recruited Board members from across the community during March 2013. Over April and May the members had met with Directors from the Voluntary Sector Consortium, who held the Healthwatch contract and underwent an induction programme and agreed how they would work together. From June Board members had been meeting on a six weekly cycle agreeing their working practice, policies and work plan. A number of Task and Finish Groups had been established to develop policy and help form action plans around key work streams, details of which were reported.

As Healthwatch’s representative, Mr O’Regan had attended the Health and Wellbeing Board since April and the wider Healthwatch Board had agreed to become “Healthwatch Champions”, linking into partner organisations, including Cheshire East Council, Eastern and South NHS Clinical Commission Groups, the three NHS Trust’s. These Champions would attend and actively participate in the governing bodies of partners. They would both raise Healthwatch’s profile and better understand the challenges and opportunities that face these organisations.    

Details of the body’s work in respect of community engagement, youth engagement, scrutiny, information and sign posting service and advocacy  service were also provided.

RESOLVED

That the progress to date be noted and that the HWB continue to support Healthwatch Cheshire East in it work as “Consumer Champion for the Health and Social Care Economy of Cheshire East”.