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Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership (NHFT) have asked us to make a pledge called #mywellbeingpledge to take steps for ourselves and for others to look at out mental health, just as much our physical health. Small improvements in wellbeing can help decrease and prevent some mental health problems by taking opportunities to:

• Connect with the people around me
• Be active in a way that suits me and that I enjoy
• Take notice and be mindful of my surroundings
• Keep learning new skills and developing myself
• Give what I can whether it is my time or simply a random act of kindness

These are known as the 5 ways to wellbeing. As we make our pledge we are asked to look at the changes we can make to look after our own mental wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of others.

To uphold our pledge, we will encourage each other to be more active and to take time to focus on their own wellbeing and to look out for each other. We will continue to let people work flexibly to help them balance work and home life. And we will all make each other tea!

This pledge allows us to all think about mental health and how different teams in Northamptonshire can support eachother.

Find out more about #mywellbeingpledge and how you can make a difference today

Kettering General Hospital and Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire have won a national award for work they have undertaken with young people.

The two organisations entered the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) in the ‘Team of the Year’ category.

The joint entry was called ‘It’s my health – youth voice’ and their win was announced on Wednesday 20 March 2019 at the awards ceremony in Birmingham.

Young Healthwatch is part of Healthwatch Northamptonshire – the body which represents the interests of local people in health and social care. It is a group of 11 to 24 years old who are keen to make a difference in health and social care and are interested in young people’s rights and wellbeing.

The entry described the way that members of Young Healthwatch were encouraged to carry out a visit to children’s services at KGH in April 2018 from which they documented their findings and produced a report – which was then acted on by the hospital.

The report recommended improvements – which the hospital has made – to children’s services including:

• Improving signs to direct people to children’s services – for example, colourful footprints on the floor signposting the paediatric area in A&E
• Adding more colour to paediatric areas to make them more child-friendly
• Having more books and games available for children in waiting areas in children’s A&E and outpatients
• Using brightly coloured fun staff name badges so children can better understand who they are talking to

Young Healthwatch Project Manager Esther Stimpson said: “We think it was a great example of team working between Young Healthwatch, Healthwatch Northamptonshire and Kettering General Hospital that enabled young people to make a real difference to the environment provided for young people at the hospital.”

Chair of Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire, Tanzi, said: “It has been amazing to work with Kettering General Hospital, every time we visit we see more of the recommendations we have made become reality. It is fantastic that the views of young people are taken on board and acted upon.”

Kettering General Hospital’s Head of Patient Experience and Involvement James Allan said: “The perspective that Young Healthwatch brought was refreshing. We learned a lot from their visit and will be using the new perspective they gave us – looking at things through the eyes of a young person – in other pieces of work in the future.”

“We plan to continue to work with Young Healthwatch and visit local schools to capture more of the experience of children when they visit hospital – either to be treated or with relatives.”

One of the services we offer to organisations managed or supported by us, is the development of applications for awards and funding: we can write them from scratch or simply quality assure them to give them the best chance of success. We can also manage the entire administration of your project.

A successful bid can be a vital source of income for not for profit organisations, will help you to build relationships with funders and commissioners, reach more communities, and improve your public profile.

We are proud to have been able to help Healthwatch Northamptonshire receive one award and two commendations from the Healthwatch Network Awards 2018: the projects recognised are an excellent testimony to the way Healthwatch Northamptonshire effects change in people, organisations, and services in the health and social care sector.

Kate Holt, CEO of Connected Together CIC, said “It was with immense pride that I accepted the awards on behalf of our small team of dedicated staff and hardworking volunteers. We continually struggle with resources locally but this is national recognition for the work we do ensuring the voices of local people are in heard in Northamptonshire”.

If you would like to find out more about how Connected Together can help your organisation make better bids, or about any of our Business Development Services (which include training, policy writing and organisational management) please contact us at hello@connectedtogether.co.uk