News

Joint Community Engagement Event – 2 May 2019

Posted on 23rd May 2019

To inform future changes in the health and care system in the county, Connected Together CIC, Healthwatch Northamptonshire and Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership (NHCP), held a successful community engagement event with around 90 attendees, including members of the public and health and care professionals.

The event, at the Park Inn in Northampton on Thursday 2 May, gave local people the opportunity to share their views on health and care services and what can be done to ensure quality, integrated services that meet local needs and are fit for the future.

Host David Jones, Chair of Healthwatch Northamptonshire, began the day by introducing presentations from key local health and care leaders. They described how organisations are working in partnership towards a positive lifetime of health, wellbeing and care in our community, and explained why the NHS Long Term Plan must inform our planning at local level.

Kettering General Hospital and Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire wins PENNA award in ‘Team of the Year’ Category

Posted on 3rd April 2019

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.”

Connected Together helps Healthwatch Northamptonshire net a win and two commendations from the Healthwatch Network Awards 2018

Posted on 15th October 2018

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

CTCIC CEO Kate Holt and Healthawtch Northamptonshire Chair Dr David N Jones with the awards — CTCIC CEO Kate Holt and Healthwatch Northamptonshire Chair Dr David N Jones with the awards

New Chair for Healthwatch Rutland

Posted on 11th September 2018

Healthwatch Rutland is the independent champion for health and social care in the county. We are pleased to announce Dr Janet Underwood as the new Chair for Healthwatch Rutland as of January 2019.

Dr Janet Underwood is an experienced clinician with first hand academic research and business experience. She first trained as a nurse at The Royal London Hospital, where she became a Registered Nurse in 1973 before then taking up an appointment as a Staff Nurse in Rutland and Leicestershire.

In the mid-1970s, Janet temporarily left the profession to care for a growing family, and in a career change into business became responsible for administration and project management of the construction of a new facility for the family business which was then sold in 2001. Janet then completed a Return to Practice course at De Montfort University, Leicester, successfully regaining her Registered Nurse status. She worked as a Staff Nurse at Leicester General Hospital for 10 years and was involved in the patient advocacy panel as part of her work. She was also instrumental in introducing the ‘Think Glucose’ projects to the ward in order to achieve better care for patients with Diabetes Type 1 and 2.

At the same time as practicing as a Staff Nurse Janet also gained a BSc (Hons) (first class) in social sciences with sociology, and an MSc (distinction) in social science research methods. Her interest in patient and family advocacy led her to go on to complete her PhD thesis in 2017, researching the experiences of those visiting significant others in NHS acute wards.

Janet has now retired from clinical practice, but continues to work with a health policy research group at De Montfort University (lead by Dr Sally Ruane) and has recently published work related to University Hospitals Leicester, maintaining her interests in health and social care.

Tracey Allan-Jones, Healthwatch Rutland Manager, said “We are extremely happy and privileged to have someone as experienced and qualified as Janet leading Healthwatch Rutland, especially with her extensive knowledge in health and social care. I believe her leadership will strengthen Healthwatch’s ability to listen to the voice of local people and continue to make positive changes to NHS and social services in Rutland.”

Janet said, “For the last year I have been a member of Healthwatch Rutland. In this new role, I look forward to representing Rutland people in all aspects of health and social care. There are plans for big changes, both locally and nationally, for our NHS and I will do my best to ensure that the needs and expectations of residents of our small county are not overlooked.”

We’re proud to say that Connected Together CIC was awarded the contract for providing Healthwatch services in Rutland!

Posted on 21st February 2018

Rutland County Council has awarded the contract for providing Healthwatch services in Rutland to Connected Together Community Interest Company (CTCIC) from 1st April 2018. Current Healthwatch services have been run by Healthwatch Rutland Community Interest Company since 2014. CTCIC already provide successful Healthwatch Services in Northamptonshire alongside other local contracts.

We intend to continue with a local service in Rutland to ensure that Rutland people continue to be provided with an excellent Healthwatch that successfully represents them and their needs. This will mean “Business as Usual” for Rutland. The public will continue to receive the same services run out of Oakham by locally based staff and volunteers.