Healthwatch Sefton has been nominated for a prestigious national award for Adult Safeguarding which has helped leaders understand what safeguarding really means to local people and staff across the Merseyside area.

Healthwatch Sefton was shortlisted under the ‘The impact we make with partners’ category in the Healthwatch Awards 2020, which are run by Healthwatch England.
This annual event – which this year is taking place virtually due to the pandemic - celebrates the difference the 4,400 staff and volunteers from local Healthwatch have made over the past year. Healthwatch Sefton is one of only 30 local Healthwatch out of 152 across England to be in the running for one of the awards.

Like their colleagues across the country, Healthwatch Sefton staff and volunteers have been supporting the local community more than ever through the pandemic by:
Finding out what people like about health and social care support, and what could be improved

Helping people find the information they need about services in their area and
Encouraging those in charge of NHS and social care services to make the changes that communities would like to see

In addition, the team at Healthwatch Sefton have also during the pandemic been supporting Sefton residents who have struggled to collect their prescriptions. In partnership with Sefton CVS, Sefton MBC and Sefton’s Local Pharmaceutical Committee they have coordinated a volunteer prescription pick up and delivery service.


Diane Blair, manager of Healthwatch Sefton, said: “To date there have been 137 prescriptions picked up and delivered by volunteers supporting the project who have provided over 202 hours of their time. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those volunteers who have supported us.”
Other shortlisted nominations from around the country to the Healthwatch Awards include:
Healthwatch Leeds - for helping to improve access to mental health crisis support.
Healthwatch Camden - for research with other organisations to understand the social infrastructure used by older Bangladeshi residents.
Healthwatch Surrey - for volunteers who helped improve the way a local NHS hospital reports incidents of poor care that have led to severe harm or death.
The overall winner from each category will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced during Healthwatch Week in early November.
Diane added: “Together with our Healthwatch partners in Knowsley, Liverpool and Wirral, we are delighted to be nominated for the adult safeguarding project – Safeguarding Voices – which has brought the issue of speaking up about safeguarding very much to the fore.”
Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England, said: "I never stop being inspired by the dedication of local Healthwatch staff to making care better for their communities.
"Whether reaching out those whose views are not being heard, helping people to find the support they need or making sure NHS and social care services act on the improvements that the public want to see, the award entries highlight the difference local Healthwatch make.

"I would like to congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted. They have done their communities proud."

More information about the shortlist can be found here on the Healthwatch England website.

For more information about Healthwatch Sefton, visit www.healthwatchsefton.co.uk or ring 0800 206 1304