Healthwatch Engagement Officer
Who we’re looking for
We are looking for either one new full time engagement officer based in Barrow, or two part time engagement officers, one in Barrow and one based in Eden. A current driving licence and your own transport is essential for this role. You will need to have business use insurance too.
What’s the job like?
As a Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness Engagement Officer, you will work closely with the Senior Engagement Officer to ensure patient and public feedback is gathered across Westmorland and Furness, including:
- Face to face and online focus groups
- Gathering case studies and personal stories
- Organising and attending events with partners such as community drop-ins and health and wellbeing events
- Planning and carrying out Enter and View visits at e.g., care homes, hospitals
- Creating and delivering project plans and surveys
- Representing Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness at meetings
- Setting up and attending general engagement events
- Working with volunteers
It’s exciting and varied, and the chance to make a difference. Find out more about us here: wearepeoplefirst.co.uk/healthwatch-westmorland-and-furness/
Your assigned area of work is expected to be either Eden or Barrow and Furness, but some travel across Cumbria will be required from either location.
Our values
Healthwatch is part of People First Independent Advocacy, an independent customer-led charitable organisation that has worked in Cumbria for 35 years.
People First provides a wide range of support and information services across Cumbria, Lancashire and Teesside, all aimed at helping people to live informed, respected, healthy and fulfilled lives. Our head office is based in Carlisle, supported by offices in Barrow, Lancashire, Stockton-on-Tees, and County Durham. Find out more at: https://wearepeoplefirst.co.uk/about-us
Who we are
Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness is an independent champion of the views of patients and people who use health and social care across the local authority area of Westmorland and Furness. Our goal is to make services better and improve health and wellbeing.
Our main activities include:
- Gathering information from patients and the public on the quality of health and social care services in Westmorland and Furness, highlighting local issues raised.
- Promoting involvement of people in the provision and scrutiny of local health and care services to deliver better and more joined-up services.
- Connecting with community groups and the voluntary sector, NHS partners and local authority.
- Carrying out Enter and View visits at a wide range of health and social care settings.
- Providing free information and signposting support to help people know about health and social care services, and understand the choices available.
The person
For this role, we are looking for:
A current driving licence and your own transport is essential for this role. You will need to have business use insurance too.
A resident of Westmorland and Furness (ideally in Eden or Barrow/Furness) or Cumberland. Proof of residence will be required.
Someone who shares our values. https://wearepeoplefirst.co.uk/about-us
Someone who is resilient, confident and proactive when it comes to your own work, as well as being able to think creatively about how to tackle a challenge.
Qualifications
- Educated to at least A-level, your skills, knowledge, experience and values are more important than exam certificates.
Skills, knowledge and experience
- An awareness and interest in the challenges of community engagement and involvement with reference to health and wellbeing.
- An interest in or understanding of health and social care service provision.
- Self-starter, with the ability to work on your own initiative, as well as effectively as part of a team.
- Great written and spoken communication skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with people and maintain positive relationships.
- Excellent time management skills.
- Able to work simultaneously on several tasks or projects at different stages of completion.
- Creative problem-solver.
- Able to maintain confidentiality and work in a sensitive manner.
- Familiarity with social media platforms and posting content for maximum impact.
- Good IT literacy, particularly Word and Excel, and a willingness to learn other programs e.g. PowerPoint and Canva.
- Meticulous admin skills to write-up and log your activities.
Duties will include:
- Undertake activities to gather feedback and personal experiences from individuals and groups relevant to different projects. These include, but are not limited to, attending engagement events, gathering personal stories and case studies, carrying out surveys.
- Support patient engagement groups, providing information and gather insight into the health and social care needs of individuals and communities in Westmorland and Furness.
- Carry out Enter and View visits
- Build relationships with local communities and organisations
- Support your team to creatively capture people’s experiences and opinions.
- Write reports on projects, events and Enter and View visits.
- Undertake in-depth case studies.
- Ensure all feedback is gathered with sensitivity upholding the values of Healthwatch.
- Ensure all evidence and activities are recorded in a timely manner.
- You will be expected to develop constructive relationships with representatives from a wide range of communities, the voluntary sector and health and social care providers, so networking and building local knowledge will be essential.
- We make use of online meetings, social media and our website to support engagement. We will provide training and an interest and willingness to learn are desirable for this position.
Other duties
- Be flexible and adaptable in a changing program of new projects and activities.
- Work at pace and take responsibility for prioritising your own workload in line with that of the team and organisation.
- Take a positive approach towards your own professional development, undertaking any training and development activities as required.
- Promote Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness across all communities and stakeholders.
- Maintaining the good reputation of Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness at all times.
- Work flexibly to accommodate travel to events, or occasional evening and weekend work.
- Comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
The duties outlined above are not intended to be exhaustive and may change as the needs of the organisation alter in line with current agendas.
Driving – is a car essential for this role?
A current driving licence and access to own transport is essential for this role. This post is ‘out and about’ most days, and requires you to have the appropriate business-use insurance in place. Use of your car is required to carry out day-to-day tasks such as (but not limited to): travel to engagement events and meetings; running business errands during the day; travel between different People First business sites; occasionally transporting colleagues, volunteers or members to engagement events etc.
Mileage and expenses are paid while travelling on work business but not to and from your designated place of work.
To apply
If you’re interested in the role and think you’d be a good fit, we’d like to hear from you.
To apply for this position, please email a copy of your CV, Cover letter and details of two references to [email protected]
Alternatively, you can post these for the attention of Barry to: People First Conference Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, CA2 5XB.
All applications should be clearly marked: Confidential – HWW&F Engagement Officer.
Applications should arrive no later than 5pm on Tuesday 6th January.
Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 12th January and will be held in-person in either our Carlisle or Barrow offices.
Please note, applicants who do not live in Westmorland and Furness or north Cumbria will not be considered for this role. This is not a role which can be carried out remotely.