“Care and Share are helping us let people know we are there, we are now able to let everyone know what we are offering without just relying on social media. We wouldn’t have the funds to get a website built for us so this is amazing”

“The engagement work that Healthwatch Dudley has done to help us deliver Dudley Safeguarding Children Board Neglect Strategy has given us invaluable insight into what it means for children and young people to thrive. This will
inform the work we are doing across the health and wellbeing system to prevent neglect, identify it sooner and to support children and young people who have experienced it. It was a privilege to meet inspiring young volunteers and hear how they planned to engage with other young people to understand more about what it feels like to thrive.”

 

“We enjoy working with Healthwatch Dudley to help provide another way for patients, their families and carers to provide us with feedback. We are particularly proud of the joint work we have undertaken with the Dudley Deaf Focus Group to help make improvements for people with a hearing impairment including the introduction of pagers so people know when it is their appointment time and cards for deaf people to carry enabling staff to understand the person’s needs.”

“The funding officer supported TCT throughout the whole process of completing both stages of the Children in Need Main Grants application. He provided excellent advice and guidance throughout this time. Without his support we would not have been successful.”

“People only knew about us before because a friend told them about us, we didn’t really promote ourselves because we didn’t know that what we were doing was making such an impact on families, now we get disabled kids in all the time, its brilliant”.

“My elderly next door neighbour was very isolated having recently lost her husband and having no family. I brought her along to the lunch at the Apple Tree arranged by East Coseley Big Local. She had a wonderful time and got speaking to some ladies there and now attends coffee mornings with them, it has made such a difference to her life she is more outgoing and has the confidence to go along on her own to the meetings. She is no longer feeling isolated.”

“In terms of Mom and I, we are better placed to consider, identify and access options for care. (Dudley CVS’s) Support has been immense and just what we needed as a family.”

“I enjoyed talking to lots of different people about different subjects that affected young people. I also enjoyed sitting in on some meetings about things that had to do with the young people in Dudley.”

“When I think about how much I’ve grown as a person, a lot of that is down to what I’ve been involved in at Gather, without that I wouldn’t be the person I am or heading in the direction I am in life.”

“Dudley CVS gave me guidance on how to run a not-for-profit business, set up a Constitution, and pointed me in the direction of The Big Lottery to apply for funding”

‘This experience has reinforced our service priorities in regards to person centred planning for individual case work. It will also encourage us to consult young people

regarding areas of whole service development in the future.’

“I have attended various People’s Network events hosted by Healthwatch Dudley during my time
as Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing and I have always found them interesting and full of
useful information. Meeting and listening to people who attend really brings home some of the
difficulties and challenges that some local people experience.”

“Healthwatch Dudley has championed the voice of Dudley residents in the work of both our Adult and Children Safeguarding Boards during 2017/18. They led important pieces of work which have helped the Adult Safeguarding Board have a real insight into the world of adults who are financially abused. They have also challenged us about the need for an adult safeguarding referral process that is easy for the public to use.”

“As a Young Health Champion I wanted to do something that would not only help me but would also benefit other young people.”