Enter and View Volunteer Roles with us

Purpose of the role

Visit services like hospitals, care homes and GP surgeries to observe services happening and to find out what people think about the care they receive. Work as a team to write a report and recommendations about how the service can improve, based on what you observe and what residents, patients, visitors and staff say they want and need. Reports and recommendations are sent to the service provider, and, as appropriate, the Care Quality Commission, Borough Council, Clinical Commissioning Group and Healthwatch England to help to improve services.

What will you be doing?

As a Healthwatch Enter and View volunteer you will be asked to:

• Attend Healthwatch volunteer induction, enter and view and safeguarding training
• Complete a DBS check
• Attend planning meetings with the Enter and View lead and other volunteers
• Go into health and social care services in a small team of volunteers
• Observe care being delivered
• Listen to patients’ views about the care they receive, and talk to staff and visitors
• Keep a record of your conversations and observations
• Draft a written report as a team and make recommendations about how the service could improve and highlight good practice

This is an important and exciting role that will give a voice to some of our community’s most vulnerable people, like care home residents with dementia and the opportunity to make sure the views of vulnerable people are heard and acted upon.

Personal Qualities for the role

• Good listening skills and confidence to speak to new people
• Ability to write accurate records of people’s experiences of care
• Sensitive to health and care environments
• Reliability
• Ability to work well in a team
• Passion for improving local health and social care services
• Respectful of all people from all backgrounds and abilities

Other information

DBS check

Owing to the nature of the role you will need to have completed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before taking part in enter and view visits. Healthwatch Swindon will arrange this.

How much time, when and where?

The days and amount of time you give is flexible as different enter and view visits will take place at different times and on different days.  Visits can be undertaken any time that services are being delivered but will usually be conducted between 9.00am and 5.00pm on Monday and Friday.