A Staff Hello and Update from Shamsur, our Healthwatch Southwark Manager
A warm hello to everyone!
My name is Shamsur, I am the Manager for Healthwatch Southwark (www.healthwatchsouthwark.org.uk). I have been working at Community Southwark (host organisation of Healthwatch Southwark) since February 2021 and thoroughly enjoy being part of an organisation that is well respected and supports a diverse and strong voluntary and community sector.
I would like to give you all a little bit of background on Healthwatch and what we do:
- Healthwatch Southwark gathers and champions the views of local users of health and social care services, in order to identify opportunities for improvement and to influence how providers deliver care.
- Healthwatch was established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
- Every local authority in England is required to have a local Healthwatch, this is a statutory obligation.
- Healthwatch is an independent organisation that has its own core functions in line with all local Healthwatches and has its own governance structure (an independent resident led Advisory Board).
Our core functions are:
- We listen to your experiences of health and care services in order to drive improvements.
- We provide information and signposting on local health and care services.
- We promote and support the involvement of patients and service users in the design, provision and scrutiny of local health and care services.
- We voice the views and concerns of local people with decision makers and service provider in order to make health and social care services better.
My role at Healthwatch Southwark is multi-faceted. I lead on the strategic and day-to-day operational management of the organisation, this also includes managing three members of staff. I act as the main liaison contact between our local and national stakeholders and represent the organisation at key decision-making forums locally; I manage the Health Ambassadors Programme, I support our Advisory Board to be successful and well led, and I ultimately ensure, with the support of our Advisory Board, that we fulfil our statutory obligations in endeavouring to improve health and care services for the local population.
If you would like to find out more about our current work priorities, please visit our website: Priorities Report 2022-23 | Healthwatch Southwark.
There are many ways you can support our work and get involved with us:
- We would encourage you to leave your health and social care feedback after you visit a service (Share your views about local health and social care services | Healthwatch Southwark), this will help us to identify key issues for the community and allow us to hold providers to account and thereby improve services for local people. · Become a Healthwatch member (Become a member | Healthwatch Southwark), by becoming a member you will be informed of our work, have the opportunity to be involved with our projects and also find out how you can get involved in other local or national organisations or any relevant health initiatives.
- You can volunteer with us, we have a wide range of volunteering opportunities, you can find out more here: Volunteer with us | Healthwatch Southwark.
If you have any further questions on my work or would like to get involved with Healthwatch Southwark, please do get in touch with me, my email is shamsur@healthwatchsouthwark.org
