Who we involve

Our organisational structures provide a firm foundation for involving people and we are always looking at ways of improving and updating our knowledge of local stakeholders and the processes we use to reach and involve more people, particularly those who find it difficult to have their say about their health services.

Here are some examples:

Stakeholder mapping 

With the help of colleagues from Sefton CVS, we recently reviewed our catalogue of stakeholder groups and contacts. This helped us to update and expand on the number and types of groups that we work with. In particular, we have been able to make links with our most hard to reach communities, including those representing individuals who are homeless, military veterans and from gypsy / traveller communities.

Equality and diversity considerations

So we can monitor our success in reaching a broad cross section of our residents, including those from minority groups, we ask people to share information about themselves such as where they live, gender and race. Collecting this demographic information is a standard part of any engagement exercise or event that we carry out. It helps us to identify any groups that we may have missed, or  struggling to reach. It also provides assurance that we are meeting our equality duties.

Engagement database

Our engagement database holds key contact information about all our stakeholders, including those Sefton residents who have signed up to receive information about opportunities to get involved. As well as sending our stakeholders regular e-bulletins highlighting opportunities to give their views and experiences, we continue to develop other innovative ways of using the platform to involve people.

Community Champions

We work with Healthwatch Sefton’s Community Champions to reach a much wider range of local residents, encouraging them to get involved in their NHS and to share their experiences of using health services.

Voluntary, community and faith groups

We work with Sefton CVS and local voluntary, community and faith (VCF) groups to gain their involvement and gather feedback of their experiences of healthcare. This includes a broad and diverse network, such as Older People’s forums, disability groups, equality groups and many others representing different seldom heard groups.

Sefton Young Advisors

We continue to develop our work with Sefton Young Advisors to better involve children and young people in what we do and ensure their voices are heard.