1. How should social care support you?

    Advice and Information -

    People have told us they want to feel listened to and involved in decisions about their social care. Here are six things you should expect from care services, according to new guidelines.

  2. How to stay well this winter

    Advice and Information -

    Tips to help you stay well this winter and get the care you need.

  3. Enter and View: Able2achieve

    Report -

    Our report following a visit to Able2achieve in Yeovil, which provides supported living and domiciliary care provision.

  4. Young people’s experience of leaving care

    Report -

    We ran a series of focus groups meeting with young people based at Burton’s Orchard in Taunton. The aims of these groups were to explore young people’s experience of leaving care and to involve them in starting to plan their own consultation with other care leavers.

  5. Early support discharge - independent patient engagement

    Report -

    Early Supported Discharge is a service that aims to help patients who have suffered a stroke to be discharged from hospital sooner and to carry out rehabilitation at home rather than in hospital.

  6. Evaluation of Somerset Safeguarding Service: User feedback process

    Report -

    We worked closely with the Adult Safeguarding Team to design a questionnaire that related to the six principles set out in The Care Act 2014 statutory guidance. We contacted 20 people who had experienced an adult safeguarding intervention in the last two months. Fourteen agreed to take part in the project.

  7. Accessing information about health & support in Somerset: The views of local people

    Report -

    We have been talking to local people about their experiences and views of the accessing health and support information in Somerset. This report tells you what people said when we spoke to them about this.

  8. Care Homes during Covid: Care staff perspective

    Report -

    We wanted to find out about the challenges faced by care home staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand how they have managed during this time. We held a focused feedback interview with a local care home; this is what they told us.

  9. Accessing health and social care during COVID-19: A Somerset perspective

    Report -

    We gathered real-time feedback on local health and social care services during the pandemic from the views of Somerset residents, to provide information that services can learn from once the outbreak has passed.

  10. ‘Review culture’ is on the rise, yet only one in ten people feedback on health services

    News -

    As Healthwatch marks its tenth anniversary this week, Healthwatch Somerset joins the 152 local Healthwatch across England to appeal for more people to feedback on NHS care.

  11. Evaluating people’s experiences of being transferred from hospital to care at home or in the community

    News -

    Our new report evaluates people’s experiences of being discharged from hospital to be cared for at home or in a residential or community care setting.

  12. The top four things people in Somerset would like to see improved in local NHS services

    News -

    Hundreds of people in Somerset have shared their views on how to improve NHS health services in the county.

  13. Somerset’s adult safeguarding service to be improved based on new feedback

    News -

    New feedback gathered by us on the county’s Adult Safeguarding service will be used to improve it for the future.

  14. Roadshow finishes with more than 400 views on health and care services in Somerset

    News -

    Our roadshow, which travelled almost 260 miles around Somerset to find out the views of local people on health and care services, has finished a seven-day tour with more than 400 views collected.

  15. NHS figures reveal more people with dementia are being admitted to A&E in Somerset

    News -

    More people with dementia are being rushed to hospital emergency departments in Somerset, according to NHS statistics.

  16. Healthwatch Somerset calls for more feedback from public

    News -

    We are encouraging local people to give their views and experiences of local health and care services following a recently published report on Mendip House in the county.

  17. What is adult social care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below to find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  18. Enter and View report: Newholme Care Home, Ruishton

    Report -

    Our report following a visit to Newholme, a residential care home in the village of Ruishton near Taunton, which provides accommodation for people with a learning disability.

  19. How to look after yourself while caring for someone else

    Advice and Information -

    Each day 6,000 people become carers. Looking after a loved one can be physically and emotionally exhausting so it's vital that you get the support you need. Find out how you can make sure you look after yourself.

  20. Healthwatch England report: Faster progress needed to tackle barriers to care

    News -

    Access to care is the main concern people have shared with Healthwatch in the past year. A new report by Healthwatch England looking at health and social care from the patients' perspective has warned that we risk "a two-tier health and care system" unless the NHS takes faster action to tackle access issues.

  21. What should I know before choosing a care home?

    Advice and Information -

    To choose the right care home and support for your needs, or the needs of a loved one, it's important you have the right information to make your decision. Here are six things you should consider when choosing a care home.

  22. What is an NHS and Care Volunteer Responder, and how can I access this service?

    Advice and Information -

    Did you know Volunteer Responders can help you access support and services such as collecting prescriptions and shopping delivery?

  23. Collaborative event sets the stage for renewed commitment to Somerset’s unpaid carers

    News -

    The Somerset Carers Engagement Project recently achieved a significant milestone in its mission to empower and support unpaid carers across the county when it held a major collaborative event to inform Somerset's renewed Commitment to Carers.

  24. Our complaints process

    Advice and Information -

    Our complaints process outlines how to make a complaint about us and our approach to making sure complaints are resolved. Anyone who is dissatisfied with any aspect of this Healthwatch service provided by Evolving Communities CIC can make a complaint under the Evolving Communities Complaints Policy and Procedure.

  25. Annual Report 2013-14

    Report -

    In this first Annual Report for Healthwatch Somerset, we share our key challenges and successes, as we started to engage with the public and several of the county’s voluntary and community groups, services and networks.

  26. Annual Report 2014-15

    Report -

    In this Annual Report we share our key challenges and successes, as we continued to engage with the public to understand people’s experiences of health and social care to make a difference.

  27. Annual Report 2015-16

    Report -

    In this Annual Report we share our key challenges and successes, as we continued to engage with the public to understand people’s experiences of health and social care to make a difference.

  28. Annual Report 2016-17

    Report -

    In this Annual Report we share our key challenges and successes, as we continued to engage with the public to understand people’s experiences of health and social care to make a difference.

  29. Annual Report 2017-18

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2017-18: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2018-19.

  30. Annual Report 2018-19

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2018-19: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2019-20.

  31. Guided by you: Annual Report 2019-20

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2019-20: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2020-21.

  32. On equal terms - then and now: Annual Report 2020-21

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2020-21: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2021-22.

  33. Championing what matters to you: Annual Report 2021-22

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2021-22: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2022-23.

  34. Together we’re making health and social care better: Annual Report 2022-23

    Report -

    Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2022-23: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2023-24.

  35. Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report: Working together to improve health and social care

    News -

    Last year, we supported over 4,370 people to have their say on health and social care and to get information and advice about local services.

  36. Healthwatch Somerset’s Annual Report shows how public feedback has improved health and care

    News -

    Last year (April 2021-March 2022), we supported almost 2,900 people to have their say on health and social care and to get the right information and advice about local services.

  37. Annual report highlights how Healthwatch Somerset has supported the public throughout the pandemic

    News -

    Over the last year (April 2020 to March 2021), during the pandemic, 2,387 Somerset residents shared their feedback on the county’s health and social care services with us or sought information and advice on how to access the care and support they needed.

  38. New public engagement programme to drive improvements in local health and social care

    News -

    We have announced the areas we will investigate this year, to make sure that local people’s views and experiences are used to drive and support improvements in local services.

  39. Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report: Listening to local people helps make health and social care better

    News -

    Over the last year, more than 1,400 people shared their views on the county’s health and social care services with us, helping to make care better for local people.

  40. Healthwatch Somerset thanks inspiring volunteers who help make health and social care better

    News -

    It’s Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June, so we are is sending a huge ‘Thank You’ to the inspiring volunteers who help to make health and social care better for local people.

  41. Healthwatch Somerset announces new projects to help make health and care better for local people

    News -

    We are looking forward to helping health and social care services develop and improve with the announcement of several new projects for the year ahead.

  42. Local Board members wanted to help shape Somerset health and care

    News -

    We are the county’s independent health and social care champion and are seeking people with a passion for seeing local health and social care services change for the better.

  43. People’s real-life experiences of health and social care services in Somerset set out in new report

    News -

    More than 1,800 people have shared their views on the county’s GP surgeries, hospitals and social care over the last year with us – helping to shape and improve those services for all.

  44. Healthwatch says thank you to volunteers who help to shape local health and care in Somerset

    News -

    We will be celebrating the difference volunteers make to the local community during this year’s Volunteers’ Week, which runs from 1-7 June.

  45. Six years of championing people’s views of health and care in Somerset

    News -

    Today we celebrate six years as the county’s independent health and care champion.

  46. Former ambulanceman urges people to have their say about changes to the NHS

    News -

    Healthcare in Somerset will only work if people get to have their say – urges former ambulanceman Bob Champion.

  47. Roadshow aims to put Somerset people in the driving seat on health and social care issues

    News -

    Our staff and volunteers will be taking to the roads of Somerset in March to find out what people think about their local health and care services.