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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. -
Advice and Information -
Tips to help you stay well this winter and get the care you need. -
Report -
Our report following a visit to Able2achieve in Yeovil, which provides supported living and domiciliary care provision. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
News -
Hundreds of people in Somerset have shared their views on how to improve NHS health services in the county. -
News -
New feedback gathered by us on the county’s Adult Safeguarding service will be used to improve it for the future. -
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. -
News -
More people with dementia are being rushed to hospital emergency departments in Somerset, according to NHS statistics. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Advice and Information -
Did you know Volunteer Responders can help you access support and services such as collecting prescriptions and shopping delivery? -
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. -
Advice and Information -
Confused about Long Covid? Find out the common symptoms and how to get support. -
Advice and Information -
Take a look at what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccination programme, including where to go and why it's important. -
Advice and Information -
Take a look at our advice article on the organisations and groups that can support you if you’re grieving. -
Advice and Information -
Understanding the symptoms of flu and what the flu vaccine is helps you make informed decisions about your health. -
Report -
We have been talking to local people about their experiences and views of accessing care at GP surgeries in Somerset. This report tells you what people said when we spoke to them about this. -
Blog -
By Tanya Camberwell, Healthwatch Somerset Engagement Officer -
Blog -
By Tanya Camberwell, Healthwatch Somerset Engagement Officer -
Blog -
Shepton Mallet resident Bob became a full-time carer when he retired from a long career with the ambulance service. -
News -
Our new report out today reveals local people’s experiences of health and social care during the first six months of COVID-19. -
News -
Today we have published four reports about care homes in Somerset – three reporting on the quality of care in Somerset care homes prior to COVID-19 from a residents perspective, and a fourth looking at the challenges faced by care home staff during the pandemic. -
News -
We have joined local and national health and care organisations calling on Somerset residents to give feedback about their care during coronavirus (COVID-19) to help services reflect, recover, and improve. -
News -
It’s national Carers Week (8-14 June) and we want to know about your experiences of being an unpaid carer or being cared for during COVID-19, to help local services understand how to provide better social care and support. -
News -
We have launched a new survey asking local people to share their stories to help identify how health and care services are adapting and working well during the coronavirus outbreak, and to highlight common challenges that need to be addressed. -
News -
We can help health and social care organisations to communicate clearly and effectively with local people about the coronavirus and the impact on services and support. -
News -
As local health and care services come under increasing pressure due to the coronavirus, and access to services becomes more challenging, we are reminding people that we're here to help.
