In 2017, Healthwatch Sheffield launched #SpeakUp Small Grants, aimed at local not for profit, third sector, voluntary or community groups, to enable them to run projects that help local people share their experiences of health and care services in Sheffield. A panel, including members of the Healthwatch Sheffield engagement team and volunteers, assessed the applications and made awards to several community groups or charities for a variety of projects which were required to be carried out by the end of May 2018 and reported on by the end of June 2018.
DAWS Community Gym received a grant to enable them to understand their clients’ experiences of health services locally. In particular they wanted to find out more about their experience of the prosthetics and wheelchair services at the Mobility and Specialised Rehabilitation Centre at the Northern General Hospital. They held an ‘Ampu Tea and Chat’ session for people who had experience of using the prosthetic service at the Mobility and Specialised Rehabilitation Centre at the Northern General Hospital , gathered feedback and made recommendations
The most notable issues discovered through this project were to do with the quality of services provided for people requiring prosthetic and wheelchair services at the Mobility and Specialised Rehabilitation Centre at the Northern General Hospital. They therefore recommended:-
- Working with Healthwatch Sheffield to explore how people who use these services can provide feedback to them without fear of reprisals.
- Working with Healthwatch Sheffield and service commissioners to deliver improvements to these services that ensure that individuals feel respected and supported and that they are provided with good quality information and advice.
You can read the DAWS and other reports from the different groups who used the
#SpeakUp Small Grants on Healthwatch Sheffield’s website .
