Healthwatch Independent Complaints Advocacy

Healthwatch is the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services. It is there to find out what matters to people, and help make sure their views shape the support they need. There is a local Healthwatch in every area of England.

Healthwatch Sefton

Healthwatch Sefton 
Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)
3rd Floor, Suite 3B
North Wing
Burlington House
Crosby Road North
Waterloo, Liverpool. L22 0LG

Freephone: 0800 206 1304
Telephone: 0151 920 0726 ext 240
Text: 07434 810 438
Email: info@healthwatchsefton.co.uk

Sefton’s information and signposting service can point people towards local health or social care services that can help them with any queries they may have.

They also provides the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service for Sefton and support or information on how to make an NHS complaint. There are two levels of advocacy, either by providing a Self Help information Pack (SHIP) or an Advocate.

The purpose of the SHIP is to inform people about and help them to understand the NHS Complaints procedure. It is a collection of documents that is set out in the stages of the NHS complaints procedure that can be followed as needed.

The role of an advocate is to provide a personal level of support through the NHS complaints procedure. Advocates can help with things such as drafting letters, preparing people for and accompanying them to complaints meetings, liaising with complaints teams and giving support and guidance on the NHS complaints procedure.

Healthwatch Lancashire

Healthwatch Lancashire
Leyland House
Lancashire Business Park
Centurion Way
Leyland
PR26 6TY

Telephone: 01524 239100
Email: info@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

Healthwatch Lancashire is a public voice on health and social care. They make sure that local people’s views on health and social care services are listened to by those who manage and run local health and social care providers, report concerns to the health regulator, the Care Quality Commission, and feed intelligence on a national level to Healthwatch England. In addition, they will:

• Represent the views of the public via Health and Wellbeing boards set up by local authorities.
• Report concerns about the quality of health care to Healthwatch England, which can then recommend that the Care Quality Commission take action.
• Identify local and national trends and raise awareness of these to the relevant organisations.
• Signpost members of the public to services in Lancashire including information services, clinical commissioning groups, complaints and advocacy services.
• Work in collaboration with health and social care providers in Lancashire to ensure comments are listened to and to promote best practice.
• Develop creative projects and activities to capture views of vulnerable people in society or those who are seldom heard.