HEALTHWATCH Stockton-on-Tees has been nominated for a prestigious national award which has helped to improve services for older people residing in residential and nursing homes across the borough.

Healthwatch was shortlisted under the ‘The impact our team makes working with partners’ category in the Healthwatch Network Awards of Achievement 2020, which are run by Healthwatch England.

This annual event – which this year is taking place virtually due to the pandemic - celebrates the difference Healthwatch’s 4,400 staff and volunteers have made over the past year.

The shortlisted project saw Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees partner with Stockton Borough Council and care homes for older people across the borough with the aim of improving the quality of life for older people, specifically people living with dementia and minority groups.

As national finalists, the team were recognised for undertaking 28 Enter and View visits to care homes, leading to a number of recommendations. Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees also shared its findings with the local authority and were invited to input into a ‘dementia-friendly’ guide for service providers, which was distributed to all care services across the Borough.

The team were also asked to host and speak at the guide launch event attended by care home managers and senior staff. Follow up visits to several care homes highlighted improvements that had been made and the difference this had made to residents being accommodated.

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees is one of only 30 local Healthwatch out of a total of 152 across England to be in the running for one of the awards.