How volunteers help make care better
Our volunteers support us in many different ways. From speaking to local people to find out what they think about health and care, to using these views to influence those who run services, volunteers play an important role at Healthwatch.
Ways volunteers have helped us include:
- Conducted an independent GP website review from a patient perspective, looking at how easy to use, up-to-date and accessible they are, to help GP practices identify what needs to be improved, act on it, and tell people about it.
- Supported our project on mothers' experiences of community and at-home care after birth, mapping out mum and baby groups across North Yorkshire and completing a review of the research and information already out there on this subject.
- Taking Healthwatch posters, leaflets to GP practices and community venues, as well as helping to promote a patient guide to getting the most out of their GP practice visit and care.
- Visited care and nursing homes, as part of our statutory rights to go in and hear about experiences and suggest improvements.
Volunteering with Healthwatch
There are a lot of ways volunteers can help and get involved. All our volunteering is flexible to fit around the other things you do. We want volunteering to reflect your strengths and interests. Take a look at some of our roles:
Community volunteer
If you enjoy meeting people, are keen to shape and improve health and social care then our community volunteer role will be an excellent fit for you. You will be part of a small volunteer network team in your local area who meets regularly to support each other. The role is about raising Healthwatch North Yorkshires’ profile and gaining valuable feedback and experiences from the public.
Enter and view (authorised representative) volunteer
Being an enter and view (authorised representative) volunteer involves visiting health and social care settings as a group, across North Yorkshire to gather feedback and assist the assessment of how well the service is working. This is a great opportunity to get involved and influence improvements in local health and social care. Training and support will be given by Healthwatch staff. You can find out more about these visits, including what's involved and which homes we've been to here.
Research volunteer
You will work with staff to support the research function of Healthwatch North Yorkshire as we gather people’s views and experiences of using different health and social care services.
We are currently only recruiting community volunteers and are particularly keen for volunteers in the Selby, Craven and Ryedale areas of North Yorkshire.
Apply to volunteer with us
Why volunteer with your local Healthwatch?
Share your skills and enthusiasm to make things better for everyone in North Yorkshire. Volunteering with us also has lots of other benefits:
- Make a difference and help improve local health and social care services
- Learn how health and social care services work
- Gain new skills and access free training
- A reference to add to your CV
- Make use of your existing skills and interests
- We pay agreed out-of-pocket expenses including travel costs
Become a Healthwatch volunteer
Volunteer stories: Fliss and Comet
Our latest volunteers, Fliss and Comet the dog share why they volunteered at Healthwatch North Yorkshire and how it helps her and the community.
Blog
Volunteer stories: Sally
Our volunteer, Sally, shares why she volunteered at Healthwatch North Yorkshire and how it helps her and the community
Blog
The value of listening
Because of your help we’ve raised awareness of some key issues, and championed change where it’s needed. Take a closer look at the difference we made together in 2023 and 2024.
Report
"My favourite thing about volunteering at Healthwatch North Yorkshire is listening to the people's views and experiences of health and social services, so that we can improve this."