• Work with us: part-time Communications Officer vacancy at Healthwatch Lambeth

• Last chance to help us shape the work of Healthwatch Lambeth

• In case you missed it: see how your feedback helped us improve health and care services in Lambeth

• Post pandemic: What are people telling us about mental health support?

• Summer holiday activities for children and young people in Lambeth

• Are you an unpaid carer supporting someone who gets care from South London and Maudsley?

• Help local people have a say about health and care in Lambeth

Are you looking for a job that makes a real difference? 

If you are someone with strong communications skills and can communicate with people of all backgrounds, this role may be for you. You will work closely with the Engagement Team to support them as they involve local people in our work, especially older people, people with mental health needs and children and young people. Apply through our website before Sunday 31st July 2022. 

About the role:

• Location: Hybrid (at our office in Brixton and from home)
• Salaly: £32,000 per year pro-rata
• Contract: Permanent, Part-time, 22.5 hours per week

See our website for the full role description, skills, and to download the application form.

Healthwatch Lambeth is your health and social care champion. We listen to what people like about services and what could be improved. We share people's views with NHS leaders and other care providers to make change happen.

We would like you to help us shape the work of Healthwatch Lambeth. Please tell us what health and care services we should focus on and make recommendations for improvement.

What it is about these services we need to look at in more detail (e.g. how easy was it to access the help and support you needed? What was your experience of care like? How did you feel about the care you were offered? or anything else). It only takes five minutes to speak up about what worked and what can be improved. Click here to share your views.

Our Annual Report for 2021/22 is out now! See how your feedback on health and social care services in Lambeth helped us influence local providers and make services better.

Our work and the valued feedback from the public led to:

• Improved mental health support for young people as they move from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services
• Improved emotional and psychological support for young people attending hospital.

And we couldn't have done it without you! More than 700 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us, helping to raise awareness of issues and improve care. Over 160 people came to us for clear advice and information about topics such as mental health and COVID-19. 

Visit our website to read the full report.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Healthwatch England asked people about their experiences of getting mental health support. Three years on, we look at what has changed and the questions the NHS needs to answer.
The analysis shows that several communities are faring worse:

• Services are not well designed for autistic people and those with learning disabilities
• Lack of specialist support for the LGBTQ+ community
• There are communication barriers
• Services don't reflect the different needs of race and ethnicity
• Services struggle to deal with complex needs

Read the latest blog on the Healthwatch England website to find out what we were hearing before the pandemic and what people are telling us now.

Visit the Healthwatch England website to read the full report: Post pandemic: What are people telling us about mental health support?

Cases of COVID-19 are rising rapidly across the world. In the UK, everyone aged 5 and over can get a 1st and 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. People aged 16 and over, and some children aged 12 to 15, can also get a booster dose. Download the latest poster clarifying who is eligible for which Covid vaccine dose.

Questions about COVID-19?

Visit nhsvaccinefacts.com for answers to questions you might have, or follow @our_healthier_sel on Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date with upcoming events.

Lambeth’s Summer of Food and Fun has a packed programme of summer activities for those aged 4-16, and will run from Monday, 25 July until Friday, 26 August.

All broad categories of activity, whether sport, art, trips, or camps, have fully funded places available for children and young people who receive free school meals. To register, visit the Lambeth website.

Are you an unpaid carer? Do you support someone who receives services from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust?

Lee Roach is the carers lead for South London and Maudsley NHS in Lambeth.

You can contact Lee if you have an experience, good or bad, as an unpaid carer in Lambeth. Lee works at the hospital to improve the experience of carers and those receiving care.

You can call Lee Roach on 07794492215 or email lee.roach@slam.nhs.uk

The Lambeth Together Care Partnership Board is recruiting two new Patient and Public Voice members to ensure that local people are involved at the highest level in decisions about health and care in Lambeth.

You are the perfect candidate if you are interested in health and care and linked to local networks - this could be a patient group, a tenant association, a PTA, anything that keeps you connected with a range of other people.

The Board would love to attract younger adults, disabled people, people from LGBTQ+ communities and people from Black and multi ethnic communities, to help the Board in its ambition to reflect Lambeth communities.

The role is voluntary, but training and development are offered and agreed expenses will be covered. Submit your interest before Sunday 24 July 2022.

If you have any questions, please email hello@lambethtogether.net

Apply or find out more: here.