Volunteer Opportunities

Young (Healthwatch) Volunteer Purpose of the role: To help ECS and Healthwatch to ensure that it listens and learns from the voice and experience of children and young people. What you will be doing: · Helping to influence Healthwatch work that aims to make health and social care services better for children and young people. · Being involved in projects to gather views about children and young people's experiences of health and social care services. · Help advise Healthwatch and other services how they can be more ‘child and young people friendly' · Acting as a role model for young people's involvement by helping us talk to and listen to other children and young people. · Co-creating wellbeing services and projects in response to what we hear from young people. · Collaborating with schools. · Co-writing reports. Time Commitment: · This is a flexible role and time commitment will be agreed with you. · Work closely with you to ensure the role fits in with your other commitments. · Attend induction training session (s). What you need to be able to do: · Be aged 18-25 and live in the local Healthwatch area. · Be patient and a good listener. · Observational skills. · Able to challenge and disagree without being confrontational. · Be able to work as part of a team with other young people and/or Healthwatch workers. · Agree to the Healthwatch Code of Conduct. · Able to represent the views and experiences of others, not just your own. · Ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. Skills: · Experience of having accepted responsibility and seeing things through. · Interested in people. · Personal experience of accessing different health and social care services would be useful. · Enthusiasm. · Reliable. · Committed to children and young people having a say and being heard. · Be non-judgemental · Respect for those from a different background. What is in it for you: · Full induction training and support from ECS / Healthwatch. · Ongoing training in areas relevant to you. · Regular ongoing supervision. · Broadening your knowledge of local health and social care services. · We will provide you a reference after 30 hours volunteering with us, and certificates for any training you do with us. · It will not cost you anything to volunteer, with us – we will pay your travel costs, and there will be refreshments/food at most of our meetings.