Volunteer Make a difference in your local area by giving people the opportunity to speak up about their health and social care Make new friends as you become part of the team Boost your CV as you develop new skills and confidence Use your skills to contribute to the success of Healthwatch across the area Why volunteer with us? Help people in your community have their say on health and social care Our volunteers play a vital role speaking to local people about their experiences and giving them opportunities to share their views and ideas for how services can improve. Many of our volunteers spend time in our community finding out what people think of local services and raising awareness of Healthwatch. What can I do as a volunteer? Our volunteers help us in a number of ways. Whether you have an hour to spare or you're looking for a more regular commitment, there are a range of ways you can get involved. We train some of our volunteers to visit health and social care services and report on people's experiences. You might be observing the service, gathering the views of patients, residents and staff, and contributing to reports which highlight your findings. ​ As a volunteer, you could be attending community events to raise awareness of Healthwatch and encourage people to share their feedback on health and social care in our community. Why do I volunteer? ​ I wanted to give back to the NHS health service that has done so much for my family and Healthwatch gave me that opportunity... ​ - Jan S Volunteer Expression of Interest What type work are you interested in volunteering for (check all that apply) Admin/office work Attending events/stalls Speaking to the public Supporting the governance and decision making of Healthwatch Visiting health and social care settings to see them in action Enter your first name here Enter your email address here Enter your last name here Enter your contact number here Tell us a bit about you and why you'd be a great volunteer I want to subscribe to the newsletter I agree to my data being stored and used in line with the privacy policy. Click here to see the privacy policy Submit Thank you for your interest in volunteering

Help making a complaint Resources to help when you have concerns or a complaint about the NHS NHS Complaints Advocacy is a statutory right, meaning that the general public can receive free, independent and confidential support to get any NHS complaint resolved. Advocacy helps you to understand your options, your rights and helps to make sure your voice is heard. ​ The provider of NHS complaints advocacy in this area is: The Advocacy People Visit The Advocacy People's website More information about NHS & social care complaints Healthwatch England have put together some very useful information and guidance on making complaints or raising concerns to the NHS and other health and social care service providers. Visit Healthwatch England's website Whilst the Care Quality Commission (CQC) don't investigate complaints, they do want to hear about concerns, in case they are beginning an investigation. Visit the CQC website

Contact us On this page you can get in touch using the details below, find directions and opening times for our offices or use the contact form to get in touch with us. Opening Hours Monday 9am 5pm Tuesday 9am 5pm Wednesday 9am 5pm Thursday 9am 5pm Friday 9am 5pm Saturday Closed Sunday Closed Phone 0118 418 1418 Post Healthwatch Wokingham Borough Wokingham Charity and Community Hub Waterford House Erfstadt Court Wokingham Berks RG40 2YF Contact form Enter your first name here Enter your email address here Enter your last name here Enter your contact number here Enter your message here I want to subscribe to the newsletter I agree to my data being stored and used in line with the privacy policy. Click here to see the privacy policy Submit Thank you for contacting us

News & reports News Healthwatch Wokingham 2 days ago Nov 2023: Need urgent or emergency dental care? Use the NHS additional hours scheme. The local and national dentistry crisis continues. The team continues to see borough residents struggling to register and/or find... Healthwatch Wokingham Oct 22 Local input wanted for the long-term vision of Wokingham Borough Organisations (including Healthwatch) and community groups from Wokingham Borough are seeking the views of local residents across all... Healthwatch Wokingham Oct 17 In conversation: Dr Amit Sharma on improved GP services Dr Amit Sharma, GP Partner, Brookside Group Practice, Wokingham talks about how the practice has improved services for all its patients... 1 2 3 4 5 Reports Healthwatch Wokingham Aug 22 Enter and View: Wokingham Medical Centre The purpose of an Enter and View visit is to collect evidence of what works well and what could be improved to make people’s experiences... Healthwatch Wokingham Jun 30 Left unchecked, why maternal health matters Healthwatch England (HWE) conducted a review of feedback received about maternity services in 2021/2022. They found that maternity care,... Healthwatch Wokingham Jun 26 Our annual report for 2022-23 is now live Our Annual Report for 2022-23 is published today and highlights the work of our Healthwatch over the last year. It’s been a busy year of... 1 2 3 4 5

Digital Accessibility Digital accessibility tools Digital accessibility tools to support users with a wide range of accessibility requirements are built in to most modern technology. ​ For specific instructions on how to access and use these tools please see the manufacturer's information. ​ Below you can find the links to the most commonly used systems on desktops & laptops or mobiles and tablets. Desktops & Laptops Mobiles & Tablets Accessibility statement This is an accessibility statement from The Advocacy People, in relation to this Healthwatch website. ​ Measures to support accessibility The Advocacy People take the following measures to ensure accessibility of their websites: ​ Include accessibility as part of our mission statement. Include accessibility throughout our internal policies. Appoint an accessibility officer and/or ombudsperson. Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities. Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods. Conformance status The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define the requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. The Advocacy People's website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard. ​ Additional accessibility considerations Although our goal is WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance, we have also applied some Level AAA Success Criteria: ​ Images of text are only used for decorative purposes. Some videos have sign language interpretation. ​​ Feedback We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers on our website by contacting us on any of the following: ​ 0330 440 9000 info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk PO Box 375, Hastings, TN34 9HU We try to respond to feedback within 2 business days. ​ Technical specifications Accessibility of our website relies on the following technologies to work with the combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer: ​ HTML CSS JavaScript These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used. ​ Limitations and alternatives Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of our website, there may be some limitations. Please contact us if you observe an issue with our website accessibility. ​​​ Assessment approach The Advocacy People assessed the accessibility of this website by the following approaches: ​ Self-evaluation ​​ Evaluation report A statement on our approach to accessibility is available at: https://www.theadvocacypeople.org.uk/how-we-work . ​ Formal complaints To make a formal complaint, please get in touch via 0330 440 9000 info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk PO Box 375, Hastings, TN34 9HU ​ Formal approval of this accessibility statement This Accessibility Statement is approved by: ​ Richard Motley Business & Marketing Technology Officer Business & Marketing Department The Advocacy People ​ Date This statement was created on 10th February 2023.

Privacy policy This Privacy Statement sets out the data processing practices carried out by Healthwatch Wokingham Borough. We retain and use personal data (information that relates to and identifies living people) to help us carry out our role as the local independent champion for people who use health and social care services. ​ We will always make sure that your information is protected and treated securely. Any information that you give will be held in accordance with: ​ Data Protection Act 2018 Healthwatch Wokingham Borough is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under the registration of its host organisation, The Advocacy People, registration no. Z9231372. Our Information Governance Policy is available on request. ​ We also make our Information Asset Register available on request, for people to read to give further clarity about how data relating to them is managed and kept secure, this includes our retention schedule and clear details about the lawful basis for storing and keeping personally identifiable information. ​ Information we collect ​ We collect personal information from visitors to this website through the use of online forms and every time you email us your details. We also collect feedback and views from people about the health and social care services that they access. In addition, we receive information about our own staff and people who apply to work for us. ​ Information about people who use our website Information about people who share their experiences with us by other means Information about our own staff and people applying to work for us Security We are strongly committed to data security and we take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption. ​ We have put in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information you provide to us. ​ Only authorised employees and contractors under strict controls will have access to your personal information. ​ Information about people who use our website Please note that this statement does not cover links within this website to other websites. ​ When you browse through the information on this website, it does not store or capture your personal information. We do log your IP address (as it is automatically recognised by the web server) but this is only so you can download this website onto your device rather than for any tracking purpose; it is not used for any other purpose. ​ We will only collect personal information provided by you, such as: feedback from surveys and online forms email addresses phone numbers preferred means of communication ​ How we will use your personal information Personal information about you can be used for the following purposes: ​ in our day-to-day work to send you our newsletter where you have requested it to respond to any queries you may have to improve the quality and safety of care This may include any personal information that you choose to share with us, but we will treat this as confidential and protect it accordingly. ​ We will never include your personal information in survey reports. ​ Information about people who share their experiences with us by other means There are a number of ways that we collect feedback from people about their experiences of using health and social care services day to day. Our staff will visit different health and social care settings as part of their role to evaluate how services are being delivered. We also receive phone calls and requests for information directly from members of the public as part of our signposting service. We also now receive information via a variety of social media channels, but always advise against sharing information in a public forum and will remove it if required. ​ Where personally identifiable information is collected we will ensure that we have your consent to keep it and we will be clear on how we intend to use your information. We will aim to anonymise information where we can but there may be instances where this is not possible in order to make change happen on your behalf. ​ There may be exceptional circumstances where we can and will keep the data without consent but we must have a lawful basis for doing so, such as for safeguarding purposes or if we believe you or someone else may be committing a serious criminal offense or a court says we have to. ​ We ensure that where consent is required it will be freely given, used only for agreed specific and unambiguous purposes and that you are well informed about how the information will be kept. This includes where it will be stored, details on security and for how long it will be kept. We will comply with current data protection legislation at all times. ​ Personal information may be collected with your consent through: ​ Our signposting and advice service When we receive feedback by phone, outreach work or through surveys Enter and View activity Events and focus groups ​ Personal data received from other sources On occasion we will receive information from the families, friends and carers of people who access health and social care services. We use this data to inform providers and commissioners to help them deliver services that work for you. ​ Where it is practically possible, we will make sure that we have your consent to use information that is about you. We will only process your personal data where there is a lawful basis to do so under current data protection legislation. ​ Publishing information In most circumstances we anonymise our data to ensure that a person cannot be identified unless this has been otherwise agreed and consent has been given. ​ Sharing your data with Healthwatch England We are required to share information with Healthwatch England to ensure that your views are considered at a national level. This enables them to analyse service provision across the country and supply the Department of Health and national commissioners with the information you provide. ​ Find out more about Healthwatch England’s purpose and what they do. ​ The information we provide to Healthwatch England contains no personally identifiable data. Any information that is used for national publications is anonymised and will only be used with the consent of a local Healthwatch. ​ Our data systems Healthwatch England provides a secure digital system for local Healthwatch to manage their data. Other organisations process the data contained within it on behalf of local Healthwatch and a Data Processing Agreement is in place to ensure that this is held securely and according to current data protection legislation. ​ Healthwatch England is a committee of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) but acts independently. These organisations must comply with all legal requirements and do not reuse any data for any other reason or make it available to others. ​ Information about our own staff and people applying to work with us We need to process personal data about our own staff (and people applying to work for us) so that we can carry out our role and meet our legal and contractual responsibilities as an employer. ​ The personal data that we process includes information about racial or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender and sexuality. We use this information to check we are promoting and ensuring diversity in our workforce and to make sure we are complying with equalities legislation. ​ Our employees decide whether or not to share this monitoring data with us and can choose to withdraw their consent for this at any time. ​ Employees who wish to withdraw their consent for us to process this data can let us know. ​ Other personal data that we are required to process includes information on qualifications and experience, pay and performance, contact details and bank details. ​ We check that people who work for us are fit and suitable for their roles. This may include asking people to undertake Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. ​ People joining Healthwatch Wokingham Borough will be asked to complete a ‘declaration of interests’ form to identify any services with which they have close links (for example, because they have previously worked there or because the service is run by a close relative) or any other issues which could cause a perceived conflict of interest. Staff are regularly asked to update these forms. ​ We also publish some information about our staff, including the names and work contact details of people in some roles. ​ How we share information with other organisations We only share personal information with other organisations where it is lawful to so and in accordance with our Information Governance Policy. Information is shared in order to fulfil our remit which is to pass on your experiences of care to help improve them on your behalf. ​ We work with Healthwatch England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), local commissioners, NHS Improvement and our local authority to make this happen. We can also engage external suppliers to process personal information on our behalf. ​ We will only disclose your personal information where we have your consent to do so, or where there is another very good reason to make the disclosure – for example, we may disclose information to CQC or a local authority where we think it is necessary to do so in order to protect a vulnerable person from abuse or harm. Any such disclosure will be made in accordance with the requirements of the current data protection legislation. Wherever possible, we will ensure that any information that we share or disclose is anonymised, so as to ensure that you cannot be identified from it. ​ We sometimes use other organisations to process personal data on our behalf. Where we do this, those companies are required to follow the same rules and information security requirements as us, outlined in a Data Processing Contract. They are not permitted to use reuse the data for other purposes. ​ Retention and disposal of personal data We comply with our host organisation’s privacy policy which includes how they retain and dispose of personal data. This policy explains how long we keep different types of records and documents for, including records and documents containing personal data. Personal data is deleted or securely destroyed at the end of its retention period. We: ​ Keep your information up to date, when necessary Only keep your information for as long as we need it, after which it will be destroyed Protect your information from unauthorised or accidental disclosure Provide you with a copy of your personal information on request Correct inaccurate or misleading data as soon as possible ​ Your rights By providing us with your personal information, including sensitive information such as medical details, you consent to the collection and use of this information in accordance with the purposes described in our Privacy Policy. ​ We take appropriate measures to ensure that the personal information disclosed to us is kept secure, accurate, and up to date. We will ensure that your personal information is kept only for so long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and is securely destroyed in accordance with our data retention and disposal policy – see our Data Protection Policy. ​ You have the right to see what personal data we hold about you and to request a copy. ​ You have a right to object to the processing your personal information, or for any information held about you to be corrected. Such a request should be made in writing and we will take steps to amend, or to delete your identifying information and stop processing your data. However, we may retain other information that cannot specifically be used to identify you and are required to do this for contractual and compliance reasons. ​ Our contact details and key roles To request a copy of your personal data or make any other enquiry under this policy contact: Healthwatch Wokingham Borough Chief Officer Telephone: 0118 418 1418 Healthwatch Wokingham Borough, Wokingham Charity and Community Hub, Waterford House, Erfstadt Court, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 2YF Or you may contact directly our host organisation The Advocacy People who are contractually responsible for Healthwatch Wokingham Borough. Address correspondence for the attention of The Data Protection Officer, contact details can be found on their website here . The Advocacy People acts as data controller for the personal data that you provide Healthwatch Wokingham Borough. ​ Complaints about how we look after or use your information If you feel that we have not met our responsibilities under data protection legislation, you have a right to request an independent assessment from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). ​ You can find details on their website .

Jobs This Healthwatch service is provided by The Advocacy People , who manage recruitment and HR processes. ​ The Advocacy People are an employer of choice. We know this because in our last survey 4 out of 5 members of staff said The Advocacy People are a great organisation to work for. ​ Our staff tell us that we have a well-trained, professional workforce that responds to the needs of the people who use our services. ​ “A very supportive organisation who share the values I believe in.” “Knowing that we've made a difference and given someone a voice even if all desired outcomes are not achieved. Helping people to believe that they are valued and life is worth living.” Current vacancies See vacancies Our approach to equality and diversity The Advocacy People are fully committed to the elimination of unlawful and unfair discrimination and value the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. ​ We will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation or any other irrelevant factor. ​ We have a culture that values meritocracy, openness, fairness and transparency. Staff benefits include: Flexible working 25 days annual leave for new starters, increasing up to 30 days Opportunities to gain qualifications in advocacy Sick pay entitlement Access to Mindful Employer Plus employee assistance line Cycle to work scheme Childcare vouchers Eyecare vouchers