Healthwatch Bedford Borough Team

Work with us

Find out more about ways you can work with us and any current opportunities with our team.

Want to work with us?

People's views come first - especially those who find it hardest to be heard. We champion what matters to you and work with others to find ideas that work. We are independent and committed to making the biggest difference to you. 

If you are an organisation looking to work with us on a project, get in touch and tell us more.

Current Vacancies

Independent Strategic Advisory Board Chair

Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract

Contract length: 36 months

Pay: £4,000.00 per year

As Chair, you will lead and work with the Board in setting up the strategic plan and work programme for Healthwatch Bedford Borough, ensuring the service lives up to its shared vision, aims, and values. In addition to attending and leading formal Board meetings, the Chair will ensure that the service’s strategic direction is communicated and provide support and advice to the staff and management team.

Chair Recruitment Pack

Apply Now

Applications are open until 

28 February 2025. 

If you would like an informal chat about the roles, please contact Emma Freda, CEO, either by phone, WhatsApp or email

 01234 638 678 

enquiries@healthwatchbedfordborough.co.uk

WhatsApp 01234 638 678

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Or become a Healthwatch Bedford Borough Volunteer.

 

Independent Strategic Advisory Board (ISAB) Vacancies 

We are recruiting right now for new Independent Strategic Advisory Board - Healthwatch Bedford Borough

How often do you hear people share their stories of long waits for hospital appointments or short notice cancellations or difficulty in getting to see their GP? Then the really glowing stories where people feel the service they have received at a hospital or from their GP has been brilliant.  Ever thought ‘…if only people at the top could listen to what’s its actually like for people who are unwell, frail, or vulnerable struggling to access services and what would they change if it was their close family…’ Or to equally tell them ‘…what’s working well and ask why can’t you do some of the same for other services?’

You could just have such opportunities.

Healthwatch Bedford Borough is an independent watchdog, ensuring people’s voices are at the centre of shaping NHS health services and social care services in Bedford Borough.

Healthwatch Bedford Borough was established in April 2013 to bring the voices and experiences of local people to influence the decisions made in their health and social care. We use local people’s voices and experiences to work to influence planners, decision-makers, and service providers in Bedford Borough. The government provides money for each local authority to set up a Healthwatch.  Local Healthwatch organisations have the right to go to places where health and social care is delivered and report what they find.

We are recruiting right now for new Independent Strategic Advisory Board.

Engaging Communities Solutions CIC (ECS) has been awarded the contract to deliver Healthwatch in Bedford Borough from January 2023. 

ECS retains contractual responsibility for the service so takes care of all infrastructure requirements like HR matters and finance. That means the Advisory Board focuses on agreeing on the work programme and providing oversight to ensure the work programme is achieved as well as supporting with the promotion of Healthwatch and collection of intelligence.

There are recruitment packs and role descriptors available for the Independent Strategic Advisory Board.

The recruitment packs give details of the recruitment process, further information about Healthwatch Bedford Borough, the role of the Independent Strategic Advisory Board plus how to apply.

If you would like an informal chat about the roles, please contact Emma Freda, CEO, either by phone, WhatsApp or email

 01234 638 678 

enquiries@healthwatchbedfordborough.co.uk

WhatsApp 01234 638 678

ISAB Member recruitment pack

Healthwatch Bedford Borough Advisory Board Member Recruitment Pack

Apply Now 

 

Volunteer Opportunities

Youth Ambassadors

Youth Ambassadors

Overview

As a Youth Ambassador you will facilitate communication between young people and health & social care organisation. Collecting views and opinions from other young people about their experiences of accessing services and feeding this back to Healthwatch Bedford Borough.

Why should you be a Healthwatch Young Ambassador?

As a Youth Ambassador you will improve your communication skills and learn valuable skills that can be transferred to the workplace. You will be communicating with your peers, team members and the general public. We need volunteers to help us collect information to help identify gaps or issues in the care being provided to people in Bedford Borough. 

Young people need to have their voices heard about local services and as a Youth Ambassador you will be an integral part of this process and to assist services to change.

Volunteering can count towards placement and volunteering hours for school, sixth form, college or university courses, volunteering roles can also be added to your CV and College/University applications and references can be provided. 

What will the role involve?

  • Collecting views and opinions from other young people within your college or university 
  • Data entry into our database/data collection systems
  • Promote the role of Healthwatch Bedford Borough to your peers and other groups of young people within your school, sixth form, college or university
  • Engage with young people via promotion of our social media platforms, including HBBs newsletters
  • Keep updated and attend training

Apply now

Community Engagement and Outreach Volunteer

Outreach Volunteer

Overview

As a Community Engagement and Outreach volunteer, you will play an important role in speaking to people in the community about their views on local health and care services. You will speak to with people via hospitals, libraries, shopping centre stalls, Healthwatch and community events. Online engagement via social media and other platforms may also be part of this role. 

Why should you be a Healthwatch Community Engagement and Outreach volunteer? 

If you like talking and listening to people, this is the right role for you. We have a vital role to play in ensuring people in [insert area] are engaged, listened to and provided with an avenue to tell us their views and opinions. 

By people sharing their experiences with us we can bring these to health and care providers and decision makers in [insert area] to influence services to make them better. You will be an essential part of our team in ensuring people’s voices are collected and heard in the right places. We need you to be the best that we can be. 

What will the role involve? 

  • Working with Healthwatch volunteers and staff team to reach out into different communities to get people’s views on health and social care services  
  • Planning engagement activities with other volunteers and staff members 
  • Engaging people using online platforms e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams and/or via phone 
  • Keeping a record of people’s experiences and give these to Healthwatch staff members  
  • Holding engagement and information stands in community areas such as hospitals, GP Surgeries and dentists
  • Talking to and gathering views of the public and reporting this back to us
  • Helping us conduct surveys and consultations with local people

Apply Now 

Enter & View Authorised Representative

Enter & View

Overview 

An Enter and View Volunteer listens to people’s experiences of health and care services, including people living in residential homes to understand what is working well and what can be improved. 

Why should you be and Enter & View Authorised Representative 

You’ll be helping to make life better for people by using the insight to make tangible differences to health and care services. You’ll meet a wide range of people who rely on health and care services. You’ll gain valuable experience which may support your job aspirations. You’ll meet new people, be part of the Healthwatch team who act as the public champion for health and care and make a difference for your local community. 

What will the role involve? 

  • You’ll be part of a team which plans Enter and View visits, including speaking to service managers.  
  • You’ll talk to people, including family members, carers and staff to get a full picture about how services are working 
  • You’ll record these experiences and with your team write a report on what’s working well and areas for improvement 
  • You’ll support the Healthwatch staff who talk to service managers about the changes needed 

  • As part of a team, you’ll check back to make sure the changes are making a difference 

    Apply now