Healthwatch Staffordshire

The Council wish to commission the Healthwatch Staffordshire Service.

The provider will ensure there is an independent consumer champion for health and social care services in Staffordshire, engaging with residents and influencing commissioning, with the aim of improving the overall quality of health and social care provision.

This Service will support and shape the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS), the Health and Wellbeing Board and wider health and care commissioning priorities by ensuring plans reflect the patient and user voice. In doing this their role is to closely work with partners to improve the overall quality of health and social care outcomes across Staffordshire.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 set out duties for all local authorities with social services responsibility to commission and establish a Local Healthwatch. Local Healthwatch has a seat on the statutory Health and Wellbeing Boards, ensuring that the views and experiences of patients, carers and other service users are taken into account. In addition the Act states local authorities are to provide an Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy service (ICAS) to people who wish to make a complaint about their experience of a local NHS service.

Healthwatch is not required to be a statutory organisation; however the range of statutory functions that it must deliver include: • Gather views and experiences of service users and residents and ensure the community voice is strengthened and heard by those who commission, deliver and regulate health and care services. • Monitor the standard of service provision, including authority to undertake Enter and View visits to health and care providers and report any concerns and/or acknowledge good service practice. • Provide information and signposting to help people find the right health and care service. • Work in partnership with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Healthwatch England and other bodies on national issues. This will require a provider who can:- • Deliver 'core' priority functions of community engagement and representation, as well as influencing commissioners and decision makers to improve services, including utilising the statutory Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board seat. • Prepare a focussed delivery plan shaped by the public, alongside Council and ICS strategic priorities . • Take a collaborative approach with key partners, stakeholders and volunteers to applaud, challenge, question and review in the pursuit of best practice in health and social care, informed by the public's opinion.

Suppliers should register on the Proactis e-tendering system: https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com and then select this tender opportunity to view and return tender documents.