Healthwatch Worcestershire

Healthwatch Worcestershire Helping everyone in Worcestershire have their say about health and care services.

🎗 Could You Be a Community Cancer Champion?Community Power is looking for people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire...
31/08/2026

🎗 Could You Be a Community Cancer Champion?

Community Power is looking for people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire who are passionate about helping their communities stay healthy.

Community Cancer Champions help raise awareness of cancer symptoms, encourage people to attend screening appointments and share trusted health information with friends, family and local groups. You don't need any medical knowledge or previous experience, just a willingness to have conversations that could make a real difference.

Free training and ongoing support are provided, helping Champions build the confidence and knowledge to support others and promote earlier diagnosis.

Want to find out more about the role?

🔗 More information: https://communitypower.org.uk/community-cancer-champions/

Ready to get involved?

🔗 Book a free training session: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/community-cancer-champions-training-4833584

Community Cancer Champions are local volunteers based across Herefordshire and Worcestershire who help people learn about cancer in a simple, friendly way.

🚶 Wellbeing Walk for Autistic AdultsAre you an autistic adult living in Herefordshire or Worcestershire?Autism West Midl...
30/08/2026

🚶 Wellbeing Walk for Autistic Adults

Are you an autistic adult living in Herefordshire or Worcestershire?

Autism West Midlands is running a free wellbeing walk at Worcester Woods, providing an opportunity to meet other autistic adults, talk to Autism West Midlands staff and enjoy nature in a calm and supportive environment.

There is no pressure to socialise, and participants are welcome to take the walk at their own pace. The sessions are designed to be relaxed, inclusive and welcoming.

📅 Wednesday 2 September 2026
⏰ 11:00am – 1:00pm
📍 Worcester Woods Country Park

Find out more and book your free place here:

🔗 https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/event/worcester-wellbeing-walk-for-autistic-adults-6/?mc_cid=9bffdfb924&mc_eid=ce6bc874b6

Join us for our Wellbeing Walk for Autistic Adults living in Herefordshire and Worcestershire at Worcester Woods. A perfect opportunity to meet other autist ...

💜"There are no second chances when it comes to end-of-life care." 💜The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has pu...
29/08/2026

💜"There are no second chances when it comes to end-of-life care." 💜

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has published a report highlighting what complaints can teach us about end-of-life care in care homes and council-funded services. The message is simple but powerful: when someone is approaching the end of their life, families only get one chance to spend those final days together, and there is only one chance to get that care right.

The report identifies some common issues experienced by families, including:

💬 Poor communication with relatives
📝 Inadequate care planning
🤝 Services not working together effectively
📞 Insensitive handling of death notifications
🚪 Difficulties around visiting arrangements
💷 Unfair charges after a person's death

For families, what matters is often not just the care itself, but how they are treated during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Families have a right to expect:

✅ Clear and timely communication
✅ Compassion, dignity and respect
✅ Care that reflects the person's wishes and preferences
✅ Honest conversations and sensitive support
✅ Services that work together to provide joined-up care

💭 At Healthwatch Worcestershire, we know that the small things can make a huge difference. A phone call at the right time, being kept informed, being treated with kindness, and feeling involved in decisions can shape how families remember those final days for years to come.

While many professionals provide outstanding end-of-life care every day, this report is an important reminder that compassion, communication and dignity should never be overlooked. These are not "nice to haves" - they are fundamental to providing good care.

📖 Read the Ombudsman's report:

https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news/2026/jul/no-second-chances-ombudsman-calls-on-councils-and-care-homes-to-improve-end-of-life-care

💬 What do you think matters most to families when a loved one is receiving end-of-life care?

No Second Chances: Ombudsman calls on councils and care homes to improve end of life care Many of us will face the moment when someone we love needs end of life care - whether in a care home, at home with support, or in a council-funded placement. How that care is delivered does not just affect the....

Looking for a fun, free family day out this summer?Step into a world of imagination as Once Upon a Trail transforms Droi...
29/08/2026

Looking for a fun, free family day out this summer?

Step into a world of imagination as Once Upon a Trail transforms Droitwich Spa town centre into a magical storybook adventure. Families can explore 10 beautifully illustrated shop windows inspired by local landmarks and landscapes, all with a fairytale twist.

✅ Free family activity
✅ Explore Droitwich Spa town centre
✅ Collect hidden words to create your own story
✅ Pick up a free activity booklet
✅ Collect a free book and special treat when you complete the trail

Children aged 4+ can collect a free activity booklet from Droitwich Library, the Heritage Centre or The Crafty Café before setting off on their adventure.

🔗 Find out more:
https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/community-and-living/once-upon-a-trail-in-droitwich-spa

Looking for a fun, free family day out this summer? Step into a world of imagination as Once Upon a Trail transforms Droitwich Spa town centre into a magical storybook adventure.

💙 Leaving care shouldn’t mean facing adulthood alone.A new Department for Education blog highlights the often-overlooked...
28/08/2026

💙 Leaving care shouldn’t mean facing adulthood alone.

A new Department for Education blog highlights the often-overlooked loneliness and vulnerability experienced by some young people leaving care.

The transition to adulthood can be challenging for anyone, but for care leavers who may not have the support of family or a trusted network around them, turning 18 can mean that many of the services and relationships they have relied on suddenly begin to fall away.

The message is clear: practical support alone isn’t always enough. Care leavers may need trusted relationships, emotional and mental health support, and help to build connections and confidence as they navigate adult life.

As the blog says, no system can replace the support and sense of belonging that many people get from family and friends. We need to listen to the experiences of care leavers and make sure that support is there when they need it most. 💙

🔗 Read the full blog from the Department for Education:

Clare Chamberlain, co-chair of the Independent Review into the Deaths of Care Leavers, shares what the review found, and why care leavers need more than a Personal Adviser to help them navigate life after care and thrive as adults.

👶🏥 What should good health services for children and young people look like? 🏥👶A group of more than 70 organisations wor...
28/08/2026

👶🏥 What should good health services for children and young people look like? 🏥👶

A group of more than 70 organisations working with children, young people and families has published 10 tests for NHS England's new Children and Young People's Modern Service Framework. The framework is intended to help shape the future of health services for babies, children and young people across England.

The priorities include:

✅ Listening to children, young people and families and involving them in decisions that affect them
✅ Better joined-up working between health, education and other services
✅ A stronger focus on children and young people with complex needs
✅ Tackling inequalities and ensuring services are inclusive and accessible
✅ Clear accountability and measurable improvements
✅ Better support during key transitions, including the move into adult services

💬 At Healthwatch Worcestershire, many of these themes reflect what local families tell us matters most: timely support, services that work together, being listened to, and making sure no child or young person falls through the gaps.

🗣️ One point that particularly resonates is the importance of ensuring that children's and young people's voices are genuinely representative. Effective engagement means hearing not only from those who are confident and able to speak up, but also from those who may face additional barriers, including children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), young carers, those experiencing poverty, care-experienced young people, and others whose voices can sometimes be harder to hear.

❤️ Good services are built on lived experience, and that means making sure all children and young people have opportunities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

📖 Read more about the 10 tests here:

https://www.ncb.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news-opinion/ten-tests-nhs-englands-children-and-young-peoples-modern-service?mc_cid=17a581bdc3&mc_eid=f6e6a1a9e3

💭 If you could change one thing about health services for children and young people, what would it be?

With a narrow yet significant window to shape the framework’s direction before key decisions are taken, the Children and Young People's Health Policy Influencing Group has developed a paper that sets out ten tests for the MSF. It distils the children’s sector’s expectations into a concise set ...

Do you need advice about your child's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?Worcestershire SENDIASS is offer...
28/08/2026

Do you need advice about your child's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

Worcestershire SENDIASS is offering free face-to-face advice appointments for parents and carers across Worcestershire.

✅ Understanding SEND support
✅ EHCP advice
✅ Health and social care guidance
✅ Understanding your rights
✅ Help navigating SEND processes

Appointments are free, confidential and impartial, giving you the opportunity to discuss concerns, ask questions and access the information you need to support your child.

🔗https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sendiass

We are the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

🗣️✨ Local Voices, National Change: ensuring all young voices are heard ✨🗣️Children and young people are often talked abo...
27/08/2026

🗣️✨ Local Voices, National Change: ensuring all young voices are heard ✨🗣️

Children and young people are often talked about in policy discussions, but too rarely are they given a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.

That's why the National Children's Bureau's Local Voices, National Change programme is so important. This five-year, youth-led project aims to support children and young people with lived experience of poverty to influence local and national decision-making and help shape policies designed to tackle child poverty. More than 1,000 children and young people across England and Northern Ireland are expected to take part.

💬 The programme will:

✅ Support children and young people to share their experiences and ideas
✅ Connect young people directly with decision-makers
✅ Help shape policies and services aimed at reducing child poverty
✅ Challenge the stigma often associated with poverty
✅ Strengthen the role of youth voice in local and national decision-making

📊 The National Children's Bureau highlights that around 4.5 million children are growing up in households below the poverty line, yet the experiences of many children and young people affected by poverty are rarely considered when services and policies are developed.

💭 One challenge for all engagement work is ensuring we hear from a broad range of children and young people, not just those who are already confident speaking up. The experiences of children facing poverty, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), caring responsibilities, exclusion, poor mental health, discrimination, or other barriers can be very different. If policies and services are to meet the needs of all children and young people, those voices need to be represented too.

❤️ At Healthwatch Worcestershire, we know that people with lived experience are often best placed to identify what needs to change. Meaningful participation isn't just about hearing young people's voices, it's about making sure we hear from a diverse range of young people, especially those whose experiences are often overlooked.

🔗 Find out more about the programme:

https://www.ncb.org.uk/LocalVoicesNationalChange?mc_cid=17a581bdc3&mc_eid=f6e6a1a9e3

💬 What do you think? Are children and young people given enough opportunity to influence the decisions that affect their lives? And are we doing enough to hear from those who are often the hardest to reach?

A youth-led programme funded by The UK Fund to shape and inform government strategies and policies to end child poverty.

The summer holidays can be enjoyable for many young people, but they can also bring challenges for some families.The Her...
27/08/2026

The summer holidays can be enjoyable for many young people, but they can also bring challenges for some families.

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Su***de Prevention Programme has created free wellbeing guides for:

✅ Teenagers
✅ Parents and carers

The guides include advice, support and ideas to help young people stay connected, active and supported over the summer.

Please share with anyone who may find them helpful.

🔗 Find out more and download the free guides:
https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-children-and-young-people/parent-carers-and-teenagers-guides-happy-healthy-summer

Information, advice and guidance for happy and healthy teenagers through the summer months.

🗣 Have Your Say About Your Local AreaBromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council are inviting residents to ...
26/08/2026

🗣 Have Your Say About Your Local Area

Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council are inviting residents to take part in their My Neighbourhood Survey 2026.

The survey asks about life in your local area, including community safety, environmental issues, council services and quality of life. The results will help inform future priorities and improvements across both districts.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, but your feedback could help shape decisions that affect your community.

📅 The survey is open until 21 September 2026.

Bromsgrove residents: 🔗 https://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/myneighbourhoodsurvey

Redditch residents: 🔗https://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/MyNeighbourhoodSurvey

Tell us what you think about your local area. Complete the Places Survey and help shape future priorities for Bromsgrove District Council.

Address

Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive
Pershore
WR101PT

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

01386 550264

Website

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