Engagement - News and Updates
ICS Strategy
Somerset's Big Conversation 2024 - Findings Report
Somerset’s Big Conversation roadshow launched across the county at the end of May 2024, aiming to engage with residents about their priorities and raise awareness of key campaigns.
This initiative involved collaboration with colleagues across NHS Somerset and the broader Somerset system to highlight crucial areas such as personalised care, mole checking, hypertension, women’s health and supervised tooth brushing, among others.
The Engagement Team had conversations with diverse people and communities, to discuss our strategy for health and care, posing broad questions to understand what matters most to them. The insights gathered from these conversations are invaluable in aligning our approach, ensuring we focus on the priorities of Somerset’s communities.
Through these roadshows, we aimed to foster deeper connections with residents and tailor our initiatives to better meet their needs and expectations. This was done through face to face conversations and also via an online survey.
Next Steps
The findings report has already been shared with our NHS Somerset Board, Integrated Care Board (ICB) Directorates and ICS partners such as Somerset Council's Public Health Team, Somerset Foundation Trust and VCFSE partners.
All ICB Directorates are currently discussing the feedback that is relevant to their workstreams, projects and areas of commissioning and utilising it to shape their plans and delivery. The Engagement Team will gather excellent examples of how feedback has shaped commissioning, as part of our commitment to 'You Said, We Did'. Two examples of how your feedback have shaped our work are:
Urgent and Emergency Care
Area of healthcare: Urgent Care Services
You Said: Many residents were unaware of alternative urgent care services, such as Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) and 111. Some residents expressed confusion about when to use A&E or other urgent services.
We Did: The Urgent and Emergency Care Team were not aware that residents were unfamiliar with UTCs. After discussing how to use this feedback, the team will now create a range of resources and materials that can be used at the engagement roadshow this year, to help educate and inform the public about the wide range of healthcare services that are available and when to access them. As part of their resilience planning, the team will consider the ongoing work needed around educating people about the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Safeguarding
Area of healthcare: New Dads Supporter Programme
You Said: Men have expressed that services available during the periods before and after birth do not regularly, significantly or substantially involve fathers, leaving many to feel ignored.
We Did: The feedback has helped the Safeguarding Team to develop support services that provide advice, guidance and resources for dads. The aim is that men will be able to lead the conversation and discuss whatever is important, so that a personalised plan or support can be developed. The New Dads' Supporter Programme has been created, as it recognises the important role that dads play in their children's lives. New dads wishing to access support can request this through their local GP by asking for a 'New Dad's supporter conversation or they can ask another professional, such as the health visiting team, working with them to help by writing to their GP with the same request.
The insight we have gained from feedback we have heard, is helping us to develop our continuous engagement working collaboratively with local, trusted community leaders to ensure we engage with those who are more likely to experience health inequalities.
As we remain committed to listening to the voices of all of our citizens, we are going to use the findings report, together with those from the 10 Year Health Plan engagement, to help shape our plans for Somerset's Big Conversation 2025.
