Our advice and information service will go the extra mile for more vulnerable residents
How our advice and information service works
Healthwatch provides a service that is sometimes known as signposting. We give information to people who are having difficulties accessing the health and care services they need. Armed with that information, most people are then able to take the steps necessary to sort out their difficulties themselves.
However, sometimes we support people who face barriers that are difficult for them to overcome on their own. Residents might face vulnerabilities that are age-related or have underlying health problems. They may struggle to access services because they are digitally excluded or don't have English as their first language.
We're not an advocacy service (Rethink Advocacy provides that service for Islington residents) but we will provide additional support to vulnerable residents who find it difficult to act on the information we give them. In these cases, we will often contact services on behalf of the person we are supporting. If services are unresponsive, or if appropriate services are hard to identify, we will take further action.
An example of the type of issue we can help with
Paul was an older resident with limited mobility and many other health issues. He lived alone in a flat owned by a registered social landlord. Paul was known to Social Services, who had agreed to install a Telecare system so he could get help in case of a fall. They needed a key fob to carry out the work so they could have ongoing access to the flat and would not install the system without one. But Paul had lost his key fob and had been waiting for a replacement. He made a payment for this to his housing provider, but he still didn't receive one. All in all, Paul waited nearly a year for a replacement.
Over a period of six months, once we were made aware of Paul's situation, our advice and information worker wrote nearly 30 emails and made over 40 calls to get Paul the support to which he was entitled. In the end, we made a formal complaint on Paul’s behalf to help resolve this particular issue. As a result, a new fob was hand-delivered and Social Services were able to book an appointment to go ahead and install the Telecare system.
Our advice and information team handled 229 signposting cases in 2022. If you know someone who might benefit from our support do let them know about us. Our advice and information service is free for all Islington residents.
