Why did Youthwatch Darlington receive 'Highly Commended' recognition at the Healthwatch Awards 2020?
Healthwatch Awards 2020
Healthwatch Darlington has been recognised in a prestigious national awards scheme for their volunteering programme Youthwatch Darlington which has helped improve the provision of information for young people and mental health across Darlington.
Healthwatch Darlington was ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Celebrating our volunteer team’ category in the Healthwatch Awards 2020, which were run by Healthwatch England this month.
This virtual event celebrated the difference Healthwatch’s 4,400 staff and volunteers made over the past year and Healthwatch Darlington was one of only 12 local Healthwatch to be highly commended by judges, out of a total of 152 across England.
Why did Youthwatch Darlington receive this recognition at a national level?
Healthwatch Darlington was nominated for a prestigious national award for our young volunteering programme called Youthwatch Darlington which has helped raise awareness and improve the provision of information about young people’s mental health services across Darlington.
How did they improve the provision of information and awareness for young people and mental health in Darlington?
Waiting areas within health services
Our young volunteers worked with three GP surgeries and local Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in 2019/20 in an effort to make improvements to the information available for young patients in the waiting areas and on their websites.
Brand new display boards now feature within three GP surgeries and their ideas to make improvements to the information available for older young patients who visit CAMHS has been shared directly with the CAMHS manager and CAMHS Community Support Worker. Their ideas for CAMHS included:
- Upto date and relevant information about local services available, displayed in an organised way on walls.
- Using a mobile phone text conversation art design to raise awareness about the importance of young people seeking help for mental health and some helplines.
- Head phone docking station for young people who are waiting, including a list of mental health pod casts.
They continued to meet with CAMHS virtually throughout 2020 sharing their ideas further and helping to create designs of new art work.
Information sharing & awareness
They planned a series of information sharing and awareness raising campaigns that were relevant to young people based on current awareness days or data gathered from young people in the town. Throughout 2019/20 they raised awareness and shared information online using colourful and engaging posters designed by themselves via social media and directly with services and organisations. Our reach has been in the 1000’s. Topics included; world mental health day, alcohol awareness, suicide prevention, carers rights and loneliness.
Sharing ideas to plan engagement with young people
At the end of 2019 they helped to plan further engagement with young people to understand further the needs of young people when it comes to improving information across the town. They then helped us launch our 'Children & young people's mental health' research project called ' Help Healthwatch Darlington piece together your views about children and young peoples mental health.' They helped design the posters, plan outreach stands and visit colleges to speak to students.
What did Youthwatch Darlington say?
Some of our lovely volunteers from Youthwatch Darlington shared their comments following the announcement that their efforts in making a difference to young patients in the town had been 'Highly commended' at a national award ceremony.
To be honest, I didn’t even think we would get highly commended. It is such an honor to be highly commended, considering there are so many Healthwatch’s out there that also deserved it.
Knowing that Youthwatch was shortlisted was amazing, but then to get highly commended was even more amazing. The moment I saw the PowerPoint presentation slide to the ones who were highly commended, I was speechless. The fact is, is that this is for something really important, and knowing that I contributed to the effort is something that I will never forget.
To be noticed from the campaigns we have done is exciting but to be highly commended was just amazing. To know our efforts were recognised and our passion that we put into our campaigns through our posters, blogs, podcasts feels all worthwhile. I'm proud to be a volunteer for Youthwatch and to aim our focus on the younger generation. To listen and to be a voice for them is an extremely rewarding experience.
Do you have a question?
If you would like to find out more about our work or Youthwatch Darlington please get in touch with Jemma Austin our Senior Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator via j.austin@healthwatchdarlington.co.uk who will be happy to help.
