1. Purpose of the report and policy context

1.1 Healthwatch Brighton & Hove is the local statutory consumer champion for health and care services. Healthwatch sits as a coopted member of the HOSC. The Healthwatch Annual Report 2021-22 is attached for information (Appendix 1)

2. Recommendations

2.1 That the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee notes the contents of this report.

3. Context and background information

3.1 The 2012 Health & Social Care Act required each upper-tier local authority in England to commission a local Healthwatch organisation to undertake the statutory responsibility for being the independent consumer champion for health and social care.

3.2 Originally Community Works was the successful bidder for the local Healthwatch contract, and Brighton & Hove Healthwatch became operational in April 2013.

3.3 Healthwatch B&H incorporated as an independent Community Interest Company (CIC) organisation with an asset lock on 14 October 2014. This meant that staff moved from Community Works to the new CIC and operated under the new company as of 01 April 2015. This is the current structure of Healthwatch.

3.4 The council as part of its statutory responsibility for performance management continues to monitor Healthwatch Brighton & Hove contract through its performance monitoring framework.

3.5 There is no statutory requirement for Healthwatch to present its annual report to the HOSC, but there are obvious benefits in Healthwatch sharing its intelligence with the Committee.

3.6 Healthwatch are required to produce an Annual Report as part of their statutory requirements. The development of the Annual Report is based on Healthwatch’s consistent approach to seeking to hear people’s stories about their experiences of health and social care services, using these to develop an effective evidence base. They use their statutory powers to Enter and View any premises so that their authorised representatives can observe matters relating to health and social care services. Enter and View has not been possible this last year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, during which time more attention has been given to online and telephone engagement. They also gather information and insight through outreach and by sending trained volunteer representatives to a wide range of public meetings, specialist and strategic committees and decision making forums.

4. Analysis and consideration of alternative options

4.1 Not relevant to this report for noting.

5. Community engagement and consultation

5.1 None undertaken

6. Conclusion

6.1 Members are asked to note the Annual Report of Healthwatch Brighton & Hove

7. Financial implications

7.1 None for this report to note.

8. Legal implications

8.1 There are no legal implications arising from this report.

Name of lawyer consulted: Elizabeth Culbert Date consulted (dd/mm/yy):

9. Equalities implications

9.1 Healthwatch B&H updated their Equalities Impact Assessment when they became a CIC. Their most recent EIA was published in April 2021. Their reports and work include demographic breakdowns and try to reflect the profile of the city and its residents.

https://www.healthwatchbrightonandhove.co.uk/report/2021-04- 26/equality-impact-assessment-2021