Care Opinion is a place where you can share your experience of health or care services, and help make them better for everyone. It’s safe and simple to share your story online and see other people’s stories too. You can see how stories are leading to change. www.careopinion.org.uk/info/about
We are celebrating and sharing some our our learning at Notts Healthcare from the last decade over the next few weeks and months as part of our 10 year celebrations of using Care Opinion.
Children’s Centres in Nottinghamshire Healthcare are frequent users of Care Opinion every month and have seen a great uptake in people wanting to share their experiences. They have a range of services for families with children aged 0-5 years old who live in Nottinghamshire.
Karon Foulkes General Manager of Children and Young People Services shares some of her thoughts about the experiences of Childrens Centres using Care Opinion
So what makes it work?
Accessibility – Our service users are usually parents of young children who have their phones to hand but not necessarily data to spare! Many sites now have public WiFi and our teams have access to an iPad to allow immediate access. This means thoughts and comments and stories about the Children’s Centres can be posted there and then!
Staff buy in – Front line staff take responsibility in finding out if their involvement has made a difference and what needs to change. They are encouraged to lead on those changes and improvements. Care Opinion is one of a range of tools used and it’s effective and visible.
Used in reporting to Commissioners – Care Opinion posts are now valued by our commissioners as a measure in the quality of our services offered. For example, a parenting programme, and a parents journey over time or from receiving family support to volunteering in the Children’s Centres.
Carol Pearce is a Children’s Centre Co-ordinator, she spoke to Children Centre staff, parents and families keen to share their experiences.
The benefits of using Care Opinion for staff as well as parents and families is clear to see.
I really love seeing feedback from parents who attend our groups at Warsop Children’s Centre. It makes me feel that I have done a really good job and made a real difference to children’s lives.
‘She started her journey very shy and self -conscious, she struggled to leave my side and wouldn’t talk to others.” Then you see the child run into the centre laughing and full of confidence it really makes you feel special that you have contributed to that child’s happiness’.
‘We meet many parents struggling with parenting their children, so to know I have been able to help them become a stronger family unit is really special’. P. helped me through the darkest days, you can read a million books but they don’t tell you how to play with your child.’
Some of our parents comments have made us feel so valued as a service.
“ I would really have struggled as a new parent without this service”
‘I have made friends for both myself and my son. Staff do not get the thanks they truly deserve’
“Without the Children’s Centre I don’t know where I would be today. They have been my lifeline and I know I can always turn to them for help. My life has now changed and I am doing courses and involved in things going off in my community in Warsop. My son has settled in nursery and that is all down to him coming to the groups, especially the ‘Now I am two‘ group he did. Just can’t thank them all enough for all they have done for me”
Thank you to our Children’s Centres for 10 years of stories and support