Residents in Warwickshire who have experience of using Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) care and support services, or supporting someone who has, can become a Care Champion.
They will be able to provide a unique perspective of the quality of the council’s commissioned services such as residential care homes, domiciliary care, and more.
Care Champions is aimed at improving adult social care services across the county. The programme is designed for those willing to share their personal experience with care services and utilise their valuable insights to help improve services for others in the future. They will work closely with WCC to share feedback, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that the support services meet the needs of the community.
Key Objectives of the Care Champions Initiative include:
- Identifying strengths and areas for improvement in adult social care services
- Listening to the experiences of past carers to provide valuable feedback, which can then be used to improve services across the county
- Raising awareness of the resources and support available within the community
Councillor Margaret Bell, WCC’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "Our Care Champions help to ensure that adult social care services in Warwickshire, such as residential care homes, enable residents who can no longer live at home independently, to continue to live well.
By giving those with firsthand, lived experience a voice, we can better understand the needs of our residents and work together to improve the care we offer so that they can lead healthy, happy lives for as long as possible.
I would like to encourage anyone who has had experience of our adult social care services, whether yourself or in a caring capacity, to consider becoming a Care Champion.”
Anyone interested in becoming a Care Champion can access a range of benefits:
- Ongoing training and development support
- Opportunities to connect with others within the community
- Support with report writing and feedback
- A pathway into employment opportunities within social care
- The chance to make a positive impact on local communities and improve personal well-being, for themselves and others
Find out more about becoming a Care Champion:
Email: carechampions@warwickshire.gov.uk.
Phone: 01926 742266 or 07880 446541
You can also visit our website to learn more: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/adults-social-care/quality-assurance-improvement-commissioned-service
Residents who have experience of adult social care services can also apply to be an Expert by Experience – anyone who has lived experience of adult social care services. Rather than reviewing the quality of the council’s commissioned services like Care Champions, Experts by Experience help to shape decisions about the design of adult social care services and how information is shared.