West Yorkshire Voice is another way to get your voice heard in health and care, but at a West Yorkshire level. The network is made up of individuals, groups, organisations and existing networks and aims to influence decisions that are made about health and care in the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.
You can get in touch with us by emailing: info
Follow West Yorkshire Voice on our social links, Linktree, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Why was West Yorkshire Voice created?
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board want to understand what matters to local people and communities. They want to know where people think services can be improved and what’s working well. This is so they can deliver care and support that meets the needs of our diverse population.
To make sure the voice of people is central to its work, the Partnership asked Healthwatch to develop ‘West Yorkshire Voice’ to feed directly into decisions made about health and care.
West Yorkshire Voice and Healthwatch
West Yorkshire Voice works closely with local Healthwatch who are independent health and social care 'consumer champions'. This means they listen to people's feedback about their experiences of health and social care and make sure that NHS leaders and other decision makers listen and make improvements.
West Yorkshire has six local Healthwatch organisations, Bradford and District, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield District, and North Yorkshire which covers Craven. You can also call your local Healthwatch. Please see this Healthwatch postcard for contact details.
What is the purpose of West Yorkshire Voice?
- To bring the real voice of people with lived experience and unpaid carers to decision-making.
- To give an opportunity to those who may not normally be involved and include the voices of those with the greatest health inequalities.
- To enable and support diverse involvement and representation.
- To form a key part of how health and care services, through the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, are held to account by the people of West Yorkshire.
How do we have an impact?
As we have been asked to do this work by healthcare decision-makers, everything we learn from you, gets fed back. We act as a champion for the public voice, promoting the importance of including and involving lived experience perspectives in all healthcare decision making.
West Yorkshire Voice has already made a difference in the work of health and care services in our area. It will continue to develop in partnership with local people to make sure it is accessible, inclusive, and reflective of our communities.
Membership
Quote from a West Yorkshire Voice member
“Being a part of the West Yorkshire Voice network keeps our work connected to communities. Hearing about what matters to people is something that should be driving all of our work and priorities. Connecting with the team has enabled us to be connected to young people and find out more about their experiences of mental health and what they think about the services available to support them. The team have also connected us to many other organisations across sectors, who support these young people. West Yorkshire Voice is invaluable. It is an opportunity to connect with others, be up to date with key things and also as a space to advocate for change. The team are so friendly and welcoming, they will help you in any way they can. Thank you to all the team and the wider network!”
You can join West Yorkshire Voice as an individual or a group here. West Yorkshire includes Bradford District, Craven, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield District.
Individual membership
As an individual you will be representing your own experience or the experience of someone you support in your personal life.
Group membership
The aim of West Yorkshire Voice is to reflect the diverse population and communities from across West Yorkshire. We want to link in with all the great work already taking place in local areas, but not duplicate what is already underway. We want to do this by linking in with existing community groups, organisations, networks and other relevant partners. By joining as a group member, you will be representing the experiences of others; these may be people you support or work with as a professional or your peers within a group.
You'll find information and resources for members on the West Yorkshire Voice members' page.