.png/:/rs=h:200,cg:true,m/qt=q:95)
Enter and View Volunteer Programme for Healthwatch Gateshead
The challenge
Organisation: Healthwatch Gateshead
Sector: Health and Social Care Charity
Location: Gateshead
Healthwatch Gateshead needed a structured and well-managed volunteer programme to deliver Enter and View visits across NHS and social care services.
At the time, there was:
- No coordinated or trained volunteer team
- No standardised induction, safeguarding or GDPR processes
- Limited capacity to plan and manage visits
- Inconsistent reporting and lack of quality assurance
- No clear system for turning findings into actionable, public-facing recommendations
They required someone to build the entire programme from scratch, ensuring volunteers were trained, supported and confident, and that visits were delivered professionally and in line with statutory Enter and View requirements.
Building the Enter and View Programme
How I helped Healthwatch Gateshead
As Freelance Programme Manager, I established and ran the full Enter & View programme.
This included:
- Designing and delivering a comprehensive volunteer induction programme covering safeguarding, confidentiality, GDPR, communication skills and Enter & View methodology
- Recruiting, interviewing and onboarding volunteers
- Developing all volunteer resources, guidance materials and reporting templates
- Coordinating visit planning, logistics, permissions and liaison with NHS and social care providers
- Supporting volunteers before, during and after visits to ensure ethical evidence gathering
- Ensuring full compliance with Healthwatch regulations, safeguarding procedures and data protection standards
- Writing clear, accessible Enter & View reports with practical, outcome-focused recommendations
- Building strong relationships with providers to promote transparency, cooperation and follow-up action
Reports were shared directly with local health services, Local Authority and Healthwatch England.
The outcomes for Healthwatch
- Established a fully operational Enter & View programme where none previously existed
- Recruited and trained a committed volunteer team with strong understanding of safeguarding, GDPR and observational practice
- Delivered multiple Enter & View visits across NHS and social care settings
- Produced high-quality public reports with clear findings and actionable recommendations
- Improved consistency, quality and compliance of all volunteer activities
- Strengthened positive relationships with local care providers
- Increased insight into patient and service-user experience across Gateshead
- Enhanced Healthwatch Gateshead’s influence, visibility and impact in the community
Find out how I can help you too!
If you’d like support to strengthen your charity’s fundraising communications, I offer flexible, bespoke services shaped around your needs, capacity and goals.
Explore other case studies
.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
.jpg/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:370,cg:true)
