Who we are

We all have lived experience as service users, patients or carers, and sometimes all three.

We are also members, or former, members of service user or carer organisations, which have their own individual needs and wishes, but we believe in the common core principles found in all such organisations.

There are now some 420 people who have become members

Board

  • Ron Wood – Chair
  • Wade Tovey MBE TD MSc– Projects Leader
  • David Morris – Vice Chair
  • Derek Stow,
  • Mike Maguire
  • Julia Wood
  • Brian Rigby 
  • Margaret Ogden
  • John Simpson

Qualifications include

Four NESCHA members achieved degrees in Health and Social Care through Northumbria University, including one Masters, which helped lead to the formation of the original NESCA
PhD, Masters degrees, honours degrees, social work qualifications, voluntary work qualifications, business qualifications, engineering
Social workers, social work team managers, nurses, Ward Sisters, chemist, business and commerce, University manager in SHSC, engineer, military personnel including nursing.


Members experience

Members are, or have been, involved in various organisations, groups and activities

  • Healthwatches including Enter and Views
  • HEE Lay Represntative
  • Linking People to Research CRN NIHR
  • Health and social care research with various Universities in the NE and England
  • NHS Digital Medicines and Pharmacies
  • Creating Connections
  • PPGs – various GP practices
  • CCGs
  • CQC Experts by Experience
  • SSAFA
  • Safeguarding Board
  • NE Pharmacy Optimisation Group AHSN
  • Health & Well Being Boards
  • Hartlepool Carers   –  Chair
  • Hartlepool Young Carers  – Chair
  • Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency – Board member
  • Hartlepool Community Network
  • Hartlepool Borough Council
  • Dignity Champions
  • Transport Champions
  • Redcar and Cleveland
  • Audit and Governance
  • Scrutiny
  • South Tees NHS Trust
  • South Tees PLACE [ replaced PEAT] – Patient Led Assessment and Care – inspectors
  • Hartlepool Healthwatch Hospital discharge Project
  • Stroke Support Group, Whitley Bay
  • South Tees PPG
  • TEWV MH Trust
  • Universities – input to students in Health & Social Care courses

HISTORY

North East Social Care and Health Advisors

Helping to influence and improve the shape and quality of service in health and social care

NESCHA was originally founded as NESCA ( North East Social Care Advisors) out of some work undertaken by a group of volunteers working with Skills for Care North East, to improve the quality of the social care workforce. This work started in 2005 and the group formed then – most of whom are still together – undertook a range of projects for Skills for Care, and the Open Learning Foundation, the Tees Valley Alliance, Job Centre Plus, Universities and more, for nothing more than expenses and donations to the group.

Some members were encouraged to undertake some studies with Northumbria University and did so with three members achieving degrees and one a Masters.

The group was reformed as NE Social Care and Health Advisors in 2015, as it was felt that many of the issues that faced people with illness, disabilities or increasing age, as well as their carers, overlapped between the NHS and Social Care.

Our aim then was, and still is, to be a respected pro-active North East organisation that listens, values and shares best practice, and makes a difference, helping and shaping the services of tomorrow, with an emphasis on personalisation.

We all have lived experience, or are currently experiencing, of being service users, carers or patients, and sometimes all of these.

We are all volunteers who are driven by our values and principles, chiefly of confidentiality and trust, to do what we can to improve the quality of services that we, and others, receive now and in the future. We know, for example, that many people in care homes, both residents, relatives and the staff themselves at times, and some supported as individuals in the community, seldom have a significant voice and we aspire to assisting them.

We seek to achieve our aims by listening to our members’ views and collaborating with the organisations they represent, and by using what we hear in our extensive networks, to help articulate and influence the shape and quality of services.

We ensure that we do not share any confidential information from other organisations.

Our members will respond to calls for advice and guidance and support from individuals and organisations.

Safeguarding issues will have to be referred to the appropriate bodies but support will be given.

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