An update from the Healthwatch Salford Board of Trustees
In March this year we saw our Vice Chair, Rimpy Batta move on to her new role as Chair of Mind in Salford. We're incredibly grateful for Rimpy's dedication and support over the past few years and we wish her all the best in her role as Chair over at Mind in Salford.
With Rimpy moving on we then saw our longstanding board member J Ahmed move into the role as Vice Chair. We had a chat with J about his new role and what he's looking forward to working on this year with us.
Congratulations on becoming Vice Chair, J. What do you enjoy most about being a board member at Healthwatch Salford?
Simply, making a difference. There is so much which needs improvement - I am very appreciative of the opportunity to help give voice to those who's experiences are rarely heard to help stimulate these improvements. I find contentment in the knowledge that I can, do and will take every opportunity to amplify the voice of the public in a bid to establish it as a crucial, founding cornerstone and catalyst for improvement.
Which piece of work or project that we’ve done do you think has had the greatest impact?
We've done some great work at Healthwatch Salford in my time on the board. Whilst several pieces of work immediately spring to mind, including some around hospitals, mental health, the homeless and refugees, I feel It would be unfair to choose just one piece of work or project.
Sufficed to say, all of our projects are a clear expression of our values, passion and intention to improve services for everyone. We are always growing, learning and becoming increasingly more effective.
What are you looking forward to doing in your new role as Vice Chair?
As an active board member, I already contribute to quite a lot of the work of the board of trustees, the associated sub-committees and I also support, where I can, the work of the operational team. I enjoy all my current responsibilities.
In my new role, I expect one of the more enjoyable aspects will be to be a more significant proponent of Healthwatch Salford's work, an 'ambassadorial' role of sorts, promoting the integrity and influence of our organisation.
Is there anything in the pipeline that you’re excited for Healthwatch Salford to work on and why?
I think our recent plans to develop a 'Youthwatch' promises the opportunity for us to improve our understanding of younger people's needs in health and social care in Salford. As well as being crucial to the development of current services, I feel this previously under-represented voice might offer us some important insight into how we might effectively challenge the future provision of services too.
We've also welcomed Ian James onto the board of trustees. Ian is a seasoned marketer, brand strategist and business owner, bringing over 25 years of experience and knowledge to the board. He believes his skills and experience can support the existing team’s vision of enhancing communication, strategic planning and organisational management within the healthcare landscape.
You can read more about Ian and the rest of the board of trustees here.
Would you like to join our board of trustees?
We're always interested to hear from any Salford residents who would like to join our board, who are passionate about improving health and social care in Salford.
Get in touch:
0330 355 0300
