Sen's Volunteering Story
See their words below!
With the supportive and welcoming energy of the team, I found myself working on some important projects which allowed me to contribute to something that helps the wider community. I had always been curious as to how being a researcher could help improve services in healthcare and social care, and I am now able to see actionable contributions develop from ‘behind the scenes.’ This is the most satisfying part of the role for me and being able to see how everyone comes together on projects from writing reports, designing workshops and research projects, all the way to group workshops in action and resulting recommendations sent out to trusts and services. The role has opened my eyes to the positive contributions I can make with the skills I have been developing over the past few years, and the good that I can do is worthwhile and impactful.
I am slowly developing my skills with the team through this work and learning how my role can also inform my current research practice as a PhD researcher. I often have struggled with research design in the past due to my own neurodivergence, but with my volunteering role the structure and consistent feedback on my additions have allowed me to learn new skills as I go along! I also really appreciate getting to know the community through my role, and all the important voices that fuel the feedback that come from the work that we contribute to. And finally, I really appreciate the inviting environment thanks to the disability and neurodiverse aware team that fills the space. The accommodations and understanding means a lot to me as I have a dynamic disability and have days where I need to work from home or use my wheelchair to come into the office. The team have been inclusive and open to my feedback about the space and accessibility of the spaces that we encounter when we visit the community also. This receptiveness also benefits those who are disabled community members that are either being visited by us or are participating in our workshops.
To work for a team that is equal minded to me, that understand the difficulties faced in the healthcare and social services by community members and apply it openly to their work, feels refreshing and is a fantastic addition to my week. I find that this feels like a second home, and that the Healthwatch team really shines through on how much they care about the work that they do. I am very happy to be a part of this team even as a volunteer.
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If you’d like to feature in our blog/newsletter and share your own journey with Healthwatch Southwark, email – info@healthwatchsouthwark.org.
