Ready to make a difference in local adult social care services? Join the “Making It Real Board”!
Telford & Wrekin Council invites adult residents who use social care services, their family members and carers to join the “Making It Real Board” as “Experts by Experience”.
As a member of the “Making It Real Board”, people have the opportunity to come together with council leaders and to share their insights and experiences on adult social care services. Their input is instrumental in further improving and developing services in the borough.
Since 2018, the “Making It Real Board” has been working hard to ensure that the voices of people who access adult social care are heard and actively involved in shaping services that directly affect them.
Councillor Paul Watling (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Systems said:
"The “Making It Real Board” is a very important body for us. It is where the voice of people with lived experience can actually change the way we offer services and influence the services we provide across the borough.
“I would encourage everyone with lived experience of social care services to get involved with the “Making It Real Board”.
“You can give your views by emailing makingitreal@telford.gov.uk or you can come to the “Making It Real Board” meetings, if you can or wish to.
“We can always find ways of facilitating people to get involved with the “Making It Real Board”, without necessarily attending meetings. “
Simon Froud, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Director of Adult Social Care said: “It is vital that we ensure people with lived experience work with Social Care and the wider council services and advise on what is working well and where we need to improve.
“I would encourage people with lived experience to join this amazing Board to continue the valuable work going forward”.
Daniel Watkins, Expert by Experience and member of the “Making It Real Board” said:
“I joined the Board in June this year. I want to help make people’s voices heard, to ensure this is being made a priority, especially for those with different disabilities.
“If you are passionate and want to make a difference in improving social care services for local people, come and see what we do and join our Board.”
Talking about what the Board does and why people should join it, Sarah Roberts, Co-Chair of the “Making It Real Board” said:
“The “Making It Real Board” looks at how things really are in adult social care and tries to improve these things in the future for people in Telford and Wrekin.
“We’ve already done a lot of work with direct payments, looking at how the process works - what works, what doesn’t, to make it easier for people to access direct payments, should they need to.
“I would encourage anyone eligible to join the “Making It Real Board”. You get to see how things in social care work throughout and it is rewarding to know you can make a difference”.
Allison Edwards, another member of the “Making It Real Board” said: “I would recommend others to join the Board because if you have a disability or if you are helping anybody with a disability, this is the only way we can get things done the way they need to be.”
“How to improve social care for all is my main reason for joining the “Making It Real Board” ”, added Fee Stevenson, another Board member.
To find out more about the “Making It Real Board”, visit the Council’s website or email makingitreal@telford.gov.uk
Photo caption (left): Councillor Paul Watling (Telford & Wrekin Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Systems) with Daniel Watkins (Expert by Experience and member of the “Making It Real Board”)
