Spectrum’s Wakefield Integrated Sexual Health Services’ efforts to welcome in young people have been recognised with a ‘You’re Welcome’ accreditation!
The scheme helps to improve health and youth services for young people aged 11 to 19, enabling young people to stay healthy as they are more likely to visit health services that can help and support them.
The criteria for the accreditation is set out by the Department of Health England, who provide a framework in a set of eight service evaluation criteria for service delivery, design and on how resources are allocated and used – helping to promote better health outcomes for service users within the local population.
Spectrum undertook a significant project with Young Healthwatch Wakefield to gain valuable insights into what young people wanted from their sexual health services, helping to empower young volunteers to contribute to the ongoing improvement at Wakefield Sexual Health Clinic. Their feedback directly influenced changes aimed at enhancing the overall clinic experience, and ensured Spectrum were demonstrating the criteria required to meet the ‘You’re Welcome’ standards.
It is from this collaborative approach, that the service has implemented the following factors:
- Training all reception staff to ensure all young people are made to feel welcome, including their parent or carer.
- Providing a protected Young Persons walk-in clinic for under 19s.
- Enabling anyone who is anxious the option of waiting away from the main reception, if needed.
- Ensuring anonymity by using the young person’s first name or preferred name.
- Updating system records with the young person’s preferred name, so that staff are aware when calling for appointments.
- Designing the waiting room so that it is young people friendly, with relevant educational material displayed.
- Young Healthwatch re-arranged the layout of the waiting room to make it more young people friendly.
To celebrate the clinic’s achievement, Wakefield’s Director of Public Health, Stephen Turnbull, presented the service with a certification as well as touring the facilities to see the clinic’s achievements.
“Wakefield Integrated Sexual Health is committed to understanding patient perspectives and first-hand experiences of the service as a way of improving the service in line with their feedback and suggestions. Healthwatch and Young Healthwatch have supported us in our engagement work over the last couple of years and have been a lead partner in achieving the ‘You’re Welcome’ standards.
We’re really excited to receive the ‘You’re Welcome’ accreditation after all our hard work. Our understanding is that if we can improve our service for young people, it will benefit all our patients,” said Julia Brooke, Head of Service, Wakefield Integrated Sexual Health.
Cllr Michelle Collins, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health said:
“It’s so important that young people feel comfortable and supported when using health services. By listening to young people and making the changes they’ve asked for, Wakefield Integrated Sexual Health has shown they want everyone to feel welcome, and to ensure it’s easy to access support. Congratulations to them for taking these steps and for earning this accreditation.”