About the brand
The Citizens' Senate is a vital component within the UK's healthcare framework, particularly in the operations of NHS England & NHS Improvement. It functions as a key forum where the voices of patients and the general public are heard and integrated into the healthcare system. This body plays a significant role in ensuring that the experiences and needs of healthcare service users directly influence the development and management of health services. By collecting insights and feedback from the public, the Citizens' Senate helps shape the services provided by the NHS and informs the governance policies of various statutory organizations in the East of England. Furthermore, it empowers patients and the public to be actively involved in the assurance processes of these healthcare bodies, making it an essential bridge between the healthcare system and the communities it serves.
Project Summary
Essiem was approached by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network to design and develop a website for their Citizens’ Senate group. They wanted a new website to support patient and public engagement, bringing awareness to the great work their patient group undertakes in partnership with the NHS. They also wanted to use the website to promote the Citizens’ Senate to the public, encouraging others to join and become part of the group. Accessibility was an important part of the brief to ensure that all users will be able to access the website’s resources.
Services
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How we helped
Members
As a hub for patient voices, the members directory is critical to allowing visitors to search the directory. It is also required for people to be able to contact each member directly and securely. We achieve this by having contact forms for each member that send emails to the member without disclosing any contact information about the member, and copies of these emails are sent to relevant parties.
Meetings
Being able to manage their meetings on the website for the members and healthcare professionals was important. The website manages the upcoming meetings so that members can easily see where and when meetings are to take place.
The website also serves as a database of their previous meetings and makes available for easy download any relevant documents for each meeting.
Easy to Update
All the content for the website is managed by the members of the senate, and so the admin user interface is very easy to use. There is no use of page editors, which have too many options and can be overwhelming. All the meetings, members, and other content types are managed by simple fields, each with descriptions on what content to use, with a simple save button. This makes it very easy to manage and update content and retain the branding of the website.
Newsletters, Reports & Training Resources
As the website serves as a hub of information for members, there is a wealth of information available in the newsletters and reports. The website also offers a directory of training resources to help support members in their role as a patient and public voice.
Acronyms & Jargon
In the world of public health, there is a lot of acronyms and jargon used which can be confusing if you do not know what these are. The website also serves as a very comprehensive directory of acronyms and their meanings and a jargon buster.
WCAG 2.1
WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is important because it ensures websites are accessible to a broader range of people, including those with disabilities. This includes improving accessibility for users with visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. By following these guidelines, web content becomes more user-friendly and inclusive, enhancing usability for everyone and complying with legal standards in many countries.
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