One of Hightown's key values is to put people first and to achieve this we work in close partnership with the people we support. In 2018, we created a voluntary group of service users, known as VoiceBox.
The members of VoiceBox have steadily grown over the years and now have over 20 dedicated volunteers who regularly come together to review and scrutinise Hightown’s care and supported housing services. They represent over 750 service users living in schemes caring for people with a range of needs, across services that cover: learning disabilities, mental health, homelessness and young people.
The VoiceBox group focuses on improving the handling of complaints and members carry out mystery shopper visits to gain feedback from other service users to improve their support and living environment.
Members play a vital role in recruiting staff, and they create a range of newsletters, surveys and leaflets to provide service users with the information they need.
The VoiceBox group were recently recognised for their success at Great British Care Awards in the co-production category at the Eastern regional awards.