Digital engagement and adaptation during covid-19
Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic 2020 – 2021 has required significant digital adaptation to ensure our community outreach and engagement, signposting, advice and information and priority work were connective with the public across the network of nine ECS Healthwatch in across, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Halton, Warrington, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Leicester, and Leicestershire during COVID-19 pandemic, about the improvements people would like to see to health and social care services.
To accomplish this, our social media platforms and websites have been pivotal to ensure our reach delivered maximum capacity and efficiency. Consequently, our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram media channels achieved significant growth by means of new followers, public engagements and reach and impressions. Those who did not have access to digital technology were able to use our Feedback Card to identify alternate contact methods.
As a predominant part of our 2020 – 2021 priority work, engagement and outreach has relied upon the efficiency of our social media channels and websites, we recognise the importance of being able to understand key performance measures. Considering this, the following content will spotlight:
· Number of visitors on our websites
· Number of pages viewed
· Duration – time spend on our website
· Bounce Rate (i.e., percentage of visitors that leave a webpage without taking an action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form)
· The number of times people have seen or come across our posts
· Engagement i.e., the number of actions taken from our posts/tweets
Insight into website analytics spotlighted further opportunities to improve our communications and content sharing, advertisement of virtual events, getting involved opportunities to share experiences and feedback. As a result of these new features, our websites analytics highlighted not only an expanded income of traffic but a greater relationship with our audience. We were able to identify these because of a significantly higher number of new websites users, returning visitors and page views per month. For example, our https://healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk website growth increased by 131% from 2019 –2020 (15,779 visitors compared to 35,032 during 20/21).
Mohammed Arabo, Corporate Communications & Marketing Officer of ECS said, trying to find a solution to engage digitally with a public that is so diverse, certainly gave us some challenges. We’ve witnessed stunning shifts in public interaction volume, types, and transactions. The timeline for developing relationships with public is now significantly compressed. As public navigate these uncertain times, through digital channels has become the new standard of engagement. However, our teams have adapted to the new ways of engagements since the lockdown was announced in March and we are excited about continuing to help local people have their say on health and social care services in new and innovative ways.”
The network of ECS Healthwatch’s are independent organisations set up to champion the views of patients and social care users in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Halton, Warrington, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Leicester, and Leicestershire, with the goal of making services better and improving health and wellbeing. We want to hear about your views, needs and experiences to help get the best possible health and care across these areas. To share your feedback on health and social care services in these areas, contact Healthwatch through their Feedback centres:
· Healthwatch Wolverhampton: https://www.healthwatchwolverhampton.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Sandwell - https://www.healthwatchsandwell.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Halton - https://healthwatchhalton.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Warrington - https://healthwatchwarrington.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent - https://www.healthwatchstokeontrent.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Staffordshire - https://healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Walsall - https://healthwatchwalsall.co.uk/services/
· Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire - https://healthwatchll.com/services/