Priorities and strategy
Healthwatch Norfolk helps local people to improve the services they are getting now and influence what services look like in the future. This pages sets out our priorities and strategy for 2026-2029.
Our vision is to help shape a health and social care system where people’s health and social care needs are heard, understood and met.
In order to address these, we will:
Listen and engage with people, especially the most vulnerable.
Influence those with the power to change services so they better meet people's needs now, and in the future.
Inform local people to help them get the most from their health and social care services.
While we are a statutory body, we work for the residents of Norfolk and we are inclusive, influential, independent, credible and collaborative. We welcome the funding that comes down from the Department of Health to Norfolk County Council, as well as the additional funding provided by Public Health.
However, to be increasingly more effective, we are required to seek additional funding through undertaking commissioned work which contributes towards the wider health and social care agenda and provides our partners with credible and reliable information to help them define service provision. Currently (2026/27), we are anticipating securing approximately 60% of monies through commissioned activity.
Our strategy is to pursue project funding from the health and social care sector. To succeed, our ambition is to continue to develop as a high-performing specialist commercial market research organisation that could compete nationally.
We will continue to provide this outstanding service for our stakeholder partners.
Our strategic priorities at a glance:
- Representing local people – by becoming the leading source of feedback on health and social care, for both local people and professionals in Norfolk.
- Meaningful engagement – by working efficiently and effectively to reach diverse communities across the county.
- Real improvements – through an intelligence-driven approach to making recommendations for local services.
- Providing a sustainable service – by maintaining the funding and expertise required to provide an independent and effective local Healthwatch.
- Influencing locally and nationally – by working with other organisations to ensure services are safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality.
- Expanding our horizons – by being ready to stand alone in the event of changes in legislation.
You can read our strategy in full here: 2026-2029 Healthwatch Norfolk Strategy