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A day in the life of a Community Engagement Officer
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Our Community Engagement Officers are responsible for making and maintaining contact with members of Choice Support’s Public Engagement Network (PEN).
PEN exists to gather the voices of people who are not usually heard by Care Quality Commission (CQC), England’s health and adult social care regulator.
The network’s membership is made up of local and national charities, community groups and other individuals/ organisations who support diverse communities, those at risk of facing health inequalities and people with protected characteristics.
Outreach Work
Community Engagement Officers may start the day by researching and reaching out to potential new members of the Public Engagement Network in their area to raise awareness of, and participation with, the network.
They represent Choice Support to external stakeholders and employ best practice in inclusivity to ensure that diverse communities are represented within PEN.
Listening to Lived Experiences of Care
Part of the working day of a Community Engagement Officer involves supporting those with lived experiences of health and adult social care.
They actively listen to those who are not usually heard by Care Quality Commission (CQC) by engaging directly with them both in-person and online.
Feedback on care is gathered, documented and sent to CQC to inform their inspections of services and to help address health inequalities more broadly.
Supporting Continuous Engagement
Community Engagement Officers also manage and maintain the network by engaging with existing members. This may take the form of site visits to member organisations, one-to-one meetings held online, and chairing our members’ meetings.
Their day may also include organising and facilitating a PEN focus group or hosting a meeting for our Advisory Group for Autistic People and People with a Learning Disability, keeping accessibility in mind.
Each day is marked by working to understand and improve experiences of health and adult social care.
I love that I have the freedom of managing my own diary, working in a way that suits me best and which enables me to get a good office/outreach balance. Being able to visit such varied groups is something I cherish, joining in with activities before gathering the insights gives me a real feeling for the group and builds a good rapport. Diane Lewis, Community Engagement Officer for the Midlands
