Meet the Team - Tony Bentley
Tony has worked for Healthwatch for a year, having previously volunteered with us for 7 years. Get to know more about him below!
What is your job role and in general what does that entail?
My role is Engagement & Inclusion Lead, and it is on the Inclusion part that I have done most of my work.
I spend time identifying groups that are likely to contain people that struggle to engage with Health & Social Care services, and then try to reach out to them. The objective being to ensure that everyone in County Durham receives the same, high standards of health and social care that they have a right to expect.
What does a usual work day look like to you?
As with most of my colleagues, there is no “usual day”: each is very varied (which I like) but can consist of contacting new groups to explain what Healthwatch does, then going back to see what has changed. On these visits I talk to their members and listen to their stories. Sometimes this involves referring them to our Signposting Team to be directed to the best person/organisation for their particular issue to be resolved.
What is the most exciting/rewarding part of your job?
I find it really rewarding when, on follow up, a client tells me that the issue they had has been resolved by the service provider due to Healthwatch’s intervention. Also, there is great satisfaction in the direct feedback received when people who do not normally have a ‘voice’ realise they now have one. Inclusion in action.
What is your favourite thing about working for Healthwatch County Durham?
Being in an organisation that actually makes a difference to the lives of people who struggle to speak up for themselves.
After work/on a weekend, how do you like to relax? What are your hobbies?
I like to read (especially history and archaeology), visit English battlefields, and never miss an opportunity to spend time in our imposing cathedrals when travelling on holiday.
What jobs have you done in the past?
I joined the Royal Navy when I left school and served on Minesweepers (one of which carried out ship boarding patrols in Northern Ireland during The Troubles) and a Guided Missile Destroyer. After leaving RN, I spent the bulk of my career working in various roles for Royal Mail HQ in London.
After retiring for the first time, I rounded out my working life in (mainly) project management but, when I moved to County Durham 8 years ago, I wanted to ‘give something back’ so volunteered for a few charities before I found Healthwatch, where I’ve been, in one capacity or another, ever since.
Finally, what/who inspires you?
Mainly people from history: the ‘average Joe’ who did something exceptional just because it was “their turn to be there, nobody else’s”.
Thank you so much to Tony for answering our questions and the work he has done for us both now as a member of staff and in the past as a volunteer.
