PULSE is our ongoing survey, always open, so you can tell us honestly what’s working and what isn’t, whenever you want to. Each month, we sit down and go through everything that’s come in. In March 2026, that was 6 responses. Thank you to everyone who took the time. It’s a smaller number than usual, so we’re treating these results as a snapshot rather than the full picture, but every comment still matters and every one has been read.
How you’re finding the service
Of the 6 people who responded, 5 (83.3%) said yes, they’re satisfied with the service. Nobody selected maybe, and 1 person (16.7%) said no. That’s a strong result for the people who took part, and it echoes what we’re consistently hearing: for most of you, the service feels accessible, welcoming and well-informed.
The person who said no wasn’t raising a concern about staff. Instead, they flagged something specific and practical, about hearing accessibility in groups, and we’ve addressed that below because it deserves proper attention.
What you value most
The Service User Forum was a clear highlight this month. Three of the six responses mentioned it directly, and all were positive. You told us:
“I attended the Service User Forum. I thought that the group worked well. Jacob and Jenny had lots of useful knowledge to help out.”
“I went to the Service User Forum and the meeting was full of useful information and very welcoming. The staff are excellent.”
Staff support and attitude came through strongly too, with staff described as supportive, friendly and excellent.
Accessibility and reach of the service stood out in one detailed response:
“It’s constantly hiding in plain sight but available throughout the Wirral, easy for me to access. Love the number of text message reminders. Love the range of holistic therapies. Just wow!”
Text reminders, the range of holistic therapies on offer, and having useful, constructive information and advice available were all mentioned as things that make a real difference.
Where we need to do better
You were specific and practical about what needs attention this month, and we want to act on it rather than just note it.
Group facilitation and hearing accessibility was the clearest issue raised. One respondent asked for facilitators to be more assertive in managing group discussion, so only one person speaks at a time. A second respondent, who has hearing loss, explained why this matters so much:
“I have hearing loss. Facilitators don’t always manage the group well, allowing people to break into separate talking groups. The noise level makes it impossible for me to follow what the content is.”
They suggested an induction loop as a practical fix, and we’re looking at that now.
Keyworker transitions also came up. One respondent described moving from an alcohol keyworker to a recovery support worker without warning: “The transition was sudden. No goodbye text or meeting with Heather.” They felt unprepared going into the next relationship, and that’s exactly the kind of thing a proper handover should prevent.
A few other points were raised: waiting too long for an appointment, wanting more proactive follow-up and contact from allocated workers, and one respondent questioning whether the Intuitive Recovery course fits with their own recovery philosophy. Someone also asked for gluten-free options at events, a small thing, but an easy one to fix.
Who took part
This was a small round, 6 responses, so we’re being careful not to read too much into the demographic breakdown. Of those who did share details, 2 identified as female, with the rest not stated. Ages recorded were 55 to 64 and 45 to 54, one each. One person disclosed a physical disability. Four respondents were being supported for alcohol use and two for drug use. Two people had been in treatment for 2 or more years, and one for under 6 months, with the rest not stated.
Because the response count was so low this month, increasing the number of people completing PULSE is something we want to prioritise, so future reports give us a fuller and more representative picture.
What we’re doing about it
- Strengthening group facilitation. Briefing facilitators on active group management, keeping to one speaker at a time, and managing side conversations that make it hard for some people to follow.
- Improving hearing accessibility. Assessing our group venues for hearing support and looking at induction loop provision or equivalent adjustments.
- Improving keyworker transitions. Introducing a standard close-off step whenever a worker moves on, including a goodbye message or meeting, and making sure the incoming worker has been briefed and introduced before the handover is complete.
- Reducing appointment waiting times. Reviewing capacity and setting realistic, communicated timescales.
- Increasing proactive contact. Building routine check-in points into caseload management, so you’re not left waiting for contact to be initiated by us.
- Reviewing the Intuitive Recovery course. Gathering broader feedback on whether its framing fits with the recovery approaches that matter to the people using it.
Thank you
PULSE only works because you’re honest with us, about what’s helping and what isn’t. This month’s responses were fewer in number, but just as clear in what they told us: the Service User Forum is working, staff support continues to stand out, and there are practical, fixable things, from hearing accessibility to keyworker handovers, that we’re acting on now.
PULSE is open all the time, so if you have more to say, you don’t need to wait for the next survey window. Speak to your keyworker, or any member of the team at Wirral Ways.
Last Updated on 16 September 2026