LINk - Local Involvement Network

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) aim to give citizens a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Run by local individuals and groups and independently supported - the role of LINks is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to them account. LINks will be established in most areas between April 2008 and September 2008. Each local authority (that provides social services) has been given funding and is under a legal duty to make contractual arrangements that enable LINk activities to take place.

A brief explanation of LINks

Sometimes the people who use services don’t feel they have a strong enough voice to change aspects of their health or social care. The introductions of LINks is part of a wider process to help the community have a stronger local voice. A LINks role once it is up and running is to:

• ask what local people what they think about local healthcare services and provide a chance to suggest ideas to help improve services
• investigate specific issues of concern to the community
• use its powers to hold services to account and get results
• ask for information and get an answer in a specified amount of time
• be able to carry out spot-checks  to see if services are working well (carried out under safeguards)
• make reports and recommendations and receive a response
• refer issues to the local ‘Overview and Scrutiny Committee

• Guidance and advice to get going

  Under the legislation that establishes LINks (Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007), local authorities have been given £84 million in funding to support LINk activities between 2008 - 2011.

  Each authority is expected to contract an organisation (known as a host) to set up and then run a LINk. These hosts are expected to be in place by September 2008.

  Its up to each community, with the support of a host, to decide how they want their LINk to be run and what issues they want it to focus on.

  In  2007, nine areas tested the idea of LINks. Using the informationn from these early adopter sites, the Department of Health produced a range of guidance to help local communities plan their LINk and get a host in place. The Department has also asked the NHS Centre for Involvement to provide ongoing help, advice and support to help LINks get going.

  To access advice and guidance from the National Centre for Involvement (NCI) visit:
  

  • National Centre for Involvement (opens new window)