Join the Local Involvement Network (LINk)

Explaining the LINk

What's Changed?

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 required every local authority with responsibility for social services to establish a Local Involvement Network (LINk) from 1st April 2008.  This legislation abolished Patient and Public Involvement Forums (PPIFs) that were attached to all NHS Trusts.

What is a LINk?

The LINk has a much wider role than the previous PPIFs as they were limited to the activities of NHS bodies.  LINks cover both health and social care services.  As these services work much closer together so is the need for a more joined up approach to ensuring that people can have their say about how they are planned and run and how they can be improved.

The LINk is a network of local people, organisations and groups who support and promote the involvement of patients, service users, carers, the public and voluntary/community sector groups in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of their local health and social care services.  It will give everybody across all sections of the community over time the chance to have their say and have their views and ideas for improvement make a real difference.  The LINk will hold the commissioners and providers of health and social care services to account for the quality of services.

The LINk will encourage and support local people, organisations and groups to get involved in how services are planned and run.  This covers any health and social care services funded by the taxpayers.  The views and experiences of services will be fed back through the LINk to the people responsible for commissioning, providing, managing and checking up on health and social care services so that things can change for the better.

There is no best model to use when developing the LINk.  Across the country all LINks have the same powers and responsibilities but every LINk will be established in a way that is best for its local community.  So the community needs to be involved in developing a LINk that reflects its needs.  There is no doubt that the LINk will evolve over time.  It can only do so however by listening to and working with local people, organisations and groups.

Powers of the LINk

In order to be able to influence how local services are improved, the LINk has a range of powers.  It is able to:-

• Make reports and recommendations and get a reply within a set amount of time
• Ask for information and get a reply within a set amount of time
• Go into some types of services to see what they do
• Inform elected politicians at scrutiny panels what they have found and get a response

What does the Host do?

All local authorities must appoint a Host organisation to support their LINk to carry out its work.  The Host will:-

• Help the LINk to become established
• Help publicise and promote the work of the LINk
• Encourage local people, organisations and groups to get involved, in particular reaching out to those people and communities that are not always heard
• Work with the LINk and local people, organisations and groups to set up how the LINk will work and how it will decide what to do and its working arrangements
• Hold the money for the LINk and keep records of expenditure

Within North East Lincolnshire a Host organisation is in the process of being procured and a contract will be in place early July 2008.  Interim Host arrangements are in place through the Council.  The interim Host service can be contacted on 01472 325524.

How can you find out more?

We will be regularly updating this website so keep on checking for developments.

In addition, you can get further information.

How can you join the LINk?

A stronger voice for better health and social care in North East Lincolnshire.

Do you want to be involved and make a difference?

Putting the LINk in North East Lincolnshire Leaflet (1,195KB)

Join by filling in our electronic form - Are You LINked?

Alternatively, telephone 01472 325524.

If you wish to be involved in setting up the LINk you can let us know through using these forms or ring the above number.

• To be involved, you've got to get involved!