Bury Council's vision for LINks
"Team Bury wants to find new ways for local people and representative groups who use health and social care services to shape the future of these services by having a say in how they are planned and run."
What is a LINk?
A Local Involvement network (LINk) is a network of local people, organisations and groups that will exist to make health and social care services better. The LINk will give you the chance to say what you think about services and to suggest ideas for improvements. It will encourage and support local people to get involved in how health and social services are planned and run. The LINk will listen to local people about their needs and their experience of services.
Background
There have been changes in the last few years in how health and social care services are planned and run. People are being offered more choice in the services they get and who provides them. Services are also trying to listen more to people who use them about their needs. Policy reports from the Department of Health ‘Our health Our Care Our Say’ 2006 stated that people should have more choice and a louder voice in the way in which the whole health and social care system is designed and works and ‘A Stronger local voice’ 2006 said there needed to be new organisations called Local Involvement Networks known as LINks. These replace Patient and Public Involvement Forums from April 2008.
LINks will have a range of powers. They will be able to:
- Ask for information from commissioners and providers of services and get a reply within a set amount of time
- Make reports and recommendations and get a reply within a set amount of time
- Go into some types of services to see what they do
- Tell elected politicians on the Overview and Scrutiny Board on Bury council what they have found and get a response
Anyone can be part of a LINk and it should be able to represent everyone in the local community. It is really important to try to reach all sections of the community including those people who do not usually have a say. LINk members will include individuals, user led groups, voluntary and community organisations.
Setting up the LINk
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 creates Local Involvement Networks in each local authority area. Each Local Authority has received money from the Department of Health to contract with a host organisation who will help to set up the Link and will provide practical support to keep it going. A host organisation has been appointed by Bury Council and will be in place by August 1st 2008. Meanwhile a working group is meeting to try to do some preliminary work including letting people know about LINks and making contact with existing voluntary , community and user led groups to encourage their participation and make sure nobody is left out. Bury LINk is keen to build on existing networks and community activity and explore flexible ways for groups and individuals to participate to influence health and social care services.
A series of workshops at Bury Town Hall are being run to develop ideas to get the LINk going. If you would like to come along please contact Heather Crozier at the address below to ensure we send you information and cater enough lunches! Dates for the workshops are:
- 18 June, 12- 4pm
- 9 July, 10am -12 noon
- 30 July, 10am - 4pm
In order to raise awareness and make contacts it would be really useful to map what groups currently exist in Bury and start building Bury LINks. A form is linked to below for both new and existing groups to provide information on the role of their group, contact details and to consider how their group might like to participate in, or be consulted by the LINk. Please let us know about your group. Forms should be returned to Claire Johnson at Bury Adult Care Services, Castle Buildings, Market Place, Bury, BL9 OLT
Information form for new and existing groups
Contact Details
Bury LINk Host Organisation
New Horizons Centre
Back Bark Street
Bolton, BL1 2BN
Tel: 0161 253 6300
Email: buryhost@boltonburylinks.org
Please click here to visit the Bury LINks website.
