WELCOME to the LINk in Salford website

!!Newsflash!!

The LINk in Salford are currently recruiting members to join our Steering Group and if you are interested in joining, please come along to the open event on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 between 10am and 12pm at the Humphrey Booth Resource Centre, Worsley Road, Swinton M27 5WW.  There will be a presentation between 10am and 11am and with a drop in session from 1am until 12pm.  Individuals and representatives from third sector organisations are welcome.  Come along and talk to the current Steering Group members and LINk staff about what’s involved in being part of the LINk.  Refreshments will be provided.  For further information or to book a place please contact Wendy Armstrong on 0161 743 4507 or by email on wendy.armstrong@unlimitedpotential.org.uk

The Local Involvement Network (LINks) were introduced in England on 1st April 2008. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 abolished the Patient and Public Involvement Forums and introduced Local Involvement Networks.

The aim of the LINk in Salford is to ensure the involvement of local people to obtain their views in having a stronger voice in identifying their issues and concerns about local health and social care services (including public health).  And for those concerns raised by local people to be forwarded onto those commissioners responsible for health and social care services.

Equity and Diversity

The LINk in Salford recognises that the areas in which it works have diverse populations. We are committed to the fair treatment of everyone. Please fill in our new online Equity and Diversity form so that we can monitor whether we are treating all people fairly. It is anonymous.

Who can be involved in the LINk in Salford?

Every resident of Salford is a member of the LINk. The LINk in Salford does not hold a membership but encourages people to register their interest and support within the definitions of Department of Health.

LINk Active member. This is a person or group of people that makes a commitment to take part on a regular basis in the development and implementation of the LINk on the task groups and or governance steering.
LINk Participant. This is a person or group of people that wishes to influence the bigger picture through the participation at community involvement events or annual event to raise their issues and concerns. A LINk in Salford participant does not have to participate on a regular basis or may wish to be kept informed of LINk developments.

The purpose of the Local Involvement Network (LINk) in Salford is:-

(a)  to promote and support the involvement of people in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of local care services;

(b)  to enable people to monitor and review the commissioning and provision of local care services for the purposes of:

  • the standard of provision of local care services
  • whether, and how, local care services could be improved
  • whether, and how, local care services ought to be improved

(c)  to obtain the views of people about their needs for, and their experiences of, local care services;

(d)  to submit to persons responsible for commissioning, providing, managing or scrutinising local care services:

  • the views of people obtained
  • reports and recommendations about how local care services could or ought to be improved

The governing body for the LINk in Salford is the Steering Group.  Its role is:-

(a)  to shape the LINk in Salford’s strategic direction

(b)  to ensure compliance with all statutory duties and this Constitution

(c)  to formalise and ensure the implementation of the annual work programme of the LINk in Salford

(d)  to delegate or commission LINk in Salford activities, such as appropriate

(e)  to monitor and improve the performance of the LINk in Salford

(f)  to ensure accountability for the LINk in Salford’s activities to local people and other stakeholders

(g)  to support the Host to achieve all its duties and obligation, including those under contractual arrangements with the local authority

(h)  to support the local authority to monitor the performance of the Host

For the purpose of the LINk to function since 2008 it has recruited individuals from the local community to sit on the LINk Steering Group to take forward the agenda.  Some of the members who are currently serving on current Steering Group include members from the Public Patient Involvement Group before it ceased on 31 March 2008.

One of the areas that Salford is keen to develop before the transition of Local HealthWatch are to proactively engage with representatives of the third sector to influence the direction of the LINk and not just be partaking in the consultation and the LINk opportunities to be commissioned for LINk projects.

Therefore the LINk in Salford, working in partnership with Salford CVS are holding an open day on 12 July 2011 to recruit both individuals and representatives of third sector to be involved on the LINk Governance. 

How does the LINk in Salford work?

The LINk in Salford holds a main annual event on the first Monday of every March where residents of Salford can come along and identify their issues and concerns about their local health and wellbeing services (including public health) in Salford and prioritises the top three priorities for the LINk workplan.

LINk involvement events are also organised all year round to feed into the LINk Annual event to ensure comments and issues are received from a diverse range of residents of Salford.

Once the top three priorities around health and wellbeing services are identified by the people of Salford, the three priorities are commissioned to three local voluntary and community groups/organisations. The organisations will undertake research to identify appropriate numbers of recommendations that the LINk in Salford will forward to the commissioners and providers of health and wellbeing services.

The statutory agencies must respond to the recommendations made by the LINk within 20 working days. The LINk in Salford also corresponds with and can send recommendations to the Salford City Council Health, Wellbeing & Social Care Scrutiny
. The LINk will also be required under Government legislation to provide the Secretary of State and the Care Quality Commission with an Annual report about any activities the LINk in Salford carries out annually.

The LINks do have the powers and duties stated under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which include:

  • Enter and view specific types of premises where services and care are provided
  • Ask for information and expect a response within a specific timescale – 20 working days
  • Make recommendations and expect a response within a specific timescale – 20 working days
  • Refer matters to the local Overview and Scrutiny Committee and expect a response.

Newsflash

For commentary on how the Salford Link Project, WeathShare Creations and Jonathan Kalmus got involved, go to the Get Involved page!