Stronger Local voices for Health and Social Care in South Gloucestershire
The Local Involvement Network (LINk) for South Gloucestershire
The LINk is a network of local people, organisations and groups that want to make health and social care services better. The LINk’s membership is small at the moment and urgently needs people from the local community who feel strongly about local health and social care services.
The LINk is very keen to recruit young people who would like to have a say in the way that the services that affect them are developed, commissioned, provided and evaluated.
Young people and those who work with them can become part of the new way for local people to have their say about local health and social care services, and about the way they are run and developed by joining the South Gloucestershire Local Involvement Network.
The LINk will be expected to represent everyone and will also work with health and social care professionals to make sure your voice is heard. As a member of the LINk you will have the chance to influence health and social care services. This could include: day centres; care homes; home care; family planning; Hospitals; GP surgeries; pharmacies; physiotherapy; health visits; chiropody; direct payments.
LINks do have teeth and have been given powers as part of their role. The LINk will be able to 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, comment on local services and receive a response from local authority commissioners and overview and scrutiny committees.
The LINk will make it easier for the young people’s voices to be heard about health and social care.
You can participate in the LINk as much or as little as you wish from receiving information regularly to being involved in working groups. You can join the LINk as an individual or as a representative of a voluntary or community group.
The LINk is beginning to set up working task groups around specific issues such as mental health services, the work of the Primary care Trust, Frenchay Hospital and Equality and Diversity.
Or write to the LINk at:
The Care Forum, Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue Bristol BS16 2QQ
Please also see our e-bulletins below.