Local Involvement Networks

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'

• DH Webpages - LINks
  Follow the external link below to the DH Website for further information and advice on LINKs including how to get started and how individuals and groups can get involved. The link also provides latest...
• Listening and responding to communities: a brief guide to Local Involvement Networks
  A Local Involvement Network (LINk) should be up and running in every area of England by the end of 2008. This guide has been published to help health and social care managers understand LINks. The guide...