LINk Host Organisations and Local Authorities:  Developing Relationships

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are being established in all upper tier councils to enable public involvement in the “commissioning, provision and scrutiny of local health and social care services”.

Local Authorities have been required to commission independent Host Organisations to run the LINks in their areas – most have now been appointed, with the whole system to be up and running by September. The Department of Health has made money available for local authorities to remunerate the LINk hosts.

But commissioning involves more than signing a contract – especially in something as potentially all-embracing as this. It is the start of a relationship, in which the host will report back on its various activities and the issues raised – while local authorities will need to deal with the Department of Health over budgetary and policy issues, as well as reporting to their own Executives and dealing with problems as they arise. All this will be in a situation where the LINk is also scrutinizing and reporting on activities provided by local authority adult and children’s services – such as residential homes or day centres.

This Workshop, which will include four case studies, is for staff from local authorities who have been involved in this commissioning process for LINks, and will from now on be involved in monitoring and developing the contractual relationships, and reporting back on their implementation and performance. Host organisations will also be welcome to attend.

The Workshop has been arranged in association with the National Centre for Involvement which provides support for LINks. The day will be kept as informal as possible – with opportunities for questions to be asked and answered, and for work in small groups to identify key issues and how they can be dealt with.