Who we are
As a member of the public, you have the right to be involved in discussions and decisions about your health and social care services. By sharing your experiences and ideas with your Local Involvement Network (LINk) you can help influence the way local services are run and delivered.
Cambridgeshire LINk is a network made up of individuals, community groups and organisations working together to improve health and social care services. We listen to what local people like and dislike about local services and then feed back to health and social care providers, helping them to plan and deliver better services that reflect what people want.
The more people that get involved in Cambridgeshire LINk, the stronger and more influential it becomes.
Cambridgeshire LINk:
- Asks local people what they think about their health and social care services and gives them the chance to suggest ideas to help improve services.
- Investigates specific issues of concern to communities.
- Uses its powers to hold services to account and get results.
- Asks for information and gets an answer within a specified amount of time.
- Carries out spot checks to see if services are working well.
- Makes reports and recommendations and receives a response, and
- Refers to higher authorities, issues where service providers seem reluctant to accept findings and take appropriate action.
To facilitate their role, some LINk participants (known as Authorised Representatives) have the power to enter and view service delivery in provider premises but must do so under conditions which reflect the individuals’ rights.
How does the LINk work?
The LINk:
- Provides a single approach to monitoring health and social care. Cambridgeshire LINk is tasked with finding out the views of local people and holding the Local Authority, the NHS and providers to account.
- Provides a stronger, more independent voice. Cambridgeshire LINk is truly independent. Hosted and supported by a community organisation with experience of engaging a wide range of people.
- Is representative of the community. Cambridgeshire LINk aims to ask every section of the community for their views and experiences. It doesn’t just amplify the views of more groups and individuals, but also provides a platform for those who might not often have their voices heard.
- Makes community involvement more convenient. Many people who receive health or social care services would like to influence services but do no have time to join groups, etc. We provide more ways for more people to be heard and work to engage with people who may be easier to ignore. We provide opportunities for everyone to express their views.
LINk governance
Cambridgeshire LINk has a formal Constitution and all Participants are asked to adhere to a Code of Conduct. In brief, decisions are made through regular general assemblies which can be attended by all LINk participants. The day to day management of the LINk is undertaken by a management group that is elected annually by a ballot of all Active Participants. You can download the biographies of the current management group here.
The LINk Management Group meets monthly. Recent minutes can be found under the 'Current Work' section under 'Focus on LINk Management'.
The LINk has a number of meetings, called Liaison Groups, where participants meet regularly with representatives of Providers and Commissioners. These meetings provide a way of giving and receiving feedback about services.
The LINk participants also undertake project work to explore issues of concern. Full details of our work can be found in the ‘Current work’ section of this website.
All our participants are volunteers. Their work is supported and facilitated by a group paid staff, the Host Team.
FAQ's
If you have any questions about Cambridgeshire LINk that are not listed on this page, please send them to the LINk office and we will find the answer and post it here for everyone to see.
- Why should I join Cambridgeshire LINk?
- Is Cambridgeshire LINk a voluntary body?
- How was the LINk host in Cambridgeshire selected and who appointed them?
- What local services will LINks cover?
- What powers does the LINk have?
- If I have a concern or complaint about my doctor/ dentist or an issue with my council flat, how can LINks help?
- What will LINk do with any suggestion as I make on Health & Social Care issues in Cambridgeshire?
- Q. Why should I join Cambridgeshire LINk?
- A. Cambridgeshire LINk provides an easy way for people to have their say on health and social care services in their community. If you want the find out about health and social care services locally and have your say in decisions about these services, then Cambridgeshire LINk is for you. Individuals and organisations can all be participants of Cambridgeshire LINk. The more it becomes a "network of networks", the more strength it will have in the community and the stronger its voice will become.
- Q. Is Cambridgeshire LINk a voluntary body?
- A. No, all LINks are created by a law passed by Parliament - the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 - which sets out their legal duties and powers. In addition, Government has issues Regulations and Directions describing the detail of LINk activities which have the force of law and must be complied with. This gives the LINk considerable authority to work directly with the NHS and Local Authority on behalf of the local community.
- Q. How was the LINk host in Cambridgeshire selected and who appointed them?
- A. Following a competitive tender, Cambridgeshire ACRE was appointed by Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver the "LINk Host role" for the Cambridgeshire LINk. Cambridgeshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is the Rural Community Council for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Founded in 1924 they are a registered charity, as well as a company limited by guarantee, responsible for the delivery of a wide range of advice, information and support services to local communities. We have several hundred members, including parish councils, village hall committees and other community groups, plus some individuals.
- Q. What local services will LINks cover?
- A. LINk's remit covers all publicly funded health and social care services in Cambridgeshire, except children's services which are covered by separate arrangements. It does not matter who provides the service; as long as the users of the services are publicly funded, it falls within the remit of LINk.
- Q. What powers does the LINk have?
- A. Legislation provides LINk with powers to help carry out their role and places duties on the NHS and the local authority to provide information and access to premises.
- Q. If I have a concern or complaint about my doctor/ dentist or an issue with my council flat, how can LINks help?
- A. Cambridgeshire LINk does not handle individual complaints because there are bodies already doing that. LINk can point people in the right direction to obtain help with concerns and complaints.
- Q. What will LINk do with any suggestion as I make on Health & Social Care issues in Cambridgeshire?
- A. It is the role of Cambridgeshire LINk to seek out the views of the public, service users, patients & carers about particular issues on Health & Social Care and then to represent those views to the commissioners and providers of those services usually the NHS and the local council. LINk has clear and open processes to show how views are gathered in particular issues, what views are expressed, how they were put forward, and what was said and done about them as a result.