Learning from the LINks

From April 2013 local Healthwatch replaced the Local Involvement Networks (LINks) as the consumer voice in health and social care. It is important that local Healthwatch learns from the experience of the LINks to ensure they become the best they can be, and to prevent reinventing the wheel.

The Department of Health commissioned a consortium of partners, including Regional Voices, the partnership of regional networks including One East Midlands; the Race Equality Foundation; Disability Rights UK; and NAVCA, to deliver training for LINk members in key skills around leadership and governance, representation, engagement and influencing decision making.

Following from this work, the partners were asked to research good practice in the LINks and to share this as a legacy for developing local Healthwatch. 90 people responded to the survey and 50 LINks were interviewed, leading to resources being produced on four themes of leadership and governance, representation, engagement, and influencing.

The resources aim to ensure that examples of good practice are not lost and that learning is accessible and easy to use. They stand as a legacy to the work of LINKs and are also intended to help volunteers and staff feel supported in the transition to local Healthwatch. It is hoped that they will help local Healthwatch deliver a stronger voice for communities in the improvement of local health and social care services.

To access the resources visit www.linkstogoodpractice.org.uk.

The resources are testament to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers and staff involved in the LINks. Thanks to all the LINks' members who were involved in this project and took the time to share what they had developed.