Getting involved in local care services
The Richmond Local Involvement Network (LINk) is a network bringing together local people, organisations and groups who want to improve local health and social care services.
Richmond LINk wants to hear about your experiences of health and social care services and your ideas for improvement or change. LINk has the power to implement small changes and influence big ones. It's up to you how and when you get involved. You can just comment on issues when contacted or you can get more involved, perhaps by helping to raise awareness or by helping to find solutions.
Being involved with LINk means:
- Getting attention for neglected issues or ideas.
- Influencing those who make decisions.
- Helping the community to speak with a stronger local voice.
- Helping services to provide better care.
LINk gathers everyone’s views and ideas for improvements to directly influence and inform decisions about the planning, design and provision of local services. LINk plays an important role in supporting the community to hold providers and commissioners of services to account.
How can I get involved?
Membership of the Richmond LINk is open to everyone who has an interest in our local services. There are different levels of involvement depending on how much time you can commit to LINk activities. You can either join as an individual member or as an organisational member. Please see the membership form for more details.
What can I contribute?
Anyone with an interest in health and social care for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames can participate in LINk in a way that suits them. For instance, you can:
- Share any concerns you have about health and social care in Richmond through participating in surveys, questionnaires or discussions at meetings.
- Take part in a project looking at, for example, the quality and reliability of maternity services, or catering and nutrition in care homes. You could contribute to projects by carrying out research or helping to writing a report.
- Represent LINk on groups or committees set up by other organisations.
- Be kept informed of what is going on, and possibly fill in a survey from time to time.
Does the LINk have any powers?
Yes. LINk is able to:
- Enter and view some premises providing health and social care services
- Ask for information and expect a response within a specific timescale
- Make recommendations for improvements and expect a response within a specific timescale
- Refer matters to the local Overview and Scrutiny Committees which have health and social care responsibilities
Anyone can join - carers, people who use services, community leaders, patient representatives. Everyone's view matters!
Useful contacts
Richmond LINk
Address: LINk Service Manager, 1 Princes Street, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1ED
Phone: 020 8255 8500
Email:info@richmondlink.org.uk
Web: www.richmondlink.org.uk