Hove YMCA Managers Pippa Green and Eleanor Van Emden at LINk EventLINk stands for ‘Local Involvement Network’ and the Brighton & Hove LINk is one of several LINks that are being set up nationally to bring together groups and individuals who have an interest in health and social care. LINk will replace the Patient and Public Involvement Forums and expand the remit into social care as well as health. LINks will be about consultation and involvement, and will have statutory powers to enter, view and report on premises providing health/social care services. LINks will also be able to influence strategic planning and commissioning of services.Pippa Green, Hove YMCA Housing Services Manager, and Eleanor van Emden, Hove YMCA Information & Advice Services Manager, attended the LINk Stakeholder event on 12th June to feed into this process on behalf of Hove YMCA. Priorities for the LINk to look at were discussed and collated during workshops. The results showed that most attendees felt that mental health, user involvement, and Accident & Emergency provision were among the top priorities for the city.
Eleanor said “the day was interesting – there was a lot to take in, and the Brighton & Hove LINk is in the beginning phases. But it seems clear that the network is not starting from scratch, that it will be building on and expanding on the learning from the Public Involvement Forums, and is very keen to involve and consult with all members of the community’.
LINk is hosted by the Community & Voluntary Sector Forum, more information can be found at http://www.cvsectorforum.org.uk/node/314