1. Lisa Smith Andrew Moult

2. Contents Background What is a LINk? What a LINk can do / cannot do Walsall LINk – Set up LINK Disability Sub groups – working together.

3. Background Under the legislation that establishes LINks (Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007), local authorities have been given £84 million in funding to support LINk activities between 2008 - 2011. Each authority was expected to contract an organisation (known as a host) to set up and then run a LINk. Walsall LINk host is currently the Carers Federation. It's up to each community, with the support of a host, to decide how they want their LINk to be run and what issues they want it to focus on.

4. What is a LINk? Government funded, Independent Organisation. Looks at local Health and Social Care Services. Individuals and community groups who work together to improve local services. Their job is to find out what the public like and dislike about local health and social care services. They will then work with the people who plan and run these services to improve them. LINks also have powers to make sure changes happen.

5. What the LINk can do. Ask local people what they think about local health and social care and suggest improvements. Look into specific issues, make recommendations and get a response. Ask for information and get answers in a specified amount of time. Be able to carry out spot checks to see if services are working well. Refer issues to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

6. What the LINk cannot do The LINk cannot take on a personal complaint. The LINk cannot use anecdotal issues as fact based evidence. The LINk cannot be used as a platform for unconstructive criticisms towards service providers.

7. Walsall LINk – Set Up Board of 15 Members (all volunteers). LINk Members / Participants. Community Groups / Individuals Board Members are chairs to the working groups: Management Groups – Finance, Governance... Working Groups – Hospital Care, Health Inequalities, Disability, Mental Health, Social Care, GP services and more to come All LINk meeting and events are open to everyone.

8. Building Relationships To be effective, LINk need to form strong and lasting relationships. ◦ Service Providers ◦ Partnership Boards ◦ Commissioners ◦ Policy Makers ◦ Community Groups ◦ Watchdog Organisations ◦ Scrutiny Panels

9. Working and linking together

10. Sub Groups The Disability Sub Group is made up of the following working groups Mental Health working Group Long Term Neurological working group Physical Disabilities working group Sensory Disabilities Learning Disability working group Disability has no age restrictions

11. How it works The working groups will look at the matters regarding Delivery, Operation and Quality of services These will feed back to the main link board. Working groups will meet regulary The working groups will meet with a membership of link members and volunteers from other sources from public sector, only link members will be allowed to conduct Enter & View after a successful CRB check, and receiving training.

12. Continued Disability Sub Groups Physical and Sensory Impairment Board, Mental Health Partnership Board Learning Disability Partnership Board, Older Peoples Partnership Board Council Overview & Scrutiny Committee's Enter & View, Inspections at Health and Care facilities Main Link Board

13. The Framework Main LINk board Mental health Group Neurological Group Physical Disabilities Group Learning Disabilities Group Sensory Group

14. Impact and Influence Monitor & Challenge We require each of the partnership boards to send to the Disability Sub Group their minutes and Agenda’s so that we can make any recommendations required. We can also address issues that have not been completed, that are recommended by sub groups. This way we have greater influence, effectiveness and efficiency creating greater impact at places like overview and scrutiny Committee’s.

15. Places to inform and communicate Overview & Scrutiny / Cabinet Partnership Boards Social Care & Inclusion Departments inc Older People, Physical Disabilities, Sensory Impairments PCT for issues on service for Mental Health, Long term Neurological Conditions, and Rehabilitation.

16. We Are Asking you To work with us as a partner to help make services better quality We need your input on the sub groups as experts If you would like to join the LINk sub groups please give us your details so that we may contact you.

17. Thank You Thank you for your time and patience and for listening and we look forward to working with you!