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Local Involvement Network (LINk) for Hertfordshire

Tim Anfilogoff

Policy Manager Users and Carers, ACS

ITEM 4 LINKS Presentation

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Policy

• For health and social care to fulfil its potential, members of the public should take a substantial role in shaping the care system's development, and patients and service users should be kept well informed of clinical processes and decisions (DH)

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LGA View

• ‘…LINks are an opportunity to strengthen local decision-making by involving groups and individuals from new and existing communities… LINks give us a unique opportunity to listen to young people, busy working people and people from newly arrived communities - those who are seldom heard and even more rarely heeded…’

Councillor David Rogers, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Well-being Board,

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Legal Framework

• April 2008 Patient and Public Forums abolished

• LINks established

• Social Care focus, not just NHS

• HCC statutory duty to procure ‘Host’ organisation by September 2008

• HCC statutory duty to ensure LINk activities under way from April 2008

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Regulations (1)

• Draft regulations – consultation closed 21 December 2007

• Government not yet published response

• Freedom of Information Act rights

• Adult Commissioners must respond to LINk reports within 20 days

• Children’s commissioners exempted

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Regulations (2)

• Right to enter adult health and social care premises except where one person has tenancy or licence

• Excludes bedrooms (unless invited by resident)

• Only ‘accredited’ members to have right

• Code of conduct

• Children’s services are exempted

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Regulations (3)

• LINk referral of social care matters to OSC

• OSC must respond within 20 days setting out action to be taken and whether OSC will scrutinise the issue

• NHS Act to be modified so same applies to Health Scrutiny

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Phased Approach

Three phases of support have been

identified by DH and the National Centre for

Involvement:

• Getting Ready - January to March 2008

• Getting Going - April 2008 to March 2009

• Getting Better - April 2009 to March 2011

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Hertfordshire Developments (1)

• ‘Early Adopter’ – Commission for Patient and Public Involvement input January-October 2007

• Steering Group met four times

• Some community development work

• Stakeholder Conference October 2007

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Hertfordshire Developments (2)

• Stakeholders meeting convened by HCC 22 November 2007

• Decision to hold elections to Transitional LINk Board as soon as possible

• January 2008 Transitional Board elected (10 individual members, 9 voluntary sector members)

• 13 February first meeting of Board

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MembershipVoluntary Sector membership• Watford Indian Association (co-vice chair), Viewpoint

(procurement group rep), Dacorum Patients Group, Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service, Alzheimers Society St Albans, Hertfordshire Mencap, Hertfordshire Age Concern, Carers in Hertfordshire (co-vice chair), POhWER, Vacancy

Individual membership• Henry Goldberg (Chair), Malcolm Rainbow, Norma

Young, Santo Mann, Susan McCann, Doreen Bratby, Michael Taylor, Anne-Marie Smith, Jean Brown, Peter Williams

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Board’s First Decisions

Three sub groups set up to look at:• Organisation and Membership (including

PPI Legacy)• Communications• Care Services

Looking at support needs April to September2008

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Procurement of ‘Host’

• Procurement group set up November 2007

• Draft specification published http://www.hertsdirect.org/havesay/LINks/

• Closing date for comments 29 February

• 1 April date to advertise tender opportunity

• On target for September commencement