Local Involvement Network (LINk)
Have your say in health and social care
Local Involvement Networks (LINks) were introduced on 1 April 2008 to give you a stronger voice in how local health and social care services are delivered.
LINks are independent networks of local people and groups. Their role is to find out what you want, investigate issues and use its powers to hold services to account. LINks are enabled and supported by host organisations.
Interim host organisation
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) acted as an interim host organisation for Camden’s LINk from April 1 until September 30 2008. During this period, VAC supported a range of activity to develop an interim LINk.
The Camden interim LINk website is still available at www.camdenlink.org. The documents on the website reflect the range of work that has been achieved.
New host organisation
Following a competitive tendering exercise, a long term contract for the role of host organisation has been awarded to the Shaw Trust. The contract runs from October 2008 to March 2011.
For more information please see Host organisation appointed for Camden’s Local Involvement Network (LINk)
Shaw Trust is aiming to meet with members of Camden’s LINk in the very near future to set out its initial ideas about Camden’s LINk and to get views from LINk members about the direction of its work and how the LINk can move forward, building upon the work undertaken in the interim period.
Contact
If you have have any initial queries about how the Camden LINk will be progressed you can contact the Shaw Trust by:
Email: camden.link@shaw-trust.org.uk
Phone: 020 8301 9183
Community Voices Online (CVO) will be the main web tool to support Camden's LINk.
CVO is a web-based system, tailor made for the support of Local Involvement Networks. CVO aims to provide effective communication of LINks on a local, regional and national level. CVO can be customised to meet the needs of the local area and it supports interaction through a network of other users across the country.
It also provides one of the many effective ways to engage with the wider community through supporting surveys, discussion forums and consultation feedback.
The new Camden LINk Host website is available at: www.communityvoicesonline.org/LINks/home.aspx?id=48
Please note that the website is currently being developed.
Further information about how the Camden LINk will be progressed will be available on the new website shortly.
Background
More details about how LINks work is available in Camden LINk update - May 2008:
Shaping Camden's LINk
At the successful event ‘Shaping Camden’s LINk’, held on 6 December 2007, participants talked about how LINk could work.
During the event, topics discussed included some of the issues that our LINk could prioritise and what should characterise the host organisation that we will procure.
A very readable and helpful report from the Camden LINk event was produced by Camden Community Empowerment Network (CCEN), setting out the key issues raised, which we are using to develop documentation for the procurement exercise.
If you would like to know more about the LINk event, you can download our report: