Your Local Involvement Network (LINk) gives you the opportunity to influence your local health and care services. Anyone can get involved, and it has been set up to make sure that people in your area get the health and social services they need.

Your LINk wants to hear about your experiences of health and social services and your ideas for improvements or changes. It has the power to implement small changes and influence big changes.

What is a LINk?
LINks are made up of individuals and community groups who work together to improve local services. The job of a LINk is to find out what people like and dislike about local services and work with the people who plan and run them to help make them better.  This may involve talking directly to health care professionals about a service that is not being offered or suggesting ways that an existing service could be made better.

LINks also have powers to help with the tasks and to make sure changes happen.
      
Why get involved?
There are a number of benefits to becoming involved in a LINk, which include:

• getting attention for neglected issues or ideas
• influencing those who make decisions about new or existing services
• helping the community speak with a stronger local voice
• helping services provide better care

Be part of a LINk
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 – by helping to raise awareness of an issue or by helping to find solutions (for example - meeting providers or being part of a working group).

Who can join?
Anyone: carers, service users, community leaders, patient representatives … everyone's views matter. Groups can also join: charities, faith groups, tenant organisations, youth councils, BME organisations and business federations … anyone who wants to make sure the needs of their community are listened to.

How much time will it take?
There are many ways you can get involved. You can take a few minutes to answer a survey or take longer to represent the community when a health or social care service is being discussed with service providers.

Getting started
Help create health and care services that meet your needs, by contacting the following:

The LINk
Shaw Trust
3rd Floor
Bull Ring House
19/27 Northgate
Wakefield 
WF1 3BG

Telephone number 01924 374188