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Local Involvement Network (LINk)

For those who want to see Health and Social Services in Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead

LINk Logo Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead LINk is a network of local people, organisations and groups that want to see good health and social care services for all. It gives you the chance to say what you think and to suggest ideas to improve services.

As a member of the public, you have a right to be involved in discussions and decisions about your health and social care services. By sharing your experiences and ideas with your Local Involvement Network (LINk), you can influence the way services are run.

LINks are responsible for:

Finding out what people think of their local health and care services.
Giving people a chance to suggest ideas to care professionals that help improve services.
Looking into specific issues of concern to the community.
Making recommendations to the people who plan and run services and ensuring a response is received from those people within a specified time period.
Asking for information about services and ensuring information is received within a specified time period.
Carrying out visits, when necessary, to see whether services are working well.
Referring issues to the local council's health overview and scrutiny committee if it seems that action is not being taken.
Listening and responding to you
The job of the LINk is to find out what people like and dislike about local services. The LINk then feeds this information back to health and social care providers and commissioners, helping them to plan and deliver better and more relevant services.

Your views are vital to the way LINks operate. Your opinions and ideas will be taken seriously, and will help to bring about positive change in the way local services are run.

Your LINk will listen carefully to your experiences of health and social care services, and to any ideas for improvements you might have. If there's a specific issue relating to local services that your community feels has been neglected, your LINk will look into this. It will then make recommendations to the relevant professionals and seek out a response. Additionally, you can share your thoughts about what you like about particular services.

The LINk is funded by the government, but sets its own agenda. It is supported by Windsor & Maidenhead Voluntary Action.

How to get involved

Any individual or organisation within the Royal Borough can be involved. Involvement is as little or as much as you choose. By joining you will be kept informed and may choose to become involved in projects that interest you.

The LINk aims:

To provide a common approach to monitoring health and social care within the Borough
To provide a stronger, more independent voice
To represent the widest possible range of views
To make community involvement more convenient.

Volunteers are not paid, but are entitled to claim out of pocket expenses.

We are committed to representing the needs of the whole community. We are therefore particularly keen to hear from you, even if you do not usually make your voice heard.

Contact

To become a LINk member or report concerns and compliments contact:

Email: wamlinks@hotmail.com

Write: WAM LINk Officer, Wiindsor & Maidenhead Voluntary Action, 67 St. Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 3BX

Or use this on line form.

Your LINk needs you

Your local LINk is looking for volunteers to help with a variety of activities and tasks.

Our volunteering opportunities include: giving feedback to the LINk about your health and social care experiences; helping out at a local event; being part of project team who investigate local issues; being part of a visiting team that enters and views local care services.

All volunteer work is entirely flexible to suit your needs, and we appreciate any help that you give. Remember, volunteering is a fantastic way to give something back to your local community and it's great for any CV.

We provide full training and support to all our volunteers and you will receive out of pocket expenses. For the 'Enter & View' work you will be required to undertake an enhanced CRB check.