Norfolk LINks - The interim core group have called it Norfolk LINk but in my opinion the structure will only work at all effectively as a series of local community networks, not as a single county wide Local Involvement Network - so I insist on the plural.
The interim core group and the interim host (Voluntary Norfolk), from the end of May on made a very good start working actively in partnership with the host to set up some early strategies and policies (should have been from 1st April but the county council were, IMHO, tardy). I think in particular, the Code of Conduct produced is excellent and could be a model for others (I am currently updating ppeyes and will be including a copy of core documents there).
My own involvement began in July with inclusion in the “Improving Access to Psychological Therapies” LINks group. This was interrupted by the scandalous temporary loss of my driving licence (see earlier blog entries) but I’m now back in the loop and we had an excellent presentation last Friday from the Norfolk PCT and during that meeting they made a solid commitment to full and proper service user and carer involvement in its developments. We will now closely monitor that commitment.
Very relevant to the work on IAPT is “World Class Commissioning” and by request I have produced a summary for others involved in Norfolk LINks.
We also had a good meeting with the mental health trust to review last year’s PPI report. Looks like very positive partnership and there was consensus to repeat the review in January - hopefully with Social Services representation too then. Facilities for children is one area where the trust are behind.
There is a plethora of LINks work being thrown up and requests from NHS sources for LINks representation for Equality and Diversity, governance topics, AIDS and HIV, ICD coding, etc are coming up regularly in the LINks e mails. I have expressed interest in some of these but the host is saying they are having hosts of volunteers for each and they are operating a policy of first come first served.
Coming up is a conference next week on Mental Health and Ageing and included in that will be an exploration of the Mental Health Act 2007 (now fully implemented except for advocacy) and The Mental Capacity Act. There are too some interesting new PCT duties in respect of patient safeguards. Following close on the heels of that conference will be a meeting with the Healthcare Commission.
All in all, I’m impressed with how well Norfolk LINks have taken off. But there is one area where things are dragging and that is the centrally important function of making contact with local communities and reaching people who are hidden. Holding public meetings in five large towns around Norfolk is nowhere near adequate - we must reach out into small local communities - go out to people - not expect them to come to us.
The interim core group and the interim host (Voluntary Norfolk), from the end of May on made a very good start working actively in partnership with the host to set up some early strategies and policies (should have been from 1st April but the county council were, IMHO, tardy). I think in particular, the Code of Conduct produced is excellent and could be a model for others (I am currently updating ppeyes and will be including a copy of core documents there).
My own involvement began in July with inclusion in the “Improving Access to Psychological Therapies” LINks group. This was interrupted by the scandalous temporary loss of my driving licence (see earlier blog entries) but I’m now back in the loop and we had an excellent presentation last Friday from the Norfolk PCT and during that meeting they made a solid commitment to full and proper service user and carer involvement in its developments. We will now closely monitor that commitment.
Very relevant to the work on IAPT is “World Class Commissioning” and by request I have produced a summary for others involved in Norfolk LINks.
We also had a good meeting with the mental health trust to review last year’s PPI report. Looks like very positive partnership and there was consensus to repeat the review in January - hopefully with Social Services representation too then. Facilities for children is one area where the trust are behind.
There is a plethora of LINks work being thrown up and requests from NHS sources for LINks representation for Equality and Diversity, governance topics, AIDS and HIV, ICD coding, etc are coming up regularly in the LINks e mails. I have expressed interest in some of these but the host is saying they are having hosts of volunteers for each and they are operating a policy of first come first served.
Coming up is a conference next week on Mental Health and Ageing and included in that will be an exploration of the Mental Health Act 2007 (now fully implemented except for advocacy) and The Mental Capacity Act. There are too some interesting new PCT duties in respect of patient safeguards. Following close on the heels of that conference will be a meeting with the Healthcare Commission.
All in all, I’m impressed with how well Norfolk LINks have taken off. But there is one area where things are dragging and that is the centrally important function of making contact with local communities and reaching people who are hidden. Holding public meetings in five large towns around Norfolk is nowhere near adequate - we must reach out into small local communities - go out to people - not expect them to come to us.
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