Helping local people improve health and social care services

What is the LINk?

**Note: The LINk will no longer exist from 31st March 2013 onwards. A new body known as Local Healthwatch will replace LINks as a body with statutory powers. Southwark Council will announce the new organisation contracted to set up Local Healthwatch on 1st March 2013.**

The purpose of the LINk is to represent the interests of all the people in the Borough of Southwark, and to involve them by carrying out the following ‘LINk activities’:

• obtain the views of people about their needs for, and experiences of, health and social care services.
• make these views known to those responsible for commissioning, providing, managing or scrutinising those services
• scrutinize outcomes of commissioning and provision and hold services to account

The LINk has powers to:

• get replies to questions and recommendations from those who plan and run services;
• enter and view services where publicly funded care is provided;
• refer issues to the Council’s overview and scrutiny committee and get a response.