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.

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are made up of individuals and community groups, such as faith groups and residents’ associations, working together to improve health and social care services.

The job of each 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, helping them to plan and deliver better services that reflect the wishes of local people.

The more people that get involved in your LINk, the stronger and more influential it becomes.

Your LINk is relevant to you and your family. Some reasons why you should get involved include:

• To draw attention to neglected issues or ideas

• To influence those who make decisions about new or existing health and social care services

• To help your community speak with a stronger voice

• To help services provide better care

There are different ways to participate and communicate your thoughts, but if you want to ensure that local services meet your need and the needs of their community, you can and should get involved.