LINk Devon Governance
LINk Devon is a network of user-led organisations and other voluntary, community and faith organisations as well as of individuals and groups.
LINk Devon is accountable to the people of Devon. We are independent of central government, local government and the NHS and our funding is channelled through an independent voluntary sector ‘Host' organisation. As LINk Devon is publicly funded we also report annually to the Secretary of State.
We have a commitment to working in partnership with local communities by developing understanding of local needs and involving people and groups in health and social care decision making.
LINks have special legal powers to help them to improve services. We can:
- visit services to see what they do
- write reports and make recommendations
- ask for information which must be provided within a set time
- report findings to the Council's Scrutiny Board and get an answer
For more information visit the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
The LINk Devon governance framework
You can download the following documents -
LINk visits to assess health and care services
Under the LINk legislation, certain LINk participants can be authorised to enter, view and observe health and social care activities, to assess the nature and quality of services and obtain the views of the people using those services - these participants are referred to as ‘authorised representatives'.
LINk visits are not inspections. Instead, they are a tool to be used by the LINk to enable it to gather information that it would not be able to access in other ways. All visits are planned very carefully and carried out according to a code of practice to ensure that the visits are appropriate and do not affect the care or dignity of people receiving the services being observed.
Jeannette Kemlo
Elizabeth Russell-Lake
Click here for details of how participants are selected to become authorised representatives.