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Local involvement networks (LINks)

  • Last modified date:
    15 August 2008
  • Gateway reference:
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Local Involvement Networks (LINks) aim to give citizens a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Run by local individuals and groups and independently supported - the role of LINks is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to them account. LINks will be established in most areas between April 2008 and September 2008. Each local authority (that provides social services) has been given funding and is under a legal duty to make contractual arrangements that enable LINk activities to take place.

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A brief explanation of LINks

Sometimes the people who use services don’t feel they have a strong enough voice to change aspects of their health or social care. The introductions of LINks is part of a wider process to help the community have a stronger local voice. A LINks role once it is up and running is to:

  • ask what local people what they think about local healthcare services and provide a chance to suggest ideas to help improve services
  • investigate specific issues of concern to the community
  • use its powers to hold services to account and get results
  • ask for information and get an answer in a specified amount of time
  • be able to carry out spot-checks  to see if services are working well (carried out under safeguards)
  • make reports and recommendations and receive a response
  • refer issues to the local ‘Overview and Scrutiny Committee’

Guidance and advice to get going

Under the legislation that establishes LINks (Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007), local authorities have been given £84 million in funding to support LINk activities between 2008 - 2011.

Each authority is expected to contract an organisation (known as a host) to set up and then run a LINk. These hosts are expected to be in place by September 2008.

Its up to each community, with the support of a host, to decide how they want their LINk to be run and what issues they want it to focus on. However to help LINks get going, a range of advice and guidance has been made available.

In  2007, nine areas tested the idea of LINks. Using the informationn from these early adopter sites, the Department of Health has produced guidance to help local communities plan their LINk and get a host in place. The Department has also asked the NHS Centre for Involvement (NCI) to provide ongoing help, advice and support to help LINks get going.

Since April 2008, a range of guides have been produced on different aspects of running a LINk. Examples include:  setting up a governance structure & a code of conduct for LINks' visits.

To download the Department of Health guidance 'Getting ready for LINks - Planning your Local Involvement Network' and 'Getting ready for LINks - Contracting a host organisation' visit:

News Bulletins

This monthly newsletters intends to keep stakeholders and interested parties aware of the progress being made towards the establishment of LINks, and provide helpful tips and advice about gearing up for LINks, and how to get involved in preparations both locally and nationally.

To access current and previous issues visit:

Legislation and regulations governing LINks

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 enabled Local Involvement Networks (LINks) to be established. The legislation sets out the role and function of LINks.

To  enable LINks to carry out their role, the legislation also gives the Secretary of State a power to make regulations imposing duties on commissioners and certain providers of health and social care services to respond to LINks (to requests for information and to reports and recommendations made to them by a LINk) and to allow entry by LINks to premises under certain conditions.

There are also regulations covering issues such the transition arrangements a local authority has to take if they have not appointed a LINk host or the Governance of a LINk.

To read more about the Act and the regulations, visit:

1 April 2008: Directions made in respect of Local Involvement Networks

The Secretary of State has powers under primary legislation to give directions that are legally binding and must be complied with by the recipient.  The Secretary of State has made two sets of Directions, both in respect of Local Involvement Networks (LINks).

The first set of directions are to LINks themselves, setting out their duties when it comes to providing annual reports to the Secretary of State.

The second set are to commissioners of health and social care services (Primary Care Trusts; NHS trusts most or all of whose hospitals, establishments and facilities are situated in England; Strategic Health Authorities; and local authorities). These set out the requirements they need to include in their future contracts with independent providers. These amendments relate to allowing LINks representatives to enter and view services, as well as providing LINks with information relating to services they might run which are publicly funded.

A briefing has been produced by the Department of Health for providers of independent services about this second set of Directions.

LINKs archive

There are a range of documents that explain more about LINks and their history.

Additional links

Related links

Helping LINks get going

Helping LINks get going

The NHS Centre for Involvement aims to support the NHS to implement patient and public involvement.

Get involved in LINKs

Get involved in LINKs

Opportunities exist for individuals and local groups to help establish LINks.

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