Who Cares

The Health and Social Care Involvement Network for North Lincolnshire

Who Cares is the Local Involvement Network (LINk) for North Lincolnshire. LINks have their foundations in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. This Act requires each local authority to ensure that a network of local people is established in their areas to investigate the quality of health and adult social care services.

To ensure independence, local authorities must place the LINk contract with an independent host.  In North Lincolnshire, that contract was awarded to Voluntary Action North Lincolnshire (VANL).

LINks have three main functions:

• To consult with local people to identify their needs, expectations and experiences of health and social care services.
• To investigate the quality and effectiveness of health and adult social care services delivered locally.
• To report their findings to health and social care commissioners (the people who determine what services will be provided).
This gives people both an opportunity and enormous potential to influence the design and delivery of their health and adult social care.

LINks powers

• The power to request information from health and adult social care providers and commissioners and to receive a response within twenty working days.
• The right to enter premises to view the delivery of local health and adult social care services.
• The commissioners must respond to LINk reports within twenty working days.

Do you care? Then join us…Become a member

The only qualification required for membership of Who Cares is that you reside in North Lincolnshire and are registered for receipt of primary health care in North Lincolnshire. Who Cares members play an important role in determining the strategic direction of the project.  Currently there are four sub-groups (Primary Care, Secondary Care, Mental Health and Social Care) researching particular areas of care.  Regular meetings bring together members and professionals to discuss and determine research focus.
Membership is drawn from a wide range of expertise and experience and provides invaluable feedback from local residents and care service users.
Living in the local communities Who Cares members engage and interact with local residents and are able to identify common themes and concerns and raise these through the relevant sub-group.

How do you become involved?

Membership is free and members are kept informed of events and meetings through a variety of mediums.
The level of commitment is entirely up to you, it might be attending a meeting at which particular issues are discussed, it might be receiving our newsletter or you might like to help us with our research.

Who Cares can be contacted at:

LINk is hosted by Voluntary Action North Lincolnshire
4-6 Robert Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 6NG.  Telephone: 01724 845155
Registered Charity 1063019 and Company Limited by Guarantee 3346067.
See also www.who-cares-online.org.uk and www.vanl.org.uk

What is…

Primary Care

The term for health services that play a central role in the local community: GPs, pharmacists, dentists, midwives and many others. Primary Care providers are usually the first point of contact and services will follow a patient throughout their care pathway. Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England receive budgets from the Department of Health. The PCT for North Lincolnshire is known as NHS North Lincolnshire.

Secondary Care

Often known as acute healthcare, Secondary Care is provided by medical specialists in a hospital or other setting. Patients are usually referred from a primary care professional such as a GP.
Secondary care in North Lincolnshire is provided by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which operates all NHS hospitals in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole.

Mental Health Care

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) provide services in North Lincolnshire. The Trust provides assessment and inpatient treatment services together with outpatient services. Many services are now provided in GP Practices and by the Community Mental Health Team.

Adult Social Care

Services are provided by the Adult Social Service department of North Lincolnshire Council.
Some of the many branches of social care  include; supporting people with disabilities, older people, those with learning difficulties, help to provide specialised equipment for those in need and implement the personalisation scheme.