Further supplementary evidence from the
Department of Health (PPI 01E)
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Project aim
To provide LINks and those organisations responsible
for establishing, supporting or working alongside them with information,
advice and guidance on how to maximise the effectiveness of LINks
and relationships with them.
This aim will be met by undertaking activities
which deliver lessons and contribute to the achievement of the
following objectives:
1. ENGAGING PARTICIPANTS
To enable activities to be assessed and evaluated
we must attract participants from stakeholders, and in particular:
(a) local authority officers and members
interested and involved in engagement and community development;
(b) officers and members involved in health
and social care scrutiny;
(c) staff from NHS organisations, specifically
commissioners and those involved in PPI-related activities;
(e) VCS organisations involved in supporting
and promoting user and public views in health and social care
also third sector providers; and
(f) members of the public who wish to have
a greater say in their health and social care services.
2. LINK FUNCTIONS
To test out and evaluate in a number of pilot
settings how LINks can:
(a) promote the involvement and participation
of people in the planning, design and improvement of local health
and social care services—with a focus on diversity and inclusivity;
(b) Map local resources and build a community
profile;
(c) collate and analyse the views and experiences
of people about health and social care services;
(d) convey findings and recommendations to
providers, commissioners, scrutineers, regulators; and
(e) act as a resource for the health and
social care system to access views of people in their communities.
3. LINKS AS
ORGANISATIONS (FORM)
To evaluate how LINks can:
(a) attract participation/contributions from
individuals, groups, organisations and communities;
(b) what structures LINks might establish
to best enable them to undertake their functions and for those
structures to be able to take account of the configuration of
health and social care in different areas and other significant
local factors;
(c) determine their structures agreeing governance
arrangements at all stages of their establishment that evolve
over time to be fit for purpose;
(d) agree how they can best be "governed",
ie To enable fair and transparent Decision-making, representation,
etc;
(e) determine monitoring and reporting processes
and arrangements; and
(f) build upon and reflect the best local
practice unique to their area.
4. LINK SUPPORT
To evaluate:
(a) what activities the "host"
must undertake to bring about the creation of LINks, eg promotion
of opportunities, where best to advertise, what messages work
and don't work etc;
(b) the nature of staffing support necessary
for LINk effectiveness, eg Administrative resources, community
development, analytical and facilitation skills etc;
(c) physical facilities including premises,
equipment and their cost etc.
5. LINK RELATIONSHIPS
To evaluate the (I) nature of an effective relationship
and (ii) how best to develop effective relationships with:
(a) providers of health and social care also
foundation trusts—in particular the relationship with foundation
governors;
(e) SHA's eg submission of Annual Reports;
(f) other LINks, in particular how will LINks
work together to be able to contribute to the mental health, and
learning disability services agenda, ambulance services etc—what
models of working are required;
(g) VCS organisations already involved in
health and social care; and
(h) others? Eg the public, Local Media, MP's,
individuals.
6. LINK ACCOUNTABILITY
To evaluate what kind of accountability systems
support confidence in LINks among those involved in LINks and
those who relate to LINKs. Including:
(a) accountability of the "host"
to the local authority;
(b) the host's accountability to the LINk;
(c) the LINks accountability to the population;
and
(d) the LINks accountability to the Secretary
of State for Health and Parliament.
7. RESOURCING
The EAPs provide a useful opportunity to evaluate
levels of resourcing, both financial and staffing necessary to
support effective LINks.
8. UNDERSTANDING
EFFECTIVENESS
To provide some insight into what represents
success for LINks including:
(a) numbers, diversity and source of people
involved and participating in LINk activity or through contact
with LINks involved in service planning, design or decision-making;
(b) the extent to which people are and feel
able to effectively influence services and evidence of where input
has led to change;
(c) whether it is possible to measure outcomes
resulting from LINk activity-what qualitative and quantitative
outcome measures (metrics) might be developed to capture the benefit
of LINk's;
(d) What best models can be identified in
relation to how people communicate with LINks—ie through
the web, texting, traditional meetings etc; and
(e) Whether people are influenced to become
better, more educated, more informed citizens from their engagement
with LINk's.
9. PROCUREMENT
OF LINK
HOSTS
A key area to be evaluated is the process of
procuring the necessary support for LINks. EAPs should discuss
with local authorities and VCS organisations how best this should
work in practice including key issues such as the degree of flexibility
in the contract.
10. MISCELLANEOUS
There are a number of areas which need detailed
consideration and may emerge through the EAPs and include:
(a) training of LINk members and "host"
staff and ongoing support eg organisational development, preparation
of individuals for specific activities in health and social care
settings;
(b) development and production of "constitutions",
terms of reference and other protocols to underpin LINks and those
involved in them; and
(c) processes for decision-making eg weighing
up priorities for LINk activity.
Department of Health
March 2007
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