Major turnaround for Staffordshire Health watchdog
Staffordshire LINk is now widely recognised across the Midlands as being at the forefront of shaping health and social care services. The major turnaround has happened since an external hosting contract for LINk was terminated last December and support for the group was brought back within Staffordshire County Council’s Social Care and Health Directorate. The first six months of the new set-up has seen significant results. The number of local organisations directly involved with the LINk has gone from zero to over 200 and there are now in excess of 300 groups and individuals getting involved from all around Staffordshire.
As well as having a more prominent role in the county, the LINk is also doing significant work around dementia and stroke services, ensuring that patients and members of the public can influence the planning, commissioning and delivery of these services in the future.
County Councillor Matthew Ellis, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “This is tremendous news and an extraordinary turnaround. Many questioned my decision to start afresh with the LINk last year but the renewed momentum which that brought and the exceptional work since then of the volunteers and officials supporting Staffordshire LINk means it is going from strength to strength. The tragedy around Stafford Hospital clearly shows the importance of tough but fair challenge to health and care services. Not just from targets and data collection but from real people who use real services on the ground. That’s where vital information lies and I’m certain that the LINk will continue to focus on that”.
And in a surprise move yesterday (Thursday 8 July) the ongoing EU procurement to find a new external host organisation for Staffordshire LINk was terminated by the County Council. Instead, support for the LINk will remain within Social Care and Health for the moment.
Matthew Ellis made the decision because he says it would have been wrong to change the current arrangements with them working so well: “I’ve terminated the tendering work for a number of reasons. The remaining term on the contract finishes early next year and as the LINk is now working so well I believe it would be wrong to change the current arrangements. And because of that progress there is an excellent opportunity to create a new social enterprise for Staffordshire LINk meaning it would be an entity entirely in its own right and totally free from any governmental interference. I’ve commissioned that piece of work and it will be undertaken in partnership with the LINk, starting immediately, over the next few months”.
Matthew Ellis personally wrote to all LINk participants advising them of these changes in a letter dated 8th July. If you would like to see a copy of the letter, please click here.
