During Enter & View visits the LINk representatives are developing positive relationships with local nursing and residential homes. Enter & View powers give the LINk the right to send trained representatives to places where care takes place to view the quality of care provided.

Over March and April this year, representatives visited 7 care homes in the Stockport area. Reports from all 7 of these homes are now available on the LINk Documents Page under reports.

The homes visited on this wave of visits were:

• The Grange Care Home, Reddish


• The New Windsor Nursing Home, Marple


• Marple Dale Nursing Home


• Grosvenor Hall Care Home, Lancashire Hill


• Davenport Manor Care Home


• Clifton House Residential Home, Heaton Moor


• Belmont Care Home, Cheadle

In this issue, there are reports from both our June and July Briefing Sessions, where we received presentations around the cost of services in the NHS, the Health & Well Being Partnership, transforming community services, Right to Control and reward & recognition.

The issue also includes information on LINk involvement in podiatry services as well as reporting on the quality of services in Stockport.

There is information about the event the LINk are co-hosting with the Health & Well Being Partnership in September as well as other events happening soon.

There is a lot more in the Newsletter and we hope you enjoy reading it.

You can download our latest Newsletter by clicking here.

Our Next LINk briefing session will take place on Monday 16th August 10-12.30pm at Walthew House and will be on the following topics:

1. 10.00am-11.15 Stockport Public Health Services – Dr. Steve Watkins, Director of Public Health, NHS Stockport
Dr. Watkins will be updating the LINk about Public Health Services and it will be an opportunity for you to raise any questions regarding public services and the New White Paper.

2. 11.30-12.30pm Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and LINk - Emma Dowsing, Policy Manager, Adult Social Care, Stockport Council
Emma will be talking about the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. A summary of this can be read here.

The briefing sessions are open to all LINk members. Please let the LINk Office know on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk if you would like to attend the LINk Briefing Information Session.

Minutes from previous Briefing Sessions are avaliable on the LINk Documents Page under Minutes.

The documents, Commissioning for Patients and Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health provide further detail on the principles of the policies set out in the White Paper, and seek views from the public and external partners on some of the questions arising out of them.

Both documents seek views on a number of questions by 11 October. You can feed directly back to the Department of Health, or get in contact with the LINk. We are looking to create a task group to look at the consultations. If you are interested in joining this group, call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk.

All documents are available in the Key Documents area of our website.

You can view the documents directly by clicking on the following:

Liberating the NHS White Paper

Written ministerial statement on the NHS White Paper consultation

Liberating the NHS - Commissioning For Patients consultation document

Liberating the NHS - Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health consultation document

Among many other points, the papers include discussion over the future of the LINks. The White paper, release on Monday 12th July announced that local LINks would become HealthWatch, an independent consumer champion within the Care Quality Commission.

Local HealthWatch will ensure that the views and feedback from patients and carers are an intergral part of local commissioning across health & social care as the LINks do currently.

Local HealthWatch may be able to offer advocacy and support, which the LINks do not currently offer.

Local Healthwatch will feed into a National HealthWatch, which will strengthen the relationship between national and local services.

Due to the financial pressures on the NHS in general and the efficiency savings which need to be made, NHS Stockport are looking to decommission 3 pilot services and urgently review 2 others.

NHS Stockport has notified the LINk of the following developments happening in the organisation.

Services to be decommissioned are: The Family Nurse Partnership, Active Case Management and the Community Falls Service. Services undergpoing review are The Parkinson’s Disease Nurse and The Early Intervention Service .

You can read about this in more detail in our report by clicking here.

The Stockport LINk has responded to Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Quality Report 2009/2010.

The LINk congratulated Stockport NHS Foundation Trust on achieving a rating of excellent for financial management by the Care Quality Commission.

The LINk urged Stockport NHS Foundation Trust to engage with the LINk on a more regular basis around public engagement events and the planning and developing of services.

The LINk shared feedback gained on the trust in the past year and urged the trust to share any information with them. Further recommendations were also made.

You can read the response by clicking here.

Copies of all the LINk reports, minutes and newsletters are avaliable on the LINk Documents page. Copies of documants by other organisations and services are avaliable on the Key Documents page.

The Stockport LINk has contacted local service providers Stockport Adult Social Care, NHS Stockport, Stockport Foundation Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital) and Pennine Care (Mental Health) inviting managers from all the providers to visit LINk members once a month to discuss any new, upcoming or current services for feedback.

Speakers on Friday 16th July will be: The Real Cost of Services, presented by Nicola Baker, Director of Practice Based Commissioning, NHS Stockport & Stockport Managed Care and Voice Policy Development on Reward & Recognition and an update on Right To Control presented by Catriona Duncan-Rees, Policy and Intelligence Manager, Adult Social Care, Stockport Council.

The date for the next briefing session is Friday 16th July 2010 between 10am and 12.30pm at Walthew House.

The briefing sessions are open to all LINk members. Please let the LINk Office know on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk if you would like to attend the LINk Briefing Information Session.

The Stockport LINk photo gallery has undergone a transformation.

You can now click on any of the images in the photo gallery to view them at their full size.

You can either use the navigation bar on the left or click here to get to the photo gallery.

The photo gallery is updated any time a LINk member attends a public event, so why not check back regularly to see where the LINk has been?

The Stockport LINk have responded to The Christie Quality Report 2009/2010.

The LINk congratulated The Christie in all the hard work it has done to raise its already high quality and standards.

The LINk said they are very happy with the excellent way The Christie has engaged with the organisation, inviting the LINk and its members to open days/evenings and providing the LINk with as much information needed to ensure the public is aware of new developments within the organisation.

You can read the response by clicking here. A copy of the Christie's Annual Report is avalilable by clicking here.

Copies of all the LINk reports, minutes and newsletters are avaliable on LINk Documents page. Copies of documants by other organisations and services are avaliable on the Key Documents page.

The Consultation took part in the Alma Lodge in Stockport on 17th June where guests, which included LINk members were asked for their input on what opportunities are presented by people living longer.

This new special edition includes just some of the many ways the Stockport LINk has influenced decisions made by service providers.

In the issue, LINk members talk to Dr. Jane Rossini from NHS Stockport about Values and Prioritisation as well as talking to Jude Wells from Adult Social Care about Transforming Social Care.

The issue also outlines our involvement in the new Right To Control Trailblazers as well as introducing you to your representatives for the new Decision Making Boards.

And that's only the first half of the Newsletter!

You can download our newest Newsletter by clicking here.

The Stockport LINk has contacted local service providers Stockport Adult Social Care, NHS Stockport, Stockport Foundation Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital) and Pennine Care (Mental Health) inviting managers from all the providers to visit LINk members once a month to discuss any new, upcoming or current services for feedback.

Speakers on Thursday 17th June will be: Transforming Community Health Services, presented by Gill Frame, Director of Public Health and The Health & Wellbeing Partnership presented by Susie Wright, Policy Manager, Health & Wellbeing, Stockport Council.

The date for the next briefing session is Thursday 17th June 2010 between 10am and 12.30pm at Walthew House.

The briefing sessions are open to all LINk members. Please let the LINk Office know on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk if you would like to attend the LINk Briefing Information Session.

The LINk Enter & View team visited Ashbourne House in Gatley to view the quality of care in the home and acquaint themselves with the manager and staff. You can read the report here

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk to find out about our next Enter & View training.

The new LINk News is now out, you can view the Newsletter by clicking here to go to the LINk Documents page.

Following public feedback, the LINk are looking into the discharge procedures for Stepping Hill Hospital and how well it is being followed. The LINk are looking for feedback from the public on how they were treated when it was time to leave the hospital.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk to let us know of your experiences or to request a feedback form.

On Saturday 6th March, the LINk are holding our second Annual General Meeting.

The meeting will be held at Hazel Grove Civic Hall. Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk to book your place. Lunch and refreshments provided.

The new LINk News is now out, you can view the Newsletter by clicking here or by going to the LINk Documents page.

The LINk are looking for people who have been through Complaints Procedures in Health & Social Care Services. We want your view on the process whether good or bad.

Following public feedback, the LINk also are looking into the discharge procedures for Stepping Hill Hospital and how well it is being followed. The LINk are looking for feedback from the public on how they were treated when it was time to leave the hospital.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk to let us know of your experiences or to request a feedback form.

The Stockport LINk are getting involved in all sorts over the next few weeks and we're inviting all our members to join us! Please click here to see the events page for more information.

There have been many updates to the LINk Website in the past few weeks, including editions to the gallery, documents, events page and you can now apply to the LINk online!

The new LINk News is now out, you can view the Newsletter by clicking here to go to the LINk Documents page.

Our events page is brimming with activities and things to do around the Stockport area.

The Photo Gallery has recently been updated with pictures from our BIrthday Party. These pictures have joined ones taken at the events we have attended this summer

Finally, you can now join the LINk online, simply by clicking the Join Here tab on the aside bar and filling in the application form linked at the bottom of the page.

Don't forget that we are also on facebook and twitter.
Find our facebook page by clicking here and our twitter feed by clicking here.

The Stockport LINk turns one year old today and what a lot we've accomplished in a year!

We are working on nearly 30 issues of importance to the Stockport community and our Core Group meet once a month to discuss and move our work forward.

We have been getting feedback from all over the community to help us know where issues are with services and our membership has just hit 200 individuals, not including all the groups signed up and our reach from our Newsletter.

The Stockport LINk Annual Report is now avaliable online by clicking here or going to LINk Documents.

The new LINk News is now out, you can view the Newsletter by clicking here to go to the LINk Documents page.

Come along to this open forum about the provision of dental health services in Stockport. Light refreshments provided
Free. No need to book.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk for more information.

The LINk are co-hosting an event with Stockport MBC and for LINk Members and anyone from the Community to find out about Social Care.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk for more information.

Have you been treated unfairly in health care or social care because of your age? Come and talk to us, tell us about your experiences at our free listening event on Friday 17th July.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk for more information.

The LINk will have it's own stall and parachute for Brinnington Fun Day on the 11th July in Brinnington Park from 1-5pm.

The LINk will have a stall at Age Concern Stockport's "Better Safe Than Sorry" Event. Why not come along and say hello.

A Member Development Day for members of LINks from Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Stockport & Tameside has been announced.

Call the LINk on 0161 477 8479 or email us at links@pebbleenterprises.co.uk for more information.

There are eight confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK. Read the latest official advice and find out about the simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and others

The Stockport LINk has now offically elected its Core Group of 30 members and a Steering of 5.