Questions raised by LINk Members/members of the Public (1)

Below are questions raised and the responses at the LINk Interim Executive meeting on 22nd September 2008.

Jeremy Ambache

I am sorry that Wandsworth LINk members have not been able to contribute in the discussion of items on this agenda as part of the discussion of each item before decisions are made. Would the members of the Interim Executive not consider that LINk members might have a helpful and valuable contribution to make in discussing and considering each agenda item?

This has been taken on board and subsequently a revision of the agenda has been made with open space time allocated at the beginning of the meeting.

Paper B1 under the governance section (page 4) says – ‘Training for people standing as Exec members’. Is training available for all people who are considering standing in the Jan election?

The host organisation is looking into organising training for LINk members who will potentially be standing as an Executive member. It is envisaged that this will happen early December 2008.

Has the Interim Executive considered the use of postal voting – for those LINk members who may not be able to make the meeting in January – in the election of the first Wandsworth LINk executive?

Postal voting is being recommended to the Interim Executive for approval at the November meeting. The Resources and Governance sub group felt that in order to introduce postal voting the deadline for signing up as LINk members and the closing date for nominations to the LINk Executive Committee would need to be brought forward one week to 5th January 2009. Further details about the nomination election procedure can be found in paper B1 for the Interim Executive meeting on 17th November 2008.

Have the Interim Executive considered whether they want to do start any detailed work on the areas identified by the Council’s Overview Annual Scrutiny Plan that they are planning to focus on over the next year? I think that this might be an opportune time to contribute to the scrutiny of some of these service areas?

This will form part of the IE discussion about the work plan.

LINk members

Confused about the role LINk members attending the Interim Executive meeting as it did not appear to be a public meeting.

From September the IE meetings are being held in public but this is not the same as a public meeting. At meetings held in public, non IE members can be present, have copies of papers and observe the meeting. They can also contribute views and questions at a specific place in the agenda called Open Space. In order to recognise the importance of accountability, the IE have extended the meeting by 30 minutes and put Open Space at the beginning of the agenda.

Current planned LINk Interim Executive public meetings will be on 15th December 2008 and 19th January 2009.

It was important for people to feel engaged and to conserve positive energy and LINk members should be referred to as such and not “a member of the public”.

This has been taken on board and non IE members will be referred to as LINk members in the future. However it was clarified that non IE members in attendance at the meetings were made up of LINk members as well as members of the public.

22% of Black Minority Ethnic (BME) made up the LINk membership, which should be reflected on the Executive Committee. How was it proposed to engage a wider cross section and what action plan was in place.

It has been identified that there was currently under representation of BME on the LINk membership and in a bid to engage with this community group and build long term relationships further planning would be essential. This will be taken forward by the Communications and Participation sub group who will then agree the most effective means of communication based on the recommendations of the Communication and Participation Action Plan (paper B2 22nd September 2008). However, it was noted that four members of the IE’s 14 members are from BME sections of the community.

Suggested that sub groups could be made up of LINk members with expertise with 1 or 2 members of the Interim Executive. It was important that LINk members felt they had a chance to have their say and those who were unable to attend meetings have their chance to vote.

To ensure comments and input was obtained widely regarding nominations and elections and guaranteeing service user contribution all relating papers were circulated by post/email to the LINk membership and IE inviting comments by Thursday 6th November 2008. Also the IE and its sub group already had the power to co-opt additional members who had special experience and skills to contribute.

It was noted that Chelsea and Westminster hospital was missing from those invited to contribute on the Interim Executive’s training day and thought that north of Wandsworth required representing.

Chelsea and Westminster hospital did not fall under the borough of Wandsworth and there currently was no Westminster LINk up and running for Wandsworth LINk to interact with.

Member of public

The area of Secondary Health & Social Care was too big an issue for one sub group to take on, this area should be split.

This matter was raised with the Secondary Health & Social Care sub group who felt splitting health and social care would go against the ethics and purpose of Wandsworth LINk.

Within the Roehampton area clusters of GPs had been split and Roehill were having meetings twice a year, it was suggested that LINk participate on those meetings.

Referred to Primary Health & Social care sub group for follow up.

Click here for the questions raised at the meeting on 20 October.