Kent LINk Community Engagement Event in Gravesend

The Kent LINk visited Gravesend on Monday, 6 April 2009 at the Riverside Resource Centre from 9.30am until 4.00pm

The Kent LINk has a programme of four community engagement events per year, getting out and about around the County. One of the aims of these events is to encourage local people who would not normally have a voice to get involved in how their health and social care services should be planned to meet all of their diverse community needs. Because of its diversity, Gravesend was chosen as the venue for the Kent LINk’s first community engagement event held on 6 April 2009 at the Riverside Centre in Denton, a district in Gravesend.  

Local people were given the opportunity to find out more about the LINk, what it has been doing and inform the LINk of their concerns relating to local health and / or social care services. During the morning session, LINk Governors reported to the wider inform the Governors on what issues they felt the LINk should be addressing and asking questions around the LINk’s funding.

The LINk then handed over to invited speakers to talk about and answer questions on their particular areas of expertise, including Mary Harris from the Ellenor & Lions Hospice who spoke on the subject of End of Life and Palliative Care, John Lee, Kent Adult Social Services, who gave a presentation on self-directed support in Kent, James Sinclair from Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust who gave a talk on mental health services in Kent and Maureen Hall spoke about dental services in Kent. The Kent LINk was very grateful for their time and the attendees were given the opportunity to ask the speakers questions at the end of each session. Participants present also supported proposals that the LINk carry out a survey of NHS hospital car parking provision and enquire into arrangements for providing stroke services in Kent, particularly around Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells areas.

After refreshments and a chance to network with other participants and professionals, attendees were then treated to a performance by a local school steel drum band, Steel Ambition, and the Jugnu Bhangra Group who demonstrated a colourful and lively Bhangra dance. The event was a great chance to view the information stands brought along by organisations, such as Sevenoaks Mind, Darent Valley Hospital, Rethink Sahayak, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Service, Age Concern Swanscombe, Gravesend Volunteer Centre, DGSM yourChoice (formally Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Mencap), the Medway LINk and many more. Members of the public also dropped in to find out more and many signed up to become part of the Kent LINk.

Documents from the day:

• Programme
• Governors' Group report
• Kent LINk Annual Healthcheck Presentation
• Kent LINk car parking at hospitals paper
• End of Life Care Presentation by Mary Harris, Ellenor Lions Hospices
• Self Directed Support Presentation by James Lampert, Kent County Council
• Kent LINk Dental Services in Kent Presentation
• Kent LINk Mental Health in Kent Presentation