Kent LINk Community Engagement Event in Thanet
The Kent LINk visited Thanet at the Margate Winter Gardens on Thursday, 29 July 2010, from 10.00am until 3.00pm
Situated on the coast of Margate, the Winter Gardens offered a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for this Kent LINk Community Engagement Event. The weather was a little grey and overcast for the morning, but despite this the Kent LINk participants and local voluntary, community and statutory organisations began to arrive and were greeted by the stunning views from across the sea. 
Over 60 people attended the morning session, which allowed them to network and take a look at the various displays which included the Kent LINk's projects board, Kent Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent Community Services and Personal Health Budgets, Rethink, Thanet Community Support Partnership, Kent County Council and Catch 22 Housing.
The formal meeting began with John Fletcher, Chairman of the Kent LINk Governors' Group, welcoming everybody to the meeting and introducing the overview for the day. There was a short presentation on the various LINk projects that were happening across the county, and the reports that were available, including the Hygiene, Disinfection and Patient Experience in Hospitals project, which was now available as a summary and full report.
Dr James Nash and Sue Roberts of the Infection Control Team for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust gave an informative and thought-provoking presentation on their hospital hygiene and disinfection policies, in response to the Kent and Medway LINk's report. This was closely followed by Ruth Brown, Lead Commissioner at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, who updated everybody on development for Community Services and involvement.
The Kent LINk would like to thank Dr James Nash, Sue Roberts and Ruth Brown for their support and presentations at the event, and for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come along. All the presenters were happy to take questions from the attendees.
The afternoon session began with a light buffet lunch and refreshments, followed by the workshop discussions, which revolved around the LINk's strategy for being more open and inclusive to involve
'hard to reach' groups in the community. The attendees were split into groups and came up with ideas and suggestions for the LINk to take on board, such as different formats for documents, where to advertise and how to make initial contact with members of communities within Kent who may not have had the opportunity to hear about the Kent LINk.
The workshops produced a lot of positive response over this very emotive subject, and the Kent LINk is very grateful to all those who took part. The suggestions will be taken into account when the LINk takes its Equality and Diversity strategy further.
With the event coming to a close, the sun came out over Margate's glittering coastline. The Kent LINk will now be thinking of its next Community Engagement Event, which is due to be held in the mid-county in the autumn, where the Kent LINk's Equality and Diversity strategy can be put into practice.
Documents for the day:
- Event flyer
- Programme
- Directions to the Winter Gardens, Margate
- Kent LINk Governors' Group report - July 2010
- Kent LINk Priorities Panel report - July 2010
- Quality Accounts project summary
- Day Centres for Older People project summary
- Ruth Brown, NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent - presentation
- Dr James Nash and Sue Roberts, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust - presentation
- Recommendations to hospitals following the Hygiene, Disinfection and Patient Experience in Hospitals
- Kent LINk and KMPT Equality and Diversity Strategy
- Equality and Diversity - easy read document
- Workshop questions
Post event - event feedback:
