Feature: Are local voices influencing local decisions?

Does every community have a local involvement network group to monitor and evaluate whether Government are meeting expected outcomes?

The network should be a local individual and organisations that want their community residents to have the best care and support.

What can communities do?

To make a contribution to planning and monitoring of local services by providing a channel for people not only to express their views but also to become involved in looking at these services and where there is room for improvement and see that it happens.

How can people join this network? Anyone who lives with a community could join.

What can this network do?

Lots of things. For instance, let their Assembly person know of the list of concerns they have in writing.

List their community’s identified needs.

Take part in a project looking at, for instance, cleanliness, and hygiene in their community, ensuring they have purposeful building with after school care if possible for their children, adequate hospital with decent facilities for its patients and maternity services.

Communities could join steering group with the Government and ensure that they voices are heard in Parliament.

Chiefs should be able to represent their communities on groups or Government committee in partnership with organisations in business, health, social services, voluntary and charities.

Will people be paid for joining this network? This could be voluntary however reasonable expenses need to be paid for travel, enhance training and support.

What are the powers of this network link?

This network link will be able to visit and view places where the Government provides health and social services.

They need to ask for information about those services and expect a response within a specific timetable.

Make a recommendation for improving those services with their community and expect a response within a specific timetable

Refer issues to the local Government and over view and Scrutiny Panel if any responsible for improving the health of local people and local health services.

If Ghana have had such tactics in place we would see hospital improving with patients sleeping on bed with better bed management etc.

It is only local people who are capable to ensure any change in their communities.

Unity and greater understanding within communities is a key factor in ensuring that a community to get what it needs from a Government.

Everyone is important no matter role they may play within a given society. One of the leadership guru’s Belbin wrote a book of the roles we all play within societies or groups.

There is a need to acknowledge the skills and capabilities of each other in other to earn the respect and integrity we need to move on in life. .