Welcome to the June Network Newsletter!

The Newsletter brings together news, stories and events which we hope will be of interest to the Network. 

In this month's edition, we can share the key messages from our Network conference as well as the presentations from our third Knowledge Exchange event earlier this month.

The Scottish Community Link Worker Network is the national network, developed and facilitated by VHS, for primary care community link working in Scotland. Please visit our webpage for the latest blogs, reports and information about the Network. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @ScotCLWnetwork

Events, Workshops and Training

Upcoming Scottish CLW Network Events

CLW Lunchtime Peer Support Event - 13th September 

We have set aside Thursday 13th September from 12.30 - 2pm for a CLW lunchtime peer support event. This is an opportunity for CLWs from across the Network to come together online to meet and catch up in smaller groups. If there are particular topics of conversation that you would like to discuss, please do let us know!

Programme Leads Event - 4th October

Following the success of our first event for CLW Programme Leads, we will be hosting a second event on 4th October from 10-12noon on Zoom. 

Knowledge Exchange Event - 15th November

Our fourth knowledge exchange event on 15th November from 10-12 will feature speakers from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and The Pain Association Scotland. 

You can find details of all our events on our events page

Recent Scottish CLW Network Events

Scottish Community Link Worker Network Conference - Key Messages

We have already uploaded some fabulous photos and the evaluation report based on feedback from the day. We have now published the key messages from the conference which we hope you find a useful reminder of the day.  You can also find all the presentations from the day as well as our exhibitor blogs.

Knowledge Exchange Event 

Presentations from our third Knowledge Exchange which took place earlier this month are now available.  We were lucky to be joined by Doug Anthoney, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Age Scotland and Bushra Riaz, Policy Lead Scotland from Kidney Research UK as well as nearly 40 CLWs for some great discussions and Q&A. 

Other Events

National Care Service Engagement Events - various dates                           

The Scottish Government has confirmed a programme of events will take place over the summer in order for people to have their say on the National Care Service. The first event took place in Stirling on Tuesday 20 June. Meetings spanning from Glasgow, Dundee, Dumfries and Galloway, Skye, and Shetland will follow, ending with two national online events on Thursday 24 and Tuesday 29 August. 

NCD Prevention: reducing the impact of health-harming products - 20th September

Last year, Holyrood partnered with the newly formed NCD Alliance Scotland on the public health day of its Health and Care Festival. They are delighted to be partnering with the NCD Alliance Scotland once again for this one-day event on 20th September: NCD prevention: reducing the impact of health-harming products to consider what progress has been made in reducing NCD related deaths and ill-health, and discuss what further policy action is required. 

Understanding Barriers to Accessing Primary Care: A Third Sector Response - 28th September

This Voluntary Health Scotland event will ask your views on the barriers people face when accessing primary care, especially people affected by socio-economic inequalities. In your experience, what are the barriers to primary care, and how are they widening the health inequalities gap? This event will ensure that there is a strong voluntary health perspective contributing to the work of the Primary Care Health Inequalities Development Group.  Book your place here

NES Bereavement Education Conference - 28th November

The next NES Bereavement Education Conference: The Grief We Carry will take place on Tuesday 28 November. This will be a free virtual one day event for health and social care staff. Please email  the NES events team for more information. 

Highlights from the Network

Importance of Community Link Working recognised at NHS Scotland Conference

Alison Leitch from Edinburgh CLW Network was a speaker at the recent NHS Scotland Conference in Glasgow where the theme was Recovery and Renewal in our Health and Care Services.  As well as talking about the Edinburgh CLW network, she also highlighted the role that community link working and social prescribing play in tackling health inequalities as part of the session for the launch of the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report Realistic Medicine: Doing the Right Thing

NHS Highland Social Prescribing in Highland – Knowledge Exchange and Networking Event 

NHS Highland hosted a knowledge exchange and networking event which featured a varied programme of speakers including Change Mental Health who gave an update on the local picture in relation to Social Prescribing and the Prescribe Heritage Highland Project. We will share more details about the discussions and outcomes from the event in next month's newsletter. 

Unforgotten Forces and Community Link Workers

Roisin Hurst from the Scottish Community Link Worker Network along with Theresa Henry and Liam McGinlay from Sources of Support in Dundee presented on the work of the Network and the role of CLWs in supporting older people at an event for services that support older members of ex-Armed Forces community in Scotland. The session generated some good discussion, particularly in relation to raising awareness within primary care of the Armed Forces Covenant.  The event was hosted by the Unforgotten Forces partnership which Age Scotland leads. The partnership encourages productive connections between Armed Forces charities and projects.  

We always want to hear from new CLWs!

It is always great to hear news from across the Network. Don't forget to get in touch if you have new CLWs who have recently started in post. We are always keen to welcome them to the Network. Please get in touch with Roisin if you want to add any CLWs to the Network's mailing list.

Other News

LGBT Health’s Telefriending Service available across Scotland

The Telefriending Service is available to anyone living in Scotland, aged 50 and over and who identifies as LGBTQ+. After an initial assessment call, a team of trained sessional workers and volunteers will make regular phone calls to the telefriendee. While the calls are predominantly friendship calls, they are able to signpost to other services in their organisation and further afield. A typical call lasts 30-40 minutes and usually the frequency is every two weeks though some community members will receive a weekly call.

Quite a few of their recent referrals have come from link workers. They have also made short presentations about the service to groups of link workers at their team meetings. If this is something that you’d be interested in, please get in contact with Keith Paterson who is their Telefriending Co-ordinator

Getting someone started on the service is relatively straight forward. You can either pass on details or make the referral on their behalf. Just go to their Telefriending page where you will find a link to their referral form. You can also email or phone 0131 564 3972 to make a referral.

Versus Arthritis

Versus Arthritis is an organisation which helps people living with an arthritis condition.  It wants to ensure that CLWs know more about their services and support. You can register for their professional network to get regular Network news and other information and make connections - sign up to their professional network and have a look at their professionals homepage 

You can also order information from their full list of publications for ordering and downloading print copies.  This information may be really useful for Community Link Workers to have at their GP practices to give to patients, or to signpost people to access.  Their Helpline will also post tailored packs to individuals’ homes and this can be via direct calls or requests from a CLW.

Details about their courses for healthcare professionals which are designed to increase knowledge, confidence and skills of healthcare professionals in delivering great MSK care. They are happy to discuss specific sessions for different groups of practitioners like CLWs. For more information, please contact their Professional Engagement Manager Scotland Caron Jenkins 

Scotland's Singing for Health Network

The Singing for Health Network has published their final workshop report. This report emerged from the workshop on Funding, Training, and Safeguarding that took place on 7 March 2023, in Glasgow. These topics were chosen as they reflect the important themes that have emerged during this two-year, Royal Society of Edinburgh-funded project. The 23 workshop attendees represented social prescribers and link workers from the Health and Social Care Alliance, the Scottish Community Link Worker Network, and the Scottish Social Prescribing Network; Higher Education Creative Health academics from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Glasgow; third sector representatives from arts-health and creative aging charities; Glasgow Life representatives; and singing group leaders from across Scotland. 

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee publishes its annual report

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has published its annual report for 2022-23. The committee scrutinised two pieces of primary legislation, the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill and the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill. It also undertook inquiries into areas such as alternative pathways into primary care, the health and wellbeing of children and young people, health inequalities, female participation in sport and physical activity, and experiences of the Complex Mesh Surgical Service. 

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee opens inquiry into rural healthcare

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has announced the launch of its new inquiry into healthcare in remote and rural areas. A call for views for the inquiry has opened which closes on Friday 11 August. The committee wants to hear from members of the public and staff, specifically regarding the challenges people in rural and remote areas face and what can be done to improve healthcare services in these areas.

Scottish Government publishes 10 year dementia strategy 

The Scottish Government and COSLA have published a ten-year Dementia Strategy for Scotland, alongside an accompanying summary. The strategy’s priorities include supporting pre and post diagnosis, enabling more people to live well in their communities, involving those affected in the design and delivery of their own support, and accessing care from a trauma-informed workforce. It also commits to tackling stigma by seeking agreement from lived experience stakeholders on two-year delivery plans.